WNCC sweeps Miami Dade, Northwest Shoals to move into semi-finals

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The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team knew the last time they faced Miami Dade College last month, they didn’t play at the top of their game.

Thursday night, the Cougars were on the top of their game, registering a three-set sweep over the Sharks 25-20, 25-15, 25-17 to move into the semi-finals of the NJCAA national tournament Friday at 5:30 p.m. It was the second win of the day for the No. 2 ranked Cougars as they opened the tournament with a commanding 25-12, 25-13, 25-14 win against Northwest Shoals community College.

WNCC, 58-3, will now face the University of Arkansas-Ft. Smith in the Final Four. Fort Smith swept through their opponents, dropping Casper College with ease 25-11, 25-14, 25-9, and the escaped Missouri State-West Plains. 25-22, 25-23, 25-22. The other semi-final match will pit Iowa Western Community College, who swept through two opponents easily, against Blinn College, who needed five sets to get by San Jacinto.

The players realize they will need the same type of performance they put on the court against Miami Dade to move into Saturday’s final and a chance for back-to-back national titles.

In fact, Thursday’s quarter final match with Miami Dade was a rematch of last year’s national championship, where the Cougars won in four games. This time, WNCC dominated Miami Dade in the first two sets with strong defense, sizzling serving and timely kills. And, it wasn’t just one player that stood out, it was a total team effort.

“They came out strong and they fought as hard as they could,” WNCC coach Giovana Melo said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more. We had the whole game the whole way. We came ready to play. I think they had a goal in mind, and they are pushing toward their goal. I think they are working hard every single time they get on the court.”

Definitely It was a different type of team that stepped on the court against Miami Dade then when they played the Sharks in October. It was also a different type of team that played in the tournament opener against Northwest Shoals, where they came out flat. This time, against a talented Miami team, the Cougars started strong and finished strong. WNCC never trailed in the first two sets with the Sharks taking their first lead of the match at 14-13 in the third set.

Paloma Alvarez, who led the team with 13 kills against the Sharks, said this win was huge.

“This game was key for us to get to the semi finals, and it showed that we can do it [win another title] and that we have what it takes to do it,” Alvarez, who played a crucial role in both wins, said.

The big key for the Cougars in the Miami Dade win was starting strong, and they did behind a strong serving game, where they missed just six serves the whole match and racked up five aces.

“We had to serve them hard and never back down. We had to Just take everything a point at a time and not get ahead of ourselves and think about the semis,” Alvarez said. “It was an amazing game, seriously, and we were ready for them because they already won against us once in Missouri. That little motivation, that little splinter on our record, was there which we had to take out. It is better to get the win here at nationals.”

The Cougars stormed out of the gate, grabbing a 5-0 lead behind four service points by Gregner Quinones. Miami Dade sliced the lead to one point three times, the last time at 19-18 on a Sandra Mortoya point. WNCC, however, never let the Sharks get into a service run as Kaleinani Kabalis answered with three points, one an ace.

Finally, Alvarez finished off the Sharks as she hammered home a kill after a long rally that included some eye-popping saves by both teams to keep the ball alive from hard hits.

WNCC used that same defensive intensity in the second set, jumping out to a 2-0 lead behind two Nayka Benitez points followed by two pionts by Quinones. Miami Dade fought back slicing the lead to 6-5 and 8-7 before the Cougars opened up the contest behind Kabalis’ hitting and serving. The 5-foot-8 freshman from Hawaii, hammered home two kills and then had two service points, including an ace that hit the top of the net and fell right between two Sharks, who did not take one step to the ball.

The Cougars continued excelling as Quinones had a 5-point service run behind two kills and a block by Alvarez, and a Sabina Piegza setter dink that caught Miami Dade off guard for a 18-10 lead.

Miami Dade sliced the lead to 18-13, but Alvarez changed the Sharks fight back with a kill and then served up three points behind kills from Piegza and Fatima Balza. Kabalis finished off the set with a kill.

WNCC started the third set on a strong note, as Quinones served WNCC to a 5-0 lead. Miami Dade fought back grabbing their first lead of the match at 14-13 and held a 17-15 lead on two points by Sonia Lerma. Melo called a timeout and told her players in the huddle that there was plenty of game left and not to give up and focus.

The motivational speech worked as a service error gave the ball back to WNCC and Balza served the final nine points behind single kills by Kabalis and Sabina Piegza, and three kills by Paulina Piegza, including the match winner.

Alvarez paced the Cougars with 13 kills, seven points and five digs. Balza also picked up double-digit kills, finishing with 11. Balza also had two blocks, seven digs and 11 points.

Also for the Cougars, Benitez had 12 digs and three points; Kabalis ahd 14 digs, two aces, six points and eight kills; Quinones had 11 digs and 16 points; Paulina Piegza had five digs, two blocks and seven kills, and Sabina Piegza had four digs, 31 set assists, three kills and three blocks.

Alvarez said this win shows that they can compete with anyone in the nation.

“That loss [to Miami Dade earlier this year] proved that we were a beatable team and it proved that we have to work harder and just play our game,” she said. “This win tonight shows we can do it if we play together as a team, work hard and fight for every point. If we play tomorrow like we played tonight, nobody can beat us. I am so excited and I am playing for the love of the game, for the fans, and I am playing for myself and the team.”

Alvarez, in fact is having a national tournament to remember after having a clutch performance in the team’s first game of the tourney against Northwest Shoals, where she collected nine points and seven kills.

Alvarez, though, was just one of the highlights as it was another team effort as the Cougars used a strong defensive game once again in the win. WNCC not only kept balls alive with pancake saves, they also had nine ace serves against a Northwest Shoals squad.

Balza, the sophomore that is being courted by Wisconsin, Penn State, Arizona State and South Florida, finished with 11 kills three blocks and five points. Kabalis also had a strong game, finishing with nine kills, five points and nine digs.

Also, Paulina Piegza had six kills; Cami Weimer had four kills; Benites finishing with five points, two aces and five digs; Brooke Blomencamp collecting five points and five digs; Quinones four points; and Sabina Piegza four points, 27 set assists and five digs.

In WNCC's opener, the Cougars started slow, trailing 3-1 and 4-2 off a kill by Megan Springer. After a Sabina Piegza point, Fatima Balza served up three points to push the eald to 6-4. WNCC continued to pick up the offense, behind two kills from Kaleinani Kabalis and then an ace serve by Kabalis for a 9-6 lead.

WNCC continued to excel as Nayka Benitez served six points and then Gering's Blomekamp tossed up two more points as the Cougars rolled to the 25-12 lead.

Blomenkamp heated things up to start in the second set, serving four straight points to give WNCC a 5-1 lead. WNCC kept playing strong, keeping rallies alive, including several nice saves that Balza terminated with a kill.

The third set was a little closer to start with as Northwest Shoals led 6-5 at one time. Kabalis changed things with some heat, hammering a kill. Afterwards, Kabalis had three service points to push the lead to 10-6. Moments later, Gregner Quinones had five service points, as Balza registered a kill and Alvarez had two kills for a 17-9 lead.

Melo said they will need another top performance against Fort Smith like they put on the court against Miami Dade to move into Saturday’s finals.

“I saw them this morning for a little bit and they have a good team,” Melo said. “they have some foreign kids that pound the ball and they have a really good setter. I just know they are a good team after they beat West Plains 2-0.”