STERLING, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team is one win away from its 11th straight regional title after sweeping through two matches Friday at the Region IX South tournament in Sterling, Colo. The Cougars opened play with a sweep over Otero Junior College 25-19, 25-14, 25-18 Friday morning, and then shutdown Northeastern Junior College 25-17, 25-16, 25-14 in the winner’s bracket. Friday’s two wins moves the Cougars into the championship match Saturday at 1 p.m. in Sterling. A win Saturday sends the Cougars to their 11th straight national tournament Nov. 19-21 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
WNCC coach Giovana Melo said the team played one of its best contests of the season.
“I think this win was huge. I think it will make a big difference on our mentality for tomorrow [Saturday] for us to come out stronger with more confidence for the final,” she said. “This game was the best game with every single person playing really well. It has been a long time since that happened.”
The last time these two squads faced each other last week, the Plainswomen topped the Cougars in five sets,including snapping a 165-match Region IX winning streak. Friday’s rematch was totally different.
The first set started out as a tussle between two top 20 ranked teams. The match was tied at 8-8 early until Tania Torres hammered home a kill. Kathryn Stock then put some distance between the two squads serving five straight points for a 14-8 lead. WNCC pushed the lead to 16-10 on a Kaleinani Kabalis kill.
NJC fought back, slicing the lead to 16-14 before Kabalis stopped the rally with a kill. Kabalis then served two straight aces and then Torres finished off the Plainswomen with a kill for the first set win.
Cami Weimer made a difference in set two turning a 3-2 deficit into a 10-3 lead on eight straight points, including two aces, and two kills each from Kabalis and Paulina Piegza. The Cougars pushed the lead to 19-10 on two Piegza points and three Stock kills.
Weimer finished off the Plainswomen serving the final point.
NJC started the third set strong in holding an early 6-5 lead. The Cougars quickly turned up the head as Stock had two kills for a 13-9 lead. WNCC kept hitting on all cylinders as Torres, Ariel Austin, Kabalis and Brook Blomenkamp hammered home kills to take the Plainswomen out of their game. Kabalis finished off NJC hammering home two kills from the backrow.
Melo said this team almost played flawless. Now, they need to pick it up once again on Saturday in the championship match. WNCC will face the winner of the 10 a.m. match, which could be either NJC or the winner of the late game Friday between Otero and Lamar.
“We had a little game plan and they executed and it was perfect,” Melo said. “We now have to push 10 percent more.”
Stock and Kabalis paced the Cougars with 13 and 10 kills each. Kabalis also had one solo block, eight digs, and nine points, while Stock finished with eight digs, two solo blocks and eight points.
Also for the Cougars, Brooke Blomenkamp had seven kills, Paulina Piegza had three kills, eight points and two aces; Kuulei Kabalis had 17 set assists, four points, and five digs; Weimer had nine points, two aces, and nine digs Sabina Piegza had 12 set assists, three points and three digs, Austin had four kills; and Torres six kills and two solo blocks.
In the Cougars’ opening match against Otero, Kaleinani Kabalis had 16 kills, three aces and eight digs; Stock had 11 digs and four kills; Paulina Piegza had five kills and three digs; Blomenkamp had six kills; Kuulei Kabalis had 13 set assists, three digs and three aces; Sierra Schmidt had 11 set assists and five digs; Austin had five kills and two blocks; Torres had three kills and three blocks; Emily Hoehn had two aces and 12 digs.
Other scores in the South Sub-region tourney saw Northeastern Colorado beat Lamar 25-10, 25-17, 25-18, Otero top Trinidad State 25-16, 25-20, 25-23; Lamar eliminate McCook 25-16, 25-22, 27-25, 25-18; and Lamar dropping Otero 22-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-20. NJC will battle Lamar Saturday at 10 a.m. with the winner facing WNCC for the title at 1 p.m.
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