The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team came ready to play and toppled the Northeastern Junior College Plainswomen in three straight sets in recording their 31st win of the season Tuesday night in a near capacity Cougar Palace. The NJCAA 4th-ranked Cougars rolled to the impressive 25-12, 25-20, 25-21 win over the No. 20 Plainswomen as Kaleinani Kabalis recorded a double-double with 18 kills and 12 digs.
The Cougars also received stellar play out of plenty of other players as Gering’s Brooke Blomenkamp came up big in the second set with four of her seven kills.
Blomenkamp said this is a big win for her team.
“This is a great win for us. NJC has always been a great team and it is always fun to play them,” she said. “I think we played really well tonight. We were at the top of our game and we were well-prepared for this team. We played awesome.”
The Cougars came out of the locker room well prepared for the match, taking the first set with ease. Cami Weimer served seven straight points and Kabalis made her presence known from the front line.
NJC fought back cutting the lead to 7-4 on four points from Brunna Kronbauer, but it was short-lived as the Cougars raced to an 18-11 lead behind a kill and three service points from Kathryn Stock. Later, Paulina Piegza served up five points and then Kabalis finished off the set with a monster kill.
Blomenkamp said the way they started they played was definitely the turning point of the evening.
“The key to the win was we had to stick our game and for the most part play it by our rules and make sure we shut them down in the first set to give us a little bit more momentum for the second two,” she said. “We are not a serious team, exactly. We are kind of fun-loving. We all got ready together and then we just had fun before the match. I think that is what helped.”
The second set was a tussle between the two Region IX powerhouses. NJC raced to a 6-4 lead behind the serving of Amy Miller. WNCC, however, never panicked as Blomenkamp came up with some clutch kills, including a monster kill after a long rally to give the Cougars a 16-15 lead. WNCC pushed the lead to 22-17 behind three Emily Hoehn points. Tania Torres finished off the set with a kill.
WNCC took control in the third set, racing out to a 9-3 behind a strong frontline play of Torres, Kabalis and Blomenkamp. NJC came back in slicing the lead to 10-7 on two Alexa Kippes points, but it was short lived as Stock had two kills and two points and WNCC pushed the lead to 17-12.
The Cougars pushed the lead to 21-14 on a Blomenkamp kill. The Plainswomen fought back, slicing the lead to 23-20 on three Kronbauer kills before the Cougars hung on for the win.
Karen Rivetto paced the Plainswomen with 14 kills followed by Kronbauer with 13.
Kabalis led all players with 18 kills. Kabalis also had 12 digs, seven points and two aces.
Also for the Cougars, Stock finished with seven kills, six digs, 10 points and an ace; Blomenkamp had seven kills and two blocks; Paulina Piegza had five kills, four digs, and seven points’ Sabina Piegza had four kills, three blocks, six digs, and 30 set assists; Torres had two kills, four blocks, and two digs; Weimer had six digs and six points; and Kuulei Kabalis had 13 digs.
The Cougars, 31-2, remained unbeaten in sub-region play at 5-0 and will return to action Thursday when they will face Otero Junior College at 7 p.m. at Cougar Palace. The Cougars will also face Lamar Community College at home Friday at 7 p.m. and then Trinidad State at 1 p.m.
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