Council Bluffs, Iowa -- The Indian Hills volleyball team had an impressive start to their 2019 campaign, winning all three matches they played in a tournament hosted by Iowa Western CC.  The Warriors opened with a straight-set win against Laramie CC, then scored a come-from-behind decision against Jefferson (Mo.) and a decisive victory against a perennially-strong Western Nebraska squad.

Mariana Rodrigues, a freshman All-American last year, paced IHCC at the net in the Laramie contest with 10 kills and she added a team-high 13 digs.  The Warriors swept the three sets, 25-14, 25-22 and 25-16.  Nikoleta Kandic chipped in eight kills and Thayna Birimba recorded three of the team's six ace serves.  Freshman setter Cassia Lemos made her Indian Hills debut and was credited with 39 assists.

The Warriors showed some tenacity in coming back to knock off Jefferson after losing the first two sets, 25-21 and 25-20.  They won the next two 25-18 and 25-10 and then won the deciding set, 15-5 to beat one of the top teams in Missouri.  IHCC had double-digit kill totals in each of the five sets, led by Rodrigues with 11 and Iva Vranic and Sydney Kloubec with 10 each.  Suzana Andrade, Amanda Toyota and Rodrigues had 11 digs apiece, Vranic had seven blocks and Sophia Nascimento had six.  Lemos had 55 assists.

Against Western Nebraska, Tel-Aviv Nunuez and Vranic led the Warriors with nine kills each and Vranic hit .467.  Lemos picked up an additional 33 assists for a three-match total of 127.  The win was the 200th for IHCC's Lyndsey Michel, now in her 8th year as head coach.

The Warriors open their home schedule on Wednesday night against DMACC at the Hellyer Center.