WNCC volleyball goes to 16-0 with three set win over Casper College

Story courtesy of Jeremy Woznick, Scottsbluff Star-Herald

CASPER, Wyo. - The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team kept rolling merrily along Tuesday evening in Casper, Wyo., as the defending national champion Cougars disposed of Casper College by scores of 25-13, 25-12, 25-23.

The victory improved WNCC's record to a perfect 16-0 this season. With the win, WNCC also extended its winning streak to 29 matches in a row dating back to last season.

"It was a good match for us," WNCC coach Giovana Melo said. "The first two games we came out and played really good. But in the third one I thought we went in a little too relaxed and fell behind. But we got our focus back and we were able to come back."

After cruising through the Salt Lake Invite over the weekend against a field of nationally-ranked teams, WNCC showed no signs of a letdown against No. 11 Casper by steamrolling the Thunderbirds in the first two sets of the match. In the third set, the Cougars managed to overcome a double-digit deficit to earn the sweep.

Kaleinani Kabalis and Paulina Piegza paced WNCC in hitting in the match with 10 kills each. Fatima Balza added eight.

Kabalis and Nayka Benitez both served four aces. Benitez also led the Cougars defensively with seven digs.

Sabina Piegza totaled 32 set assists from her setter's position and also tallied three blocks. Also for WNCC, Balza finished with three blocks and Naomi Flinders had four digs.

WNCC, which is off to its best start in school history with 16 wins in a row to begin the season, will face another test against nationally-ranked teams at the Raider Invite in Columbus on Friday and Saturday. Also in the field with the Cougars will be undefeated Iowa Western Community College.

"I expected we'd do well, but I didn't expect to still be undefeated by this time," Melo said. "I'm really happy with it and happy with the way they've been playing and performing. It's exciting."