Western Wyoming finished with 64 total kills compared to just 52 for the Cougars in earning the 25-20, 13-25, 25-19, 25-23 win. The loss snapped the Cougars 13-game win streak. It also was the team’s first home loss since over six seasons ago.
Sorensen, 6-foot-4 outside hitter from Riverton, Utah, said this is a huge win for the Mustang volleyball program.
“This win is really big for our team. Last year we weren’t ranked so this year being able to keep winning and moving up in the rankings is really good for us. We came into the match wanting to just play like we normally do. We needed to play our hardest and keep our skills there.”
That is what the Mustangs did in their three sets that they won. In the first set, Sorensen hammered home a kill to tie the set at 8-8 and after that the Mustangs wouldn’t relinquish the lead again.
Western Wyoming held an 8-7 lead in the second set before Fernanda Goncalves changed all that as the freshman setter served 11 straight points for a 19-8 lead to help WNCC even the match at a set a piece.
WNCC held a 12-10 lead in the third set, but it was short lived as Western Wyoming came storming back to grab a 20-17 lead and finished off the Cougars on an ace serve.
The Cougars couldn’t find any sustained momentum in the fourth set. The Mustangs’ Arielle Allen served up five points to give Western Wyoming a 11-6 lead. WNCC would come back to cut the lead to 15-12, but another service run put the Mustangs up 20-13.
WNCC wouldn’t go without a fight as Lais Soares served three points to slice the lead to 22-19. Goncalves then brought the Cougars back to within one, 22-21. Sorensen stopped the run with a kill and a service point from Kara Cotter put the score at 24-21.
Debora Araujo stopped the run with a kill and then a kill by Kathryn Stock gave the Cougars life at 24-23. But Sorensen closed the door on the Cougars comeback with her 17th kill of the match for the win.
Sorensen said when they lost the second set, it was because they couldn’t get a good hit on the ball.
“In the second game when we lost, it was our passing and serving that we had trouble with,” Sorensen said. “After that set, the key was being able to get our kills down and to score against them.”
Sorensen and Olivera Medic each had double-double kills. Sorensen had 17 and Medic had 12. Medic also had 19 digs.
Sorensen said this was a good tournament for them.
“We played well in the tournament,” she said. “There were some teams that we should have played harder against but altogether we came together as a team and worked and played hard. It was good.”
Araujo finished with a double-double for the Cougars with 22 kills and 12 digs. Araujo also had six blocks. Stock also chipped in 12 kills and nine digs, while Soares had nine kills, two blocks, six digs and five points.
Also for the Cougars, Ariel Austin had six kills and four blocks; Tania Torres had three kills and nine blocks; Goncalves had two blocks, eight digs, 12 points, and 40 set assists; Kuulei Kabalis had three points, 13 digs, and Emily Hoehn had six digs and four points.
WNCC, 19-3, will be back in action Tuesday when they travel to McCook Community College before returning home to face Otero Junior College, Lamar Community College and Trinidad State Junior College Thursday through Saturday.
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