WNCC volleyball team claims two wins at the Pizza Hut Invite

STERLING, Colo. — Kaleinani Kabalis hammered home 29 kills as the No. 2 Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team picked up two wins Friday in the first day of the Pizza Hut Classic in Sterling, Colo.

WNCC received a bit of a scare in its tournament opener against Division II 13^th ranked North Platte Community College, but came out on top by sweeping the Knights 28-26, 25-10, 25-22.

WNCC then registered a 25-20, 25-14, 25-10 win over Colby Community College to close out the first day of action.

WNCC assistant coach Nicole Gonzales said the team needed to everything they had to get by a talented North Platte squad.

“We started slow against North Platte, but once we got going we did better,” she said. “Then, against Colby, we played a lot better and pulled it through with good serving.”

Gonzales said it got scary against North Platte, as the Knights pushed the Cougars to the limit.

In the first-set, WNCC had set point at 24-23, before North Platte came back to get set points at 24-25 and 25-26. The Cougars, however, fought back with Naomi Flinders serving the final two points to give WNCC the win.

The second set was all WNCC as the defending national champions cruised to a 25-8 win.

The third set started all WNCC's way with the Cougars taking a 11-7 lead at one time. North Platte, however, fought back, tying the set at 16-16. WNCC regrouped after a time out and pushed ahead to win 25-21, including clutch kills by Paulina Piegza, Kaleinani Kabalis and Palomo Alvarez.

Four Cougars finished above or near double figures in kills, led by Kabalis’ 15 kills. Alvarez also pounded home 11 kills, followed by Fatima Balza with nine and Paulina Piegza with eight.

Nayka Benitez and Gregner Quinones also had a good match. Quinones finished with 12 digs and eight points, while Benitez had 11 digs.

Sabina Piegzaalso added 42 set assists, seven digs, seven points and two aces.

In the win against Colby, Balza and Quinones each recorded double-doubles. Balza finished with 11 points, 11 kills and two aces, while Quinones had 12 digs, 11 points, and two aces.

Also for WNCC, Kabalis had 14 kills, nine digs and two blocks; Benitez had 11 digs; Paulina Piegza had 12 kills; and Sabina Piegza had 31 set assists.

WNCC, 23-2, will finish off the Pizza Hut Invite with two days today. The Cougars will face Pratt Community College at 9 a.m. and then Garden City Community College at 11 a.m.