Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 Dodge City volleyball team opened the 2024 season with a tough slate of games competing at the NMMI Classic hosted in Roswell, New Mexico by New Mexico Military Institute and came away 1-3 after the tournament. 

The Conquistadors opened the tournament with a tough five-set contest against #9 Indian Hills falling in the matchup (25-8, 27-25, 19-25, 17-25, 10-15); it's the second straight year the Conqs suffered a five-set loss in the season opener. To wrap up day one of action at the NMMI Classic the Conqs would drop a four-set tilt (18-25, 22-25, 25-19, 22-25) to Amarillo College. Day two saw the Conqs get their first win of the season as they defeated #13 College of Southern Idaho in a five-set thriller (24-26, 25-16, 19-25, 25-22, 15-11) while capping the tournament falling in straight sets to the host NMMI (23-25, 16-25, 19-25). 

Vs. #9 Indian Hills – Lost 3-2
It was a hot start to the tournament in the first set as the Conqs would double up Indian Hills at 12-6 in the first set and cruise past the Warriors in the set taking it 25-8. The strong performance continued in the second set as the Conqs would grab the set in extra points 27-25 fending off a set point by Indian Hills late. Leading 2-0 in the match the Conqs would see Indian Hills take an early lead in the third set to take it 25-19 then grabbing the fourth set 25-17 to push the game into a fifth set. In the fifth, the match was tied 5-5 but a 4-0 run by Indian Hills would prove to be the difference as the Warriors took the fifth set 15-10 to win the match. 

Tess De Zanet led the Conqs offensively in the loss with 18 kills adding five aces, and five digs, while Azra Arslanoglu and Beatriz Lampugnani Cornachini each chipped in 11 kills. Arslanoglu had a double-double recording 12 digs along with her 11 kills, while Cornachini added nine digs and five block assists. Hayden Pinard orchestrated the offense with 51 assists and had six digs. Amariah White had a solid first college match in the middle with six kills and five block assists. 

Vs. Amarillo – Lost 3-1
After a tough five-set loss in the season opener, the Conqs wrapped up day one of the NMMI Classic against Amarillo and suffered a four-set loss. While the Conqs would keep it close in the first two sets Amarillo edged past the Conqs 25-18 and 25-22. Conqs would stay alive in the matchup by grabbing the third set in another tight set winning it 25-19, but Amarillo would snag the fourth set 25-22 to take the match. 

The Conqs offense was spread out in the loss with six different Conqs recording at least six kills in the contest. Sila Yildiz led the Conqs with eight kills, while De Zanet tallied seven kills, four aces, and 10 digs. Pinard recorded 38 assists in the matchup. 

Vs. #13 Southern Idaho – Won 3-2
The Conqs' first win of the season came against a team that Head Coach, Erin Mellinger previously coached for at the College of Southern Idaho and the Conqs would go five sets against to earn the win. The #13 CSI fended off the Conqs' runs throughout the first set and sneaked out of the set with a 26-24 decision in their favor, but the Conqs responded well in the second set jumping up early, building a six-point cushion at 13-7 and would go on to take the set 25-16. The third set flipped back the way of CSI as the Conqs would fall behind 2-1 in the match after a 25-19 third set. In the fourth set, it was tight throughout but an ace by Kamalei Wassman and a big block up front by the Conqs would give the Conqs a small cushion to work with late and ultimately a 25-22 decision in the fourth set. The fifth set saw the Conqs lead 8-4 but that lead disappeared with a 4-0 run by CSI to tie the set at 8-8 but the Conqs would respond and finish strong winning the fifth set 15-11 to claim the match. 

Leisey Keli'i continued to anchor the libero spot for the Conqs recording 19 digs in the win, while the offense was spread out with six different Conqs having four to eight kills. Yildiz tallied eight kills, two aces, and four digs, while Cornachini chipped in eight kills, two aces, and seven digs. Madison Wallman had a strong match finishing with 11 digs and added two aces and one kill. 

Vs. #12 NMMI – Lost 3-0
The Conqs finished the NMMI Classic against the host #12 New Mexico Military Institute and fell in three sets. The first set went down to the wire, but NMMI would just edge past the Conqs 25-23 to take early control of the match and then would grab the next two sets 25-16 and 25-19. The loss capped the tournament for the Conqs with a 1-3 record. 

De Zanet tallied a double-digit kill performance with 10, while White and Cornachini each had six kills. Cornachini added 11 digs in the loss, while Keli'i recorded 10 digs and two aces. 

The Conqs will be back in action quickly with a non-conference tilt on the road against Frank Phillips on Tuesday, August 27th at 6:00 pm and then will be at home for the first time this season when they host the Victory Electric Classic on August 29th-31st. The Conqs will play at their home tournament on Thursday, August 29th versus Eastern Arizona at 7:30 pm, then on Friday, August 30th versus Frank Phillips and Panola at 10:30 am and 8:30 pm, and wrap up the tournament versus Midland on Saturday, August 31st at 7:30 pm.