The Highland Community College Scotties wrapped up a challenging four-match weekend at the Pensacola State Tournament in Pensacola, Florida, with plenty of reasons to be encouraged—most notably a statement victory over nationally ranked No. 20 Calhoun Community College. Highland opened the tournament against Northwest Mississippi Community College, falling 3-0 by scores of 17-25, 20-25 and 21-25. The Scotties finished the match hitting .211 as a team while continuing to compete defensively and gain valuable experience against a strong opponent.

The Scotties' second match turned into a five-set thriller against Pearl River Community College. Highland took the opening set 27-25, dropped the next two, and battled back to win the fourth 25-21 before Pearl River narrowly claimed the deciding set 15-13. Highland produced one of its strongest offensive performances of the weekend, hitting .351 as a team. Contributions came from throughout the lineup as the Scotties kept the match competitive from beginning to end.

Then came the weekend's biggest moment. Highland took down No. 20-ranked Calhoun Community College, 3-1, winning three extremely competitive sets by scores of 26-24, 26-24 and 25-23, with Calhoun taking the third 25-23. The Scotties hit .240 as a team and received contributions across the court, including strong offensive and defensive efforts and a presence at the net. Highland's ability to stay composed in the tight moments ultimately made the difference.

The win over Calhoun gave the Scotties a signature victory against a nationally ranked opponent and demonstrated the team's ability to compete-and finish-when the pressure was at its highest.
Highland closed the tournament against No. 8-ranked Pensacola State Community College, facing another nationally ranked team in the final match of the weekend. The Scotties continued to battle, finishing the match with a .211 team hitting percentage and five blocks, with contributions from multiple players throughout the lineup.

The Scotties finished the Pensacola tournament 1-3, but the weekend was about more than the record. Highland faced a demanding schedule that included two nationally ranked opponents, pushed Pearl River to five sets and came away with a significant win over No. 20 Calhoun.

"I'm really proud of how this team competed in Pensacola," said Head Coach Andrea Keller. "We put ourselves in some tough situations against very good teams, and our players continued to fight, adjust and believe in each other. Beating a nationally ranked team like Calhoun was a great accomplishment, but I'm just as proud of the way we competed throughout the entire weekend. We're going to take what we learned, build on it and continue getting better."