NMJC Splits Two in Midland
The New Mexico Junior College volleyball team split two matches in Midland on Friday.
The T-Birds fell to Navarro College in four sets (19-25, 28-26, 18-25, 25-20) in match one.
Freshman outside hitter Iva Popovic led the way for NMJC in the loss with 18 kills and 18 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Maggie Machado added 17 kills and 16 digs. Sophomore setter Lacie Schooley chipped in for the T-Birds with 28 assists.
The Thunderbirds bounced back in match two against Lee College winning in four sets (25-22, 13-25, 25-18, 29-27).
Machado and Popovic were the stars of match two for the Thunderbirds. Popovic continued her stellar play with a team-high 20 kills and 13 digs in the win against Lee College. Machado helped anchor the T-Bird attack with 12 kills of her own.
Schooley led the way for NMJC in match two with 34 assists. Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Milena Cernjanski chipped in with 16 digs.
The win against Lee College marks the first career victory as head coach of NMJC for Holli Reyna.
"It aways feels good to win and this is one on the notch and we have many more to come," Reyna said. "We just have to stay focused and take it one point at a time."
The Thunderbirds turned it around following the loss to Navarro with a statement win against Lee College. A testament to taking it one match at a time and not dwelling on past mistakes.
"I think we have all the moving parts on the floor. I told the girls that it is just about connecting and feeling more confident together," Reyna said. "We definitely have the talent and ability to be successful. The good news is that the mistakes and errors that we are making are all fixable. So, we just need to make the small adjustments and go out on the court and stay confident in ourselves."
The T-Birds sit at 1-1 on the year with much to improve on according to Reyna.
"Going into tomorrow we are focused on being more consistent, having fewer errors, and being able to make the adjustments we need to make instead of giving away multiple points in a row," Reyna said. "We need to make the adjustment and win the next point."
NMJC will play two contests tomorrow, Aug. 20. The first will be a matchup against North Central Texas College at 11 a.m. CT. The Thunderbirds will play Otero College at 1 p.m. CT in match two.
