T-Birds Fall to Navarro in 1st Round of the NJCAA Volleyball Championship 

The Thunderbirds fell to Navarro College in straight sets Wednesday, Nov. 15 (25-18, 25-20, 25-13).

The T-Birds were playing in their first-ever national tournament match after qualifying as one of the four at-large teams.

The first half of set one was a stalemate with Navarro and NMJC tied at 13 apiece. NMJC struggled to find a rhythm offensively in the second half of the first set and was unable to keep it close losing set one 25-18. 

The second set was a similar fate for the T-Birds. NMJC was tied at 11 in the second set, but the Bulldogs overpowered the T-Birds the rest of the way with Navarro winning set two 25-20.    

The third set was all Navarro. The Bulldogs took a commanding 16-7 lead halfway through the final set. Navarro would go on to win the match 25-13 and advance in the national tournament.

Outside hitter Gaby Arias finished the match with eight digs and seven kills. Outside hitter Iva Popovic recorded seven kills and four digs.

Setter Taina de Lima Nunes registered 11 assists and Sude Omerickoglu added 10 assists. Libero Addison Carillo finished the match with seven digs. Right side Polianna Hernandez notched five kills in the three-set loss.   

The T-Birds drop to 29-7 on the year and will play Thursday, Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. CST against Mineral Area College in the consolation bracket of the 2023 NJCAA Volleyball Championship.