The win, however, wasn't easy. The Cougars, who swept through Trinidad State Junior College and Northeastern Junior College on Friday, needed an extra match to capture the south regional title.
The Plainswomen topped the Cougars in four sets 26-24, 13-25, 25-20, 25-20 to force the if-necessary contest. WNCC came out with a different focus in the second title contest, sweeping NJC 25-23, 25-22, 25-20 behind a triple-double from Debora Araujo with 16 kills, 11 points and 10 digs.
The championship was exciting for the players, who had to find heart to make another return trip to the national tournament.
"it feels amazing. It is a feeling that you can't describe," sophomore Tania Torres, who was named to the all-region and all-tournament team, said. "It is the best feeling that I have and we are now going to nationals.
"It is indescribable right know. It is crazy [on the bus]. The team doesn't stop talking, there are people still crying. I was crying a little bit. The girls are still excited and Kuulei has her eyes watery, and Ariel was crying. Everyone is excited about this."
It took plenty of heart for the Cougars to shake off the four-set loss to the Plainswomen, which snapped a 19-match winning streak. They accomplished the win because of a blocking attack that accounted for 15 assisted blocks. The Cougars also dug deep, literally, as Kuulei Kabalis had 23 digs, Fernanda Goncalves had 14 digs and Araujo ahd 10 digs in the title match.
"I think blocking was one of the main reasons we shut them down," Torres said. "Our block was big on them and they were getting desperate because we were blocking so good. That was one of the keys on our part to keep them down."
Kabalis said that they just played as a unit in the second match.
"The big key was our blocking. our passing, which broke down a little in the first match, and our serving," the sophomore from Hawaii said. "We lost the first mach because we thought we had the game after we had beat them [on Friday] and we were not focused in the game. The second game we made sure we were focused and we played together with heart and we didn't give up."
In the first championship match, WNCC dropped the opener 26-24 but came back with force in claiming the second set 25-13. The third set was a back and fourth affair NJC holding a four point lead on several occasions before holding off the Cougars for the 2-1 set advantage.
The fourth set saw the Plainswomen, behind the Region IX player of the Year Karen Rivatto, stop the Cougars and force another title contest. Rivatto finished with 27 kills in the opening match.
Kabalis said coach Giovana Melo really didn't have to say much to the team; they knew what they had to do.
"She was really positive with us making sure that we had a positive mindset going into the second match," Kabalis said. "We were a little down, but we were able to pick it up and play with some fire."
The second title contest wasn't easy either. In the first set, the two Region IX south powers were tied at 18-18 until WNCC went up 20-18. NJC came back to tie the set at 22-22 before a Lais Soares kill put WNCC in front. Aruajo then hammered home the final kill for the first-set win.
The second set was another slugfest as both teams were knotted at 15-15 before WNCC went up 24-18 on a Araujo kill. NJC fought back, staving off four set points before WNCC got the final point to capture the second set 25-22.
The third set was all Cougars as the Plainswomen were totally taken out of the set as WNCC rolled to a 6-1 lead and led 10-4 on two Emily Hoehn service points. The Cougars kept playing national championship volleyball as Fernanda Goncalves, who was named Region IX South setter and freshman of the year, put down a setter dump for a 14-9 lead.
WNCC went up 19-12 on a Ariel Austin kill, who second kill within a four-point run. NJC wasn't about to quit as they rattled off a run that cut the deficit to 21-18. But a kill and block by Torres moved the score to 24-19 and Aruajo finished off the title run with a kill.
Torres said that they might of had to work harder for this title, and she is cherishing this one just a little bit more.
"Last year we [the sophomores this year] were freshmen and it felt good but we knew we were coming back for another year," she said. "This year it is my last year here, and winning it makes me want to cry. My eyes are watering right now because I won't have another chance to do it."
WNCC had several players step up in the two matches. In the first championship match, Aruajo finished with 15 kills, four blocks, four points and 17 digs; Austin had 14 kills and three blocks; Torres had nine kills, seven blocks, seven points and four digs; Kathryn Stock had nine kills, two blocks, and 10 digs; Lais Soares ahd seven kills and three blocks; Tori Bozzo had two kills; Goncalves had 42 set assists, 11 points and 13 digs; Kabalis had eight points and 21 digs; and Hoehn had three points and six digs.
In the second championship match, Aruajo paced the team with the triple-double. Austin also chipped in eight kills and four blocks; Stock had seven kills and nine digs; Torres had four kills; Soares ahd four kills and three blocks; Goncalves ahd three blocks, 29 set assists, six points and 14 digs; Hoehn had three points and five digs; and Kabalis had five points and 23 digs.
In post-tournament honors, four Cougars made the all-region team in Torres, Austin, Araujo and Goncalves. WNCC players on the all-tournament team included Torres, Austin and Araujo. WNCC third-year head coach Giovana Melo was named the Region IX coach of the year.
WNCC know qualifies for the national tournament Nov. 18-20 in West Plains, Mo. Torres said they will be hitting the court to practice for a run at the national tournament.
"We won regionals so we are going to step it up for nationals at Cougar Palace on Monday and start practicing as hard as we can so we can try to win a national title in Mi8ssouri," she said.
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