WNCC volleyball team win first-round match against Wallace State

                WEST PLAINS, MO. – The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball opened the NJCAA national tournament in West Plains, Mo., with a big blocking win against Wallace State-Hanceville 25-19, 25-19, 25-11 to move into the quarterfinals later tonight against North Idaho College.

                The Cougars tallied 22 assisted blocks and had three players finish with double-digit kills in the sweeping win. It was the third time in four years that WNCC has opened up against Wallace State.

                The Cougars didn’t open up the contest until midway through the second set. WNCC took the first set 25-19 and were actually down 6-2 and later 13-7 in the second set. That was when the momentum shifted with a bang. Luiza Martins went on a six-point service run that was aided by three big kills from Kat Agson and some timely blocking for a 14-13 lead.

                The Lions tied the match at 15-15 and that was when the Cougar block party went into high gear as they shut down the Wallace State hitters for the second set. Late in the second set, Danika Youngblood, Megan Johnson and Priscila Mendes each had huge kills.

                The third set was all WNCC as the Cougars jumped out to a 7 -1 lead on a Agson and Yoro Tovar block. The Cougars pushed the lead to 17-3 lead as Tasha Meyer served eight points behind fine-tuned blocking and hitting.

                The Cougars continued playing strong as Allora Tanner got a kill and then teamed up with Tovar for a block for a 22-9 lead. Tanner then served the final point to push the Cougars into the Elite Eight.

                Youngblood had a double-double of 10 kills and 13 digs in the match. Two other Cougars managed double-figure kills, led by Agson’s 12 kills and Tovar’s 11. Tovar also had six assisted blocks and a solo block. Martins finished with 13 points, five assisted blocks, seven digs, and 31 set assists.

                Also for the Cougars, Agson had four assisted blocks; Meyer had 13 points, an ace, and eight digs; Alex Rivera had 10 digs; Megan Johnson had two kills and four assisted blocks; and Priscila Mendes had three kills, a solo block, and seven digs.

                The Cougars will face North Idaho College at 5:30 CST Thursday for a berth in the Final Four. North Idaho defeated Hutchinson Community College

First Round Results

Iowa Western CC over Temple College – 25-18, 25-18, 25-18

College of Central Florida over Western Texas College – 25-12, 25-21, 25-14

North Idaho College over Hutchinson C.C. – 25-20, 25-15, 25-16

Western Nebraska CC over Wallace State-Hanceville – 25-19, 25-19, 25-11

College of Southern Idaho over Faulkner Stat3 – 21-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-19

Hillsborough C.C. over Missouri State-West Plains – 25-15, 18-25, 29-31, 25-17, 15-8.

3 p.m.  Tyler Junior College vs. Redsland C.C.

3 p.m.  San Jacinto and Casper College

Second Round Games

5:30 p.m. – Iowa Western vs. College of Central Florida

5:30 p.m. – Western Nebraska vs. North Idaho

7:30 p.m. – Winners of 3 p.m. games.