The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team will be looking to capture its 11th straight regional title when the Region IX South tournament kicks off Thursday at Sterling, Colo. The Cougars, who enter the tournament with a lofty 36-3 record and a No. 3 ranking in the NJCAA national polls, earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament. The Cougars first round contest will be Friday at 11 a.m. against the winner of Thursday’s contest between Otero Junior College and McCook Community College.
The other first-round match on Thursday will see Lamar Community College taking on Trinidad State Junior College with the winner facing the No. 2 seed Northeastern Junior College at 9 a.m. on Friday. The championship match is slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Giovana Melo said this team is ready to go out and leave everything on the court.
“They need to play as a team and fight for every point,” she said. “We need to play hard at all times.”
The Cougars road to a regional championship will not be an easy one considering WNCC fell to the host NJC Plainswomen last week in five, agonizing sets. The loss, however, will turn out beneficial for the Cougars, according to Melo.
“It is a good wake up call to show that we still have a lot to learn and get better,” she said. “Also, it shows that any team can win on any given day and that is why we have to give it our best at all times.”
The one strength that this team has accomplished was playing through a lot of adversity. The Cougars were without their leading hitter for three matches earlier in the season, and then have been playing without starting 6-foot-1 setter Sabina Piegza the past five matches. Just how much Piegza will play at the regional tournament remains to be seen as she continues to come back from a knee injury.
“We are not sure about Sabina yet,” Melo said. “It depends on how much progress she makes in the next couple of days. “
The team has picked up through all this adversity and that is one that Melo said sets this team apart from other teams.
“I think we have fought a lot adversity and we have faced many different situations as we showed we can compete no matter what,” she said. “We have a lot depth and that has helped us throughout the year.”
A number of players have stepped up each and every game to contribute in different ways. With Piegza absence from the setting position, freshmen Sierra Schmidt and Kuulei Kabalis have risen to the occasion. Melo said this team needs to continue playing hard at all times.
“This is going to be a lot tougher than it has been in the past to win,” she said. “But, it would mean much more than last year because of all the difficulties we have been facing.”
The Region IX tournament will be available via video on the Internet off the NJC website at gonjc.com. WNCC’s matches will also be available on the Internet and the radio at kosy1013.com or on the radio at 101.3 FM.
The winner of the regional tournament will qualify for the national tournament Nov. 19-21 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Tournament Schedule
Thursday, Nov. 5
5 p.m. – Lamar vs. Trinidad State, 7 p.m. – Otero vs. McCook.
Friday, Nov. 6
9 a.m. – Lamar/Trinidad winner vs. Northeastern Colorado, 11 a.m. – Otero/McCook winner vs. WNCC, 1 p.m. – Otero/McCook loser vs. loser of 9 a.m. game, 3 p.m. – Lamar/Trinidad loser vs. loser of 11 a.m. game, 5 p.m. – 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. winners, 7 p.m. – winners of the 1 and 3 p.m. games.
Saturday, Nov. 7.
10 a.m. – third place game, 1 p.m. – Championship, 3 p.m. – if-necessary match.
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