Cougars are No. 1 in the nation!!!!!!!

The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball players have even more reason to be smiling these days.

After running out to a 20-1 record so far this season, the team as achieved another honor – being ranked No. in the county. And, after the polls were released Wednesday morning, the WNCC coaches and players were filled with excitement.

The Cougars, who have won three straight tournaments, including defeating previously No. 1 and the defending NJCAA national champions Iowa Western Community College, moved up five spots to the top spot with 80 points. Salt Lake Community College, who is the only team to defeat WNCC, is number two followed by Iowa Western, Frank Phillips College and Blinn College.

WNCC coach Chris Green, who is in his ninth year of head coach, said the competition among the top teams is fierce.

“Salt Lake and Iowa Western are definitely very talented teams and we had to play at our best to beat them,” he said. “The good thing is that we have already seen them and hopefully when and if we see either of those teams again, we will be even more prepared.”

The Cougars, though, are used to the national attention. Last season WNCC was No. 1 for eight weeks before finishing runner-up at the national tournament to Iowa Western and finishing the year at 56-2.

“The players have been there before,” WNCC coach Chris Green said. “Last year we were ranked number one for a majority of the season, but what would have made for a better ending would be finishing at number one.”

This year’s team, which boasts plenty of depth, has provided plenty of punch this season. The team swept through the South Sub-region tournament winning all five matches without dropping a game. Then, the Cougars won their second straight Salt Lake Invite by defeating No. 2 ranked Salt Lake Community College in the championship.

Last weekend, the Cougars won the Central Invite in another stellar fashion. WNCC defeated Iowa Western 30-28, 30-24 for the title, which included going through the Invite without dropping a game.

“We have played very well in matches where we have to rise to the occasion,” Green said. “That is a good sign, but we would definitely like to be more consistent against all teams.”

In fact, the Cougars have now won 22 straight games (last time they lost a game was to Salt Lake in the title match of the Salt Lake Invite), have only dropped only four games all season.

“We have always had a target on our backs being the Region IX champs, and being number one may make that target larger but the girls, especially the sophomores, are used to it,” Green said. “Hopefully the team sees it as an honor, and really steps up and tries to perform at a high level each time we step on the court against competition.”

The competition will continue to be fierce for the Cougars. This weekend they will compete in the Pizza Hut Classic in Sterling, Colo. The team will face Seward County Community College and Casper College on Friday, who both received honorable mention status in this week’s polls. Then, on Saturday, the Cougars will take on Colby Community College and Garden City Community College of which Green said both teams feature plenty of international players.

“We have played very well in matches where we have to rise to the occasion,” Green said. “That is a good sign, but we would definitely like to be more consistent against all teams.”

Green is hoping his team continues to build off of this achievement and get the ultimate goal – a national championship.

“Rankings at this time of the year is not as important,” he said, “as obviously as where we are at the end.”