INDEPENDENCE – The Neosho County Community College swept Independence (25-20, 25-14, 25-20) Wednesday evening as the Panthers picked up their third consecutive sweep heading with one regular-season match remaining.
With the win, Neosho County is now 18-11 overall and 5-3 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference.
The Panthers jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead behind kills from sophomores Riley McGinn, Mandi Taylor and Kylie Foster and a pair of Lady Pirate errors.
However, Independence wasn't going to be put away that easy.
The home team tied the first set at five apiece, and the Panthers struggled to pull away.
With the score tied at 19 apiece, the visitors scored six of the final seven points to close out the first set.
"We started off a little slow," Coach Asya Herron said. "I'm glad we finally took our tempo and pace. They just couldn't keep up with us."
In the second set, the Panthers jumped out to a 9-2 lead following a kill by freshman Maryssa Recio and never looked back.
"They do a nice job of playing defense, but they just struggled a little bit in the second set," Herron said. "We didn't make very many errors, and it opened the score up."
In the final set, Independence showed some life, grabbing a 4-1 advantage.
However, Neosho County tied the set at eight following four-hit possession by the Lady Pirates, and the Panthers regained the lead for good the following point.
The visitors never looked back en route to their third conference sweep of the season.
"They are a much improved team. It's a conference win, and I'm glad we got it done in three," Herron said. "Everyone that came off the bench did a great job and stayed aggressive."
Foster led the Panthers with six kills, while Taylor and McGinn had four each. McGinn also tallied eight blocks, while sophomore Rianne Richard had 14 digs.
The Panthers will conclude the regular season by hosting Hesston College (12-14 and 2-6) on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 pm.