In a battle between two of the top teams in the nation, eighth-ranked New Mexico Military Institute let fourth-ranked Odessa College slip away with an extremely close five-set win: 21-25, 25-15, 28-30, 27-25, 15-13.
As the set scores indicate, NMMI won a close first set, thanks in large part to making fewer mistakes than the Wranglers. But in set 2, Odessa stormed back with a vengeance, their blocking at the net leading the way to an easy victory.
Set number three was a knock-down, drag-out, grudge match. Both teams briefly held three-point leads – NMMI at 9-6, Odessa at 14-11 – but neither team managed to pull away, resulting in 12 ties throughout the set. In the end, it was NMMI's blocking that won it: Daicy Benites Franco combining with Maria Konwerska to knock back the last two Odessa attacks for the 30-28 overtime win.
Set four was just as contentious, with five ties (and just one-point leads in between) until tied at 11, the Broncos went on a five-point run started by a Drianyeliz Ramos Cora kill over the middle. Michelle Mlikan, who led the Broncos in kills during the match with 16, added two points on outside attacks, and Leila Ayala served up an ace in between those Mlikan kills.
Odessa closed the gap to 17-15 but Konwerska got a ball down on a right-side attack. Tessa Watson added another NMMI ace, and a kill off the block by Anniston Lustig put the Broncos up 20-15.
Odessa made two service errors – at 22-19 and again at 23-21 – but the Broncos couldn't capitalize and close out the win, with the Wrangler double block leading the way to a 27-25 victory.
In the final fifth set, Odessa broke out to a 3-0 lead, but NMMI fought back to tie it at 7s, then went ahead, 8-7, on a Ramos kill over the middle.
The set stayed within one point until 13-13. The Wranglers won the next two points – a solo block at center, followed by an NMMI block which went out of bounds.
Three players finished with double-digit kills for the Broncos: Mlikan, as mentioned, with 16, Lustig one behind with 15, and Ayala with 13.
Konwerska was NMMI's top blocker with seven block assists, while Kae Sato topped the NMMI digs column with 33.
With the loss, the Broncos drop to 18-7 overall and 6-2 in conference, with six matches left in the regular season.
Next up will be Clarendon College at home on Wednesday, Oct. 15 and a 6:00 pm MDT start time scheduled in the Cahoon Armory gymnasium.