The Cougars opened the tournament as Kaleinani Kabalis and Kathryn Stock combined for 24 kills to help WNCC sweep Wallace State-Hanceville 25-21, 25-20, 25-14.
WNCC then picked up win No. 41 as they needed four sets to get past Frank Phillips College 25-17, 25-22, 20-25, 25-16 and a berth in the Final Four. The Cougars will face Missouri State-West Plains at 6:30 p.m. (CST) with a berth in the championship match at state.
The two wins also was a monumental achievement for WNCC coach Giovana Melo, who picked up her 100th career coaching victory in just two years at WNCC.
Sophomore Cami Weimer said not only does it feel good to be in the Final Four, but the team is excited that Melo registered her 100th win at the national tournament.
“It feels good knowing that we have been successful for the last two years and we are able to contribute to coaches’ 100th win,” Weimer said. “Hopefully she can get two more wins the rest of the tournament.”
WNCC, however, didn’t play its best, but found the right combinations to become one of only four unbeaten teams left in the tournament.
“I think at the beginning [against Wallace State] we started off a little slow and then in the second game we picked it up a lot and we started playing like we know how to play,” Weimer said. “It feels good to be in the Final Four especially since last year when we lost [in the semifinals].”
Kabalis and Weimer recorded a double-doubles against Frank Phillips. Kabalis finished with 13 kills and 17 digs, while Weimer had 11 digs and 11 points. Brooke Blomenkamp also came up big with eight kills, while Paulina Piegza ahd six kills and three blocks.
WNCC opened up a tight first set. Frank Phillips trailed 11-10 before the Cougars received clutch kills from Kabalis and Blomenkamp for a 17-13 lead. Stock then served four points for a 22-14, and then Blomenkamp hammered home the set winner.
WNCC held a 17-10 lead in the second set on two Weimer service points and pushed the lead to 21-14 on a Kabalis kill. Frank Phillips came back to slice the lead to 22-21 before kills from Kabalis, Blomenkamp and Torres gave WNCC the win.
The Cougars ran out to a 17-11 lead in the third set as Kuulei Kabalis served three points. Frank Phillips’ Artzeilka Lukjanska and Aisiniya Savcheva combined for 10 service points and four aces to give the Plainsmen a 23-19 lead.
The fourth set was close to start as the teams were tied at 7-7. WNCC changed things quickly as Stock had two kills and then Paulina and Sabina Piegza combined for six service points for a 20-11 lead. WNCC put Frank Phillips away on two Stock kills to move into the semi-finals.
Also for the Cougars against Frank Phillips, Kathryn Stock had five kills, nine digs, eight points and three aces; Tania Torres had four kills; Kuulei Kabalis had 10 digs and seven points; and Sabina Piegza had 32 set assists and 10 points.
Weimer said while they are playing well, they need to pick up their game for Friday’s contest.
“I think we are playing really, really well,” she said. “I think we can play even better then we played in the last two games. We are looking forward to the next game.
In the national tournament opener, WNCC struggled at times against the No. 15th-seeded Wallace State. The Lady Lions held a 10-8 lead in the first set and the Cougars were tied with the Alabama squad 17-17. WNCC fought back on kills by Paulina Piegza and Stock to take a 24-21 lead. Kabalis finished off the first set with a service point.
Wallace State started set two off with a bang, grabbing a 6-0 lead behind the serving of Cassie Daniels. WNCC fought back to tie the set at 11 on a Sabina Piegza kill. WNCC pushed the lead to 16-14 only to watch the Lady Lions come back to tie the set on back-to-back ace serves by Jessica Wilburn.
Stock hammered home a kill to stop the bleeding and then Ariel Austin hammered home a kill to make it 20-18. Stock hammered home two kills and then served the final three points to give the Cougars the second set 25-20.
WNCC made easy work of the Lady Lions in the third set, getting clutch kills from Kabalis hammered home two early kills and two points to give the Cougars to a 7-4 third set win. Torres then had the final three kills for points, including the match winner.
Stock finished with a double-double of 10 kills and 11 digs. Stock also had four points. Kabalis finished with 14 kills, nine points and eight digs; while Paulina Piegza had nine kills and four points.
Also for the Cougars, Austin had seven kills and three blocks; Torres with five kills; Sabina Piegza with four kills, four digs and 29 set assists; Cami weimer had six digs; and Kuulei Kabalis had 11 set assists.
In other scores from the national tournament, Missouri State-West Plains topped Northwest (Wyo.) College 18-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-23; Iowa Western Community College topped Temple College 25-19, 21-25, 25-16, 23-25, 15-8, Frank Phillips beat San Jacinto 25-22, 17-25, 17-25, 25-17, 19-17; Salt lake topped Spartanburg Methodist 25-8, 25-12, 25-16; Hillsborough beat Hutchinson 25-21, 25-17, 25-18; Miami Dade topped Panola 15-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-23; Southern Idaho topped Seminole State 25-17, 25-12, 25-19; Missouri State West Plains beat Iowa Western 17-25, 25-16, 25-13, 25-20; Salt Lake beat Hillsborough 25-21, 25-15, 25-20; and Southern Idaho beat Miami Dade 25-21, 21-25, 25-20, 25-14.
Today’s Schedule
9 a.m. – Temple vs. Northwest Wyoming, San Jacinto vs. Wallace State
11 a.m. -- Spartanburg Methodist vs. Hutchinson, Seminole State vs. Panola
1:30 p.m. – Iowa Western vs. Frank Phillips, Hillsborough vs. Miami Dade
3:30 p.m. – Winners of the 10 a.m. and noon games
5:30 p.m. – West Plains vs. Western Nebraska, Salt Lake vs. Southern Idaho.
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