WNCC drops Lamar in four sets for 33rd win of the season

The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team were without starting setter Sabina Piegza,, but freshmen Kuulei Kabalis and Sierra Schmidt filled in admirably in leading the Cougars to a four-set win over Lamar Community College Friday at Cougar Palace.

Kabalis finished with a double-double with 14 set assists and 16 digs, while Schmidt, a Gering graduate, had 22 set assists and seven points in the 25-9, 25-7, 22-25, 25-13 win. It was the Cougar’s 33rd win of the season and pushed their sub-region record to 7-0.

It was also the first time the Cougars have dropped a game since Sept. 24 against Western Wyoming Community College. Schmidt said it might be a good thing that they dropped a game for the future matches.

“I thought we played really well the first two sets. The third set we went down hill, but we picked it up again in the fourth set,” she said. “I think losing that game showed us that it doesn’t matter who is on the other side of the net, we just need to play our game the whole time.”

Once again, the victory showed the depth the Cougars’ possess, and this time it was at setter, where the Cougars ran a 6-2 offense for the first time in a number of years.

“I think it is great that we can run a 5-1 and a 6-2 and tonight really showed that we can do that kind of stuff and be successful with it.

The setting was just one aspect of the Cougars game that stood out Friday. The others was hitting and serving. Kaleinani Kabalis finished the night with 28 points, including eight straight in the first set, 13 straight in the second set, and seven in the fourth set.

It was also Kaleinani’s serving in the fourth set that sparked the Cougars. Lamar and WNCC were tied at 5-5 until Brooke Blomenkamp hammered home a kill. Kaleinani then brought them back with six straight points to open the lead to 12-5.

Lamar never mounted a threat again as a Blomenkamp and Whitney Roth block, followed by two Roth service points pushed the lead to 15-6. The Cougars pushed the lead to double digits on two Tania Torres kills.

The first two sets, the Cougars were completely dominating as Kuulei opened the game with three points. Lamar kept the contest close at 11-6 before Kaleinani hammered hammered home two kills and then served eight straight for a 22-7 lead.

Kaleinani was just as sizzling from the service line in the second set, taking a 9-3 Cougar lead and pushing it to 22-3 after going on a 13-point streak. Blomenkamp finished off the set with a kill.

The third set was a back and forth affair with Lamar leading by four on two different occasions at 18-14 and 20-16. WNCC fought back cutting the deficit to 20-19 on two Cami Weimer service points. Blomenkamp later hammered home a kill to make the score 23-21, but the Lopes forced a fourth set.

Kathryn Stock had had a double-double with 12 digs, 13 points and 10 kills. Also for WNCC, Kaleinani had nine kills; Emily Hoehn had nine digs and five points; Blomenkamp had nine kills and three blocks; Roth had five kills, five blocks and four points; and Weimer had five kills, three points and three digs.

WNCC (33-2) will next be in action today when they host Trinidad State Junior College at 1 p.m..