Kathryn Stock and Paulina Piegza combined for 37 kills and the Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team registered its 21st victory of the season with a four-set win against Western Wyoming Community College. The No. 4-ranked Cougars needed every ounce of energy to get by the Mustangs 25-22, 24-26, 25-20, 25-12.
Tania Torres, who finished with nine kills and five blocks, said it seemed as if the team was asleep at the beginning of the match.
“We have to wake up and start stronger. We have to not give up and always play strong no matter what team we are playing. We have to play every single point hard,” the freshman from Puerto Rico said. “Obviously, we can do better and maybe we were a little asleep at the start. It still was a really good game because we showed up at the end to show that we can be a really good team. “
It definitely wasn’t the Cougars’ best effort. WNCC pulled out set one after falling behind 4-0 at the start and then 18-17. The Cougars found that extra push as Paulina Piegza had two key kills, followed by a kill by Kaleinani Kabalis and Stock to finish off the first set.
Western Wyoming started off the second set with a 4-0 lead and led as much as 6-2. WNCC came back taking a 19-15 lead on a Kuulei Kabalis service point. WNCC was within one point, 24-20, of capturing the set, but the Mustangs served six straight points to capture the set. It as the first time the Cougars dropped a set in the Shootout.
WNCC sputtered in the third set, falling behind 2-0 and trailing 6-3 at one point. The Cougars regained the lead for good at 12-11 on a missed serve. Western Wyoming kept with WNCC, slicing the lead to 18-17 before a Paulina Piegza kill changed the momentum. Cami Weimer then served up four points, including an ace for a 22-17 lead. WNCC won the contest as Stock pounded home two kills.
The Cougars completely dominated the fourth set, jumping out to a 4-0 lead behind a kill from Torres and two kills from Stock. The Mustangs did, however, fight back to tie the set at 6-6, but an Ariel Austin kill and then four Kuulei Kabalis service points pushed the lead to 11-6.
Weimer expanded the Cougars’ lead to double digits, 18-8, as she served four points and WNCC cruised to the match win.
Torres said there really isn’t an excuse for the way the team played. They just have to realize they have to play strong from the start. WNCC played a tough match Friday night, defeating Northwest Wyoming in three sets, including a 28-26 third-game.
“I was kind of mad at myself that maybe I can do better when we lost that second set,” Torres said. “The team wasn’t playing with all their energy and that is why we lost that set. We just relaxed. We have a real good team and I don’t think being tired from last night is an excuse why we lost that second set.
The difference in the contest was hitting percentage. WNCC hit .257 while Western Wyoming hit .133. Paulina Piegza finished with a double-double for the Cougars, tallying 19 kills, 14 points, three blocks and six digs. Stock pounded home 18 kills and had nine digs, while Torres had nine kills and five blocks.
Weimer finished with nine points and 11 digs, while Kaleinani Kabalis ahd three kills, three blocks and two digs. Kuulei Kabalis had six points and nine digs, while Sabina Piegza had three kills, five points, 47 set assists, and four digs. Also for the Cougars, Austin had five kills and four blocks; Sierra Schmidt had three points and six digs.
Western Wyoming was paced by Alisha Kearsley with 11 kills followed by Lundyn Decker with nine and Chelsea Sorensen, the 6-foot-4 middle hitter with eight kills and five blocks. Carolyn Johnson finished the contest with a match high 21 digs, while Kirsti Knowles had 35 set assists.
In other action at Cougar Palace, Laramie County Community College had to drop out of the tournament after 14 of their 17 players, including assistant coach Heather Steggs, an Alliance graduate who played for the WNCC volleyball team in their national championship year, came down with what is believed to be food poisoning.
With LCCC dropping out, the matches were shuffled. Colby Community College dropped Trinidad State 25-12, 25-19, 25-20; Western Wyoming defeated Colby 25-16, 25-17, 25-14; and Sheridan College defeated McCook 25-21, 25-16, 25-12.
The Cougars, 21-2, will next be in action Tuesday night as they host Eastern Wyoming College at 7 p.m. The Leyton and Lingle-Ft. Laramie volleyball match will precede the college game beginning at 2:30 with the freshman contest with varsity action between the Warriors and Doggers starting around 4:30 p.m.
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