LIBERAL, Kan. — The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team remained unbeaten after the first day of the Ozfest Invitational in Liberal, Kan., on Friday.
The Cougars opened the tournament with a 25-13, 25-15, 25-13 win over Midland College. They then disposed of Arizona Western College 25-17, 25-18, 25-16, and followed that up with a 25-20, 25-19, 25-15 win over Hutchinson Community College.
“I am really happy [with us not dropping a game],” WNCC coach Giovana Melo said. “I just have high expectations for the girls and I think that we have to play to our potential no matter what.”
In the tournament opener against Midland (25-6), Nayka Benitez finished with a double-double recording 14 points, 16 digs and eight aces.
Paloma Alvarez also had a good match, collecting 12 points, four aces and six kills.
Also for the Cougars, Fatima Balza had 16 kills, three assist blocks and five digs; Paulina Piegza had 10 kills; Kaleinani Kabalis had 11 digs; and Sabina Piegza had 28 set assists.
“We started off ok against Midland. The second match wasn’t as good, but we came back and played really well,” Melo said. “I thought at the end of the tournament we came back and played harder and played as well as we did at the beginning of the day.”
Against Arizona Western, Sabina Piegza had a double-double with 10 points, 32 set assists and three aces. Also, Kabalis finished with nine digs and six kills; Paulina Piegza had 12 kills and three assist blocks; Benitez had eight points and three aces; Gregner Quinones had three aces, and eight points; Balza had seven points and nine kills; and Alvarez had five digs.
In the Cougar’s final pool play match against Hutchinson, WNCC placed three players with double-digit kills. Kabalis led the way with 13 kills, followed by Balza and Paulina Piegza with 12 kills each.
Balza also added six points, while Kabalis had two aces and six digs; and Paulina Piegza had one solo block.
Also for the Cougars, Sabina Piegza had 30 set assists, six points and two aces; Benitez had five digs; and Quinones had five digs, 10 points and three aces.
The three wins moved the Cougars record to 40-2 on the season.
WNCC will next take on Barton County Community College in the first round of the bracket tournament at 8 a.m. If they win, they will lay at 10 a.m. The championship game is slated for 6 p.m.
“I don’t know much about Barton,” Melo said. “I really didn’t have a chance to watch them. But I think it will take us playing well and playing to our potential every time we step on to the court to come away with a tournament title. We will see what happens.”
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