ROSWELL, N.M. – Stunned by a season-opening loss early on Friday, the No. 11-ranked Hutchinson Community College volleyball team rebounded to end Opening Day 2013 with a sweep at the sixth-annual New Mexico Military Classic.
Eastern Arizona played incredible defense to rally from a set down and stun the Lady Dragons in the first match on Friday, defeating Hutchinson 3-2 (25-18, 24-26, 25-10, 16-25, 13-15). Hutchinson still committed a lot of errors in Match No. 2 against Yavapai College, but swept the Roughriders 25-19, 25-23, 25-12 on Friday afternoon.
The Lady Dragons (1-1) will start early on Saturday when they meet Frank Phillips College at 9 a.m. CT on Saturday. HCC closes out the NMMI Classic with Pima at 2 p.m. CT.
EASTERN ARIZONA RECAP
Sophomore Dragana Micic had quite a Hutchinson debut as she put down the third-most kills in a single match, but it wasn’t enough to help the Lady Dragons stave off the Gila Monsters.
Micic had 24 kills on 54 swings to lead Hutchinson. She had a dazzling .444 hitting percentage to go with three service aces and two blocks.
After winning the first set, the Lady Dragons led 22-18 in the second, but the Gila Monsters rallied to win 26-24. After HCC dominated the third, Eastern Arizona immediately turned the tables in the fourth to force a fifth set. The Gila Monsters then edged HCC in a back-and-fourth fifth set that ended in controversy.
With EAC leading 14-13, Micic pounded an attack off the Gila Monster block and into the antenna. What should have been a Lady Dragon point and a tied fifth set turned into match point when the down official ruled Micic hit into the antenna before it went off the block giving EAC the point.
All-American Teresa Wade posted a double-double with 12 kills on .209 hitting and 12 digs. Sophomore Megan Heier hit .428 on six kills.
Sophomore setter Alex Keller had a team-high 20 assists and hit .333 on five kills and three blocks. Freshman setter Paige Weidner had 18 assists.
Defensively, sophomore Samantha Lackey had a match-high 27 digs. Freshman Minja Rankov had 12 digs. Freshman Kawehi Granito-Wallace led HCC with six blocks.
The Lady Dragons hit .268 as a team and had nine team services aces.
YAVAPAI RECAP
Hutchinson faced a group of big Yavapai hitters in the afternoon match, but behind Micic’s 11 kills, the Lady Dragons swept the Roughriders.
HCC hit .217 as a team and continued to make a lot of mistakes. HCC slogged its way through the first two sets before dominating the third set 25-12. HCC hit .240 in the first set, only .115 in the second set and was much more efficient in the third set, hitting at a .281 clip.
Micic hit .194 on 11 kills to lead the Lady Dragons. She added five digs.
Wade had five kills on .194 hitting. She added 11 digs and a team-high three services aces.
Weidner had 14 set assists while Keller added 12 set assists with three kills.
Lackey had 15 digs to lead the back row.
HCC had only two blocks in the match.
FRIDAY NOTES – Only Mariana Blum (28), Ludmilla Amaral (26) and Teresa Wade (26) have had more kills in a match than Dragana Micic. … With a combined 43 digs on Friday, Samantha Lackey is now 32 digs away from moving into the HCC career Top 10 for digs.
(HCC Sports Information)