PARSONS – The Neosho County Community College volleyball team picked up a conference road win sweep over rival Labette Community College on Wednesday evening in Parsons, 25-17, 25-20, 25-20.
The Panthers raced out to an early 6-3 behind a pair of serving aces freshman Ryann Flax and a kill from sophomore Maryssa Recio.
The Lady Cardinals made a late push to cut into the deficit, but Neosho County fended off that run to take the set 25-17.
"It was a great night. For the most part, we did a great job of playing in system and being aggressive. We did have a few letdowns in there, but they are a much improved team," Coach Asya Herron said. "Jake (Fulsom) is a highly competitive person and is doing great things here, but it's a conference win on the road and getting it in three is even sweeter."
In the second set, the Panthers managed to keep the Lady Cardinals at arms length.
In the final set, Neosho County looked to run away with the set, jumping out to a 10-3 advantage, but Labette quickly closed that gap to 11-9.
The Cardinals eventually tied the match at 13, but that was as close as the home team came to seeing the lead in the set.
A four-hit possession by Labette gave the Panthers the lead for good, and freshman Imani Jones closed out the match with one of her three solo blocks on the night.
"Imani brought a lot of action and enthusiasm," Herrons said. "She is just a fun player to watch. She gets off the ground quick."
Jones also added eight kills in the victory. Recio tallied a team-high 13 kills, while sophomore Breann Becker dished out 23 assists.
Defensively, sophomore Madi Miller led the team with 18 digs, while sophomore Joanna Riggs added 15.
"I was glad we played well and didn't make too many unforced errors, and that's ultimately why we won," Herron concluded.
Neosho County's match on Friday with Bacone College was cancelled. The Panthers will travel to Wichita to face McPherson College and Friends University Saturday morning. First serve is scheduled for 9 am.

Barefoot for Barefeet Shoe Drive
The Panther volleyball team will return home on Monday, Sept. 25 against Fort Scott. The match will feature the third annual Barefoot for Barefeet Shoe Drive.
The Panther and Greyhound teams will be collecting shoes during the month of September for Samaritan's Feet.
Their goal is to raise 250 pairs of shoes.
Shoes can be dropped off at the NCCC volleyball office located in the NeoKan Building locaed on the Neosho County campus.