Lady Chap Volleyball to Play in Historic Match

Forrest Allen
Midland College Athletics Director

Be a part of history as the Midland College Lady Chap volleyball team travels to Odessa for a historic match with the Odessa College Lady Wranglers. Midland College (4-11, 1-0) will take on Odessa College (4-11, 0-1) on Wednesday, September 21st @ 7:00 p.m. at the Odessa College Sports Complex on the OC campus. The Odessa College team is playing in its inaugural season of competition.

This is the first-ever match between the two WJCAC programs and it promises to be a high-energy contest between two proud rival institutions. The match also offers fans a match-up between two first-year head coaches. Midland's Tammie Jimenez assumed the reigns of the program last December, while OC's Alana Rowland came to Odessa after serving as an assistant coach at Seward County Community College (KS) for several seasons.

The MC team features three Odessa products Sarah Sawyer (Odessa High School), Victoria Smith (Odessa High School) and Keli Key-Wilson (Midland Christian School). Other Permian Basin area products also dot the Lady Chap roster, including returning players Addison Zaya (Midland High School), Brittany Serrano (Marfa High School) and Trinity Walker (Wink High School). Area freshmen include, Haley Nichols (Midland Lee High School) and recent additions to the squad, Belle Feaster (Big Spring High School) and Samantha Sparkman (Crane High School).

Rounding out the team are Dragana Cvoric (Republic of Serbia), Breanna Ruble (Visalia, CA) and Lisette Walker (Mission, TX).

Offensively the Lady Chaps are led by freshman, outside hitter Cvoric who leads the team with 166 (3.3 per game) kills this season followed by fellow freshman middle blocker Smith with 120 kills (2.5 per game). Cvoric ranks No. 18 nationally in kills per game.

Midland College has seen solid production by its duo of first-year setters, Haley Nichols (417 assists, 9.5 per game) and Ruble (139 assists, 3.3 per game). Nichols ranks No. 16 in the NJCAA in assists per game.

Defensively the Lady Chaps have leaned on two sophomores, Zaya (203 digs, 4.8 per game) and Serrano (186 digs, 3.57 per game) as well as freshmen Key-Wilson (200 digs, 3.85 per game) and Cvoric(177, 3.5 per game). Zaya's 4.8 digs per game ranks her No. 18 nationally with Key-Wilson checking in at No. 43 in the national statistical rankings. Wink product, Walker leads the Lady Chaps in blocks with 23.5 on the season followed by Sawyer with 21.0 and Smith with 20.5 this season.