AC stuns 16th ranked New Mexico JC to claim first ranked win in team hist

Amarillo College's first ranked win in program history couldn't have been scripted to have a more dramatic finish.

Facing a 5-0 deficit in the fifth set of Wednesday's match against No. 16 New Mexico Junior College, the Badger volleyball team was staring at what would have been its third five-set loss to a ranked opponent this season.

AC played near-flawless volleyball from that point forward as the Badgers went on a 15-6 run in the fifth frame to stun the No. 16 Thunderbirds (25-16, 27-29, 17-25, 25-23, 15-11) at the FirstBank Southwest Center.

Three-time WJCAC Player of the Week Kaela Neie recorded five kills on seven swings, freshman Kre Hicks was a perfect 3-for-3 on attacks from the right side of the net, and the Badger back row was 11-of-11 on serve receiving attempts during the fifth set.

Hicks' high school teammate from Stephenville, Genesis Mendez, ended the contest with an emphatic solo block on the right side of the net after a 30-second rally.

Leading up to Wednesday's upset victory, Neie had shown time and time again that she is one of the most productive outside hitters in the country. The sophomore from Bushland has been in the top 10 at the NJCAA D-I level in kills per set since the second week of the season.

Despite her previous record-setting performances – including four 20-kill matches – none neared the significance of her showing against NMJC.

Neie reset her own record for kills in a single game with 26 on Wednesday and did so at an equally impressive rate - .347 hitting percentage. The 6-foot sophomore added a team-high three service aces to cap the top offensive performance in team history.

Jaelynn Jackson, Ellie Okikawa, and Anau Tua'one added to the list of career-best performances by Badgers against the Thunderbirds. Jackson had a season-best 11 kills via a .346 hitting percentage.

Okikawa (26 assists) and Tua'one (37 assists) recorded career-high assist totals. The latter's final assist number tied the third-highest mark in team history.

West Plains High School product Abi Ramsey was a critical component for AC's success in the passing department. The freshman, who has recently emerged as one of the team's primary liberos, had one of the best defensive showings of the season by Badgers in the back row.

Ramsey tallied a 2.60 passer rating by way of 11 3-passes and no receptions errors on 15 pass attempts.

AC temporarily moved into third place in the conference standings following the victory. The Badgers conference record improved to 4-3 before dropping Saturday's match at No. 3 New Mexico Military Institute.

The match against the Thunderbirds represented the end of the first cycle of conference games. Compared to a season ago, AC doubled their win total from the first seven WJCAC games of 2023.