Eastfield Captures 3rd Straight District Title

MESQUITE, Texas – Dallas College Eastfield captured its third consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association Division III South District title, sweeping Dallas College Brookhaven 25-9, 25-15, 25-19 Saturday.

No. 1-ranked Eastfield (27-1) will march on to the NJCAA Division III Tournament Nov. 13-15 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. No. 8 Brookhaven (15-12) awaits its at-large bid hopes on Tuesday on the Selection Show.

Eastfield cruised out to a double-digit lead in the opening set behind three straight kills by Mia Santos. Bailey Brooks and Kira Smith's block ended the set. The Harvester Bees hit .500 in Set 1, putting away 13 kills with no errors.

Patience Gibson served Eastfield to a 13-4 lead in the middle set, following an ace. Brookhaven's Jaylin Holmes pounded a kill to bring the Bears within 14-6. Holland Hickman's block kept the Bears within eight. Santos had a back row kill to extend the Bees' lead to 10. Kamryn Mitchell had a tap down and a kill as Brookhaven made it 20-12. Brooks' kill stretched Eastfield's lead to 23-12. Hickman raised up and slammed one down to make it 24-15, but Madison Mosley's kill on the next serve gave the Harvesters a two-set lead.

Eastfield hit .484 in the second set after committing just one attack error in 31 swings.

Carmen Brown and Hickman had two straight blocks as Brookhaven kept it close at 5-4 early in the third set. Brown sent down a blast as the Bears remained within 8-6. Holmes' torpedo to the floor pulled Brookhaven within 9-8 after a kill by Mosley. Liana Ramos' ace and a kill by Holmes tied it at 10. Eastfield won five of the next six serves, with Caitlyn Coleman and Brooks combining for a block to put the Bees up 15-11. Coleman and Mosley's block pushed the lead to 21-12. Mary Amick's kill and a block by Brown and Kamryn Mitchell pulled the Bears within 21-16. Brooks and Kira Smith sent a block down as Eastfield went ahead 23-17. Santos secured the title with a kill.

Eastfield hit .341 in the match. The Bees had eight blocks. 

Santos finished with 12 kills and two blocks, while hitting .435. Mosley had 12 kills and two blocks, while putting together a .296 attack percentage. Brooks hit .294 with six kills, and had four blocks. Gibson had 19 digs. Coleman and Smith each had four blocks and four kills.

The Harvester Bees improved to 96-2 over the last three seasons under coach Phil Nickel.