No. 3 Trojans Flawless at Midland Kick-Off Classic With Perfect Sweep

MIDLAND, Texas — The third-ranked Colby Community College volleyball team finished day two of the Midland Kick-Off Classic with authority, sweeping North Idaho College and New Mexico Junior College today (Aug. 23) to close the weekend undefeated (4-0).

Colby opened the morning against North Idaho (25-22, 25-16, 25-22) and battled through tight stretches to earn a 3-0 sweep. In the first set, the Trojans erased an early deficit behind a pair of kills from Chiara Binda and back-to-back slams by Karlotta Kattai. After North Idaho strung together a 9-1 run, Colby regrouped during a Carey Jones timeout. The Trojans clawed back with a Lena Mihaljica ace and kills from Binda and Kattai to tie the score at 17-17. Kattai and Kami Cowdrey took over late, pushing Colby ahead 21-17, before Mihaljica finished the set with a kill for the 25-22 win.

The Trojans kept rolling in the second, trading points early before ripping off a five-point run to build a 13-6 lead. A diving dig from Silvia Lopez Cuesta set up a thunderous Mihaljica kill to stretch the gap. Kattai added yet another power swing to make it 18-10. Mihaljica once again capped the set from the service line with an ace, sealing a 25-16 victory.

North Idaho responded with a run to open the third, but Colby quickly answered. Isabella Martins fired back-to-back aces to swing momentum, and Mihaljica stuffed a block at the net for a 12-10 lead. Martins and Amanda Caputi added key kills in the middle of a back-and-forth stretch, while Binda and Kattai slammed home points to extend the lead. Cowdrey put down the ball for match point at 24-20, and a Cardinal attack error gave Colby the sweep, 25-22. 

The Trojans capped the day with a dominant sweep over New Mexico Junior College (25-14, 25-9, 25-17). In set one, Colby wasted no time as Kattai opened with a slam for the first point and followed with another kill to make it 4-1. Binda added a kill and an ace, while Cowdrey chipped in on the right side. A six-point surge extended the Trojans' lead to 15-8, and Kattai stayed hot with two more kills. Caputi added an ace before Colby closed the set 25-14.

The Trojans dominated the second frame from start to finish. Martins served an ace to start, and Caputi delivered a dump set kill before reeling off two more aces to push the lead to 6-1. Colby never looked back, as Kattai scored on two aces of her own and Ella Dridi hammered home multiple kills. Back-to-back blocks from Dridi and Martins made it 16-3, while Cowdrey and Martins added kills to extend the margin. Caputi flipped a ball to the back line for match point, and Kattai delivered the finishing slam for a 25-9 win.

New Mexico made a push in the third, leading 7-5 before Colby tied it at 9-9 and rattled off four straight to seize control. Binda added another ace, Martins put away a kill after a long rally, and Caputi set up multiple hitters with precision throughout. With the score at 24-17, Kattai finished the sweep with another powerful kill.

The Trojans capped the Midland Kick-Off Classic with a flawless 4-0 record and a dominant 12-0 set margin, underscoring their No. 3 national ranking. Next up, Colby heads to Laramie, Wyo., for the Laramie County CC Tournament, where the Trojans will face another tough slate highlighted by a top-10 showdown with Northeastern Junior College.