Badgers host Plainsmen in critical WJCAC matchup on Saturday
In order to put themselves within striking distance of postseason contention entering the second round of conference games, a win against Frank Phillips College is a near must for the Amarillo College Volleyball team this Saturday.
The Badgers (6-12, 1-4) play host to the Plainsmen (5-12, 2-3) on Sept. 30, marking their sixth Western Junior College Athletic Conference match of the season.
The contest begins at 2 p.m. at the FirstBank Southwest Center on Amarillo College’s Washington Street campus.
Amarillo College sits in sixth place currently in the WJCAC ensuing a defeat against Western Texas College (12-10, 2-3) last Wednesday.
The Plainsmen are tied with the Westerners for fourth place with 2-3 conference records. Midland College is in the fourth and final playoff spot as of Sept. 29 with a 3-2 WJCAC mark.
The top three teams in the WJCAC (NMMI, Odessa College, NMJC) are rated in the top 10 in the country.
Odessa College (19-2, 4-1) is ranked fourth, New Mexico Military Institute (17-4, 5-0) is slotted at No. 7, and New Mexico Junior College (18-3, 3-2) is ranked 10th according to the NJCAA DI Volleyball Rankings published on Sept. 25.
Amarillo College finishes their first round of conference play at New Mexico Junior College, on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
Players to Watch
No. 13 Jaron McAden, Amarillo College – The 5-foot-8 sophomore from Abilene was a primary component to the Badgers successful inaugural campaign in 2022, earning her all-conference honorable mention honors and Amarillo College Volleyball Athlete of the Year.
The middle blocker and outside has been the centerpiece for the Badgers’ success once again this season. McAden leads the team in kills (149) hitting percentage (.225), an is third on the team in blocks (15).
No. 7 Carli Colbert, Amarillo College – Following the first tournament of the season, Colbert suffered a high ankle sprain, which kept her off the court for a seven-game stretch.
Since her return on Sept. 7, the sophomore setter reset the records books for an assist total in a single game. The Lubbock Cooper alum initially set a school-record with 38 assists on Sept. 7 and followed by breaking her own record on Sept. 23 against Clarendon College via a 39-assist performance.
In eight games since her injury, Colbert has accumulated seven service aces and 84 digs.
No. 2 Addison McLain, Amarillo College – McLain has emerged as one of the Badgers most efficient attackers and top blockers in past two weeks. The 6-foot-1 sophomore earned AC Volleyball Player of the Week honors last week for totaling 18 kills over three games – the best mark in her career. McLain tallied a career-high nine kills via a .300 hitting percentage against Western Texas College on Sept. 27.
No. 10 Navaeh Rodriguez, Frank Phillips College – The sophomore from Amarillo is the leading attacker on the Plainsmen roster and the clear-cut top server. Rodriguez has 132 kills and 31 aces through 17 games. She also ranks second on her team in digs (193).
No. 2 Farah Ezz, Frank Phillips College – The freshman from Cairo, Egypt is the distributor and key part to the Plainsmen success. Ezz has averaged 17.5 assists per game in conference play in Frank Phillips’ 6-2 system.
No. 11 Alpiline White, Frank Phillips College – White is narrowly behind Rodriguez for the kill lead. The freshman from Salt Lake City has 134 kills and has 14 block assists – tied for third most on the team. White is performing her best in conference play via 11 kills per match and just under two blocks per outing.