Miami Dade Sweeps Indian Hills to Advance in NJCAA National Tournament
Miami Dade sent a loud message in its NJCAA Division I National Tournament opener on Wednesday morning, sweeping Indian Hills 25–13, 25–14, 25–14 at the Dunn Center. The Sharks improved to 26–2 behind a balanced, efficient offense and a defense that held the Warriors to a negative hitting percentage.
Miami Dade hit .400 as a team, finishing with 36 kills against just eight errors on 70 swings, while limiting Indian Hills to 21 kills, 24 errors and a -.033 mark. The Sharks were in control from the start, turning an early 1–0 deficit in the first set into a 7–1 lead and never trailing again in the match.
Luyeisy Marquez-Moreno led the way with 13 kills on 23 swings (.522) and added three service aces and four digs for a match-high 17 points. Middle blocker Maria Fernanda de Lima Varela was perfect offensively, going 6-for-6 (.1000) and anchoring the block with one solo and five block assists. Right-side Angelica Rodriguez chipped in seven kills at a .357 clip and finished with four block assists.
Setter Eleonora Gicheva ran the attack with 20 assists and added four kills of her own on six attempts (.667) to go with two aces and seven digs. Libero Katianna Mejía Betancur stabilized serve receive and the back row with 15 digs and an ace, while Miami Dade's block totaled two solo and 16 block assists to disrupt Indian Hills at the net.
For Indian Hills, Farah Sharif paced the Warriors with 10 kills on 35 swings (.143), but Miami Dade's serving and blocking pressure kept the rest of the offense in check. The Sharks controlled all three sets by double digits and never allowed the Warriors to string together a sustained run.
With the sweep, Miami Dade advances in the NJCAA National Bracket looking to build on a dominant Round 1 performance on both sides of the ball.
The Sharks will take on the winners of Blinn and Odessa.
