Season-best performances highlight Badger volleyball home debut

The Amarillo College volleyball team took to the court at the FirstBank Southwest Center for the first time in program history last weekend during the Badgers home tourney.

Despite a pair of defeats in their two tournament matches, four Badgers set career/season-high marks in their home debut.

Newly minted setter Skylar Rivers dished out a school-record 34 assists in the Badgers home opener against Western Texas College.

During the same match, sophomore Jaron McAden tallied 19 kills – the second-highest mark in program history and a career-high total.

Liberos Taylor Irving and Rachel Russell added to the season-best performance theme as each recorded season-high dig marks versus the Westerners. Irving had 27 digs while Russell finished with 19.

Western Texas College 3 Amarillo College 1

(25-22, 18-25, 25-18, 25-19)

Amarillo College came out on fire in front of an enthusiastic fan base during the first set of Friday's matchup against the Westerners. The Badgers had a commanding 11-3 advantage and were all but guaranteed an opening-set victory with a 21-15 lead.

Western Texas proceeded to go on an unlikely 10-1 run to take the first set.

Amarillo College responded with a decisive win in set two but were unable to sustain their momentum.

Westerner freshman D'Mya Hill – the younger sister of Badger sophomore D'Leah Hill – propelled her team to a victory with a game-best 15 kills, along with 23 digs and four blocks.

Outside of the four previously noted Badger performances in Friday's match, Sophomore Madison Kellogg had eight kills – the second-best mark on the team – and Irving added a team-best two aces.

Trinidad State College 3 Amarillo College 0

(25-15, 25-22, 25-23)

The Badgers suffered their second loss via sweep during Saturday's matinee against the Trojans.

Amarillo College rallied from a slow start in set one (6-2 deficit) and took their lone lead of the first set at 13-12.

Freshman KayleeJo Underwood sparked the Badgers run via a pair of kills and blocks.

D'Leah Hill added two kills while Kellogg and Jorja Wilson recorded one kill apiece to give the Badgers a brief advantage.

The Trojans went on a 13-2 run from that point forward to win the set.

Trinidad State won the final two sets by a combined five points.

In the second set, Amarillo College held its only lead at 1-0 and trailed the rest of the match after Trinidad State took a 3-2 advantage.

The tale of the tape for the third set of Saturday's match was a near replica of the Badgers performance in the first set against Western Texas.

Amarillo College led nearly the entire match, starting with a 4-0 lead, before the Trojans took their first advantage of the set at 24-23.

The Badgers committed a season-high 11 serve reception errors and were outhit in terms of kill percentage .288 to .109.

Underwood had a team-best three blocks and tied Irving for a team-high ace total (2).

McAden recorded 11 kills while Kellogg and Underwood each finished with six.

Irving had 20 digs and Rivers finished with 19 assists.