NJC snaps No. 3 WNCC's 26-match win streak with five-set thriller

STERLING, Colo – The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team saw its 26-game winning streak come to a halt an halt in a heart-breaking fashion falling to No. 20 Northeastern Junior College in five sets.

The No. 3 ranked Cougars dropped the opening two sets 25-20, 25-16 before heating up taking the next two 25-22 and 25-16. NJC then shocked the Cougars in game five in a back-and-fourth set, winning 18-16.

The loss was only the Cougars third on the season and the first in the sub-region, dropping to 8-1 and 35-3 on the season. NJC is now 9-1 on the season and 25-11 on the season.

The Cougars started the contest cold, just like it was outside falling behind 22-17 and never getting any kind of rhythm going. The second set was even colder for the No. 3 ranked team, trailing 21-11 before falling 25-16.

WNCC, however, found a spark in third set. WNCC was trailing 11-9 before a clutch block by Kathryn Stock and Whitney Roth. Then Cami Weimer served up three points to push the lead to 14-11. WNCC kept hitting on all cylinders moving to a 22-16 lead. NJC sliced the lead to 23-22 before a Kaleinani Kabalis kill stopped the run and helped the Cougars capture the third set 25-22.

NJC forged out to a 5-3 lead early before WNCC came alive behind the serving of Gering graduate Sierra Schmidt, who served six straight points for a 10-5 Cougar lead. WNCC kept going pushing the lead to double digits at 22-11 on two Schmidt points, forcing a fifth set.

The fifth set – the Cougars’ second straight five-setter since 2003 – was back and forth. WNCC ran out to a 11-9 lead on a Kathryn Stock kill. WNCC couldn’t hold the lead, as NJC came back to tie the set at 12. After that, there were four ties before the Plainswomen finally won the contest 18-16.

Kaleinani Kabalis paced the Cougars with a double-double with 19 kills and 18 digs. Kathryn Stock finished with 14 kills and six digs, while Paulina Piegza had eight kllls and five digs.

Also for WNCC, Kuulei Kabalis had 31 set assists and six digs; Sierra Schmidt had 14 set assists, eight points and three aces; Tania Torres had three kills and five assisted blocks; Brooke Blomenkamp had three kills; Whitney Roth had two kills, four blocks and three points; Cami Weimer had five points and 23 digs; and Emily Hoehn had two points and five digs.

WNCC will look to rebound on Friday when they travel to McCook Community College for its final regular season and sub-region contest. After that, the Cougars will head back to Sterling, Colo., for the Region IX tournament which begins Nov. 6,