The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team will have something more to play for after the latest National Junior College Athletic Association polls were released Wednesday. The Cougars, 32-2 and defending national champions, are back on top of the nation after spending the last three weeks at No. 2.
“I am really happy to be No. 1 because we have been working really hard,” sophomore all-American candidate Fatima Balza said. “This year is different from last year so that is why I am very happy with my team for being No. 1 because it is just not the sophomores doing the job, the new kids that came in this year are doing a good job.”
WNCC, which was idol last week, climbed to the top after the previous No. 1 team Iowa Western Community College fell to top 10-ranked San Jacinto College last week. The Reivers went 3-1 last week recording victories over Frank Phillips, Seminole State and Pratt Community College.
The College of Southern Idaho is right behind the Cougars with a 23-3 record. The Cougars defeated Southern Idaho earlier this season. WNCC’s only two losses of the season came to the hands of Iowa Western at the Columbus Invite Sept. 6.
Rounding out the top 10 include University of Arkansas-Ft. Smith (24-3), Blinn College (16-2), Salt Lake Community College (21-7), San Jacinto College (17-2), Miami Dade College (10-2), Jefferson College 19-7), and Missouri State University-West Plains (20-10).
Northeastern Junior College, who is in WNCC region, moves up in the rankings to No. 15. Other Region IX teams earning honorable mention votes were Northwest Wyoming.
Balza said while it feels good to be ranked No. 1, they want to be No. 1 at the end of the season. To do that, they need to continue to get better because they have a tough stretch of matches coming up after this week’s homestand. WNCC will have Northeastern Junior College on Oct. 14, as well as competing in tournaments at Seward County Community College and Jefferson College in Missouri, facing teams such as Miami Dade, Missouri West Plains, Iowa Western, Seward County, Hillsborough, Jefferson College and Hutchinson.
“We will have to keep practicing hard to stay up there and give 100 percent in practice and the game,” she said. “It is not easy. We have to keep getting better because we have to defend the national title. The goal is to win the national title.”
The Cougars, after a 10-day lay-off, returned to the courts on Tuesday and swept McCook Community College for the team’s 80th straight win at home as the No. 2 team. Now, when the Cougars take to the court Thursday through Saturday for home contests against sub-region foes Lamar, Otero and Trinidad State, they will be doing so as the new top team in the nation.
“We will have to keep practicing hard to stay up there and give 100 percent in practice and the game,” she said. “It is not easy. We have to keep getting better because we have to defend the national title. The goal is to win the national title.”
WNCC has been ranked No. 1 in the nation at least once the past three seasons. The Cougars also have some impressive winning streaks going. Not only have the Cougars won 80 straight home matches, the team has also won 147 straight Region IX matches, last falling to a regional poll back in 2003, once to Casper and twice to Northeastern Colorado.
Balza knows that being No. 1 in the nation also makes other teams wanting to pull the upset more. But, with this team, they are up to the challenge.
“We are working together really well,” Balza said. “But to stay up there we need to keep practicing and getting better. We also need to give 100 percent all the time.”
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