Danika
Youngblood powered home 12 kills and the second-ranked Western Nebraska
Community College volleyball team captured their 19th straight
victory with a 25-13, 25-19, 25-19 sweep over Trinidad State Junior College on
Saturday afternoon at Cougar Palace.
The
Cougars, who also captured their 25th win of the season for the 16th
straight year, moved to 4-0 in conference play.
Lauren
Knox, who finished with 11 points, nine digs and six kills, said it was a
contest where the team played just OK.
“We
were really good in the first game but then we let it go,” the freshman from
Broomfield, Colo., said. “But we definitely kept playing as a team and I feel
like we did fine.”
What
was the big key in Saturday’s match was the fact the team stayed focused and
never let a Trinidad run get to them. In the end, the Cougars’ depth, once
again, played out. Knox said everything is starting to come together.
“We
are finally becoming a team. We are playing together and we all have each
other’s backs,” she said. “I feel the strength is that everybody has their own
strength to bring but all together, we are just a good team.”
There
is no doubting that the Cougars are a good team, especially after moving to
25-2 on the season and have swept their last eight opponents. In fact, the
Cougars have won their last 27 straight sets – the last time they lost was on
Sept. 20 as Western Wyoming Community College won the first set.
Saturday,
the Cougars stayed strong throughout. In the opening set, both teams were tied
at 6-6 before strong serving and timely hitting pushed the lead to 15-9 on a
Yoro Tovar kill. WNCC kept hammering the ball as Youngblood, Priscila Mendes,
Kat Agson and Tovar each had kills and Alex Rivera served the final five points
for the 25-13 win.
The
second set started out identical as both teams were knotted at 6-6 on a Allison
Rosas ace. But a kill by Youngblood and then four service points by Knox pushed
the score to 11-6. WNCC went up 18-10 on a Youngblood ace service and WNCC went
on to win 25-19.
WNCC
struggled somewhat in the third set as Trinidad State came out of the 10-minute
intermission with a purpose. The Trojans grabbed an 11-8 lead on two points by
Kaylee Johnson before the Cougars came back on three points by Luiza Martins
for a 14-12 lead.
Trinidad
came back to grab an 18-17 lead on a Rosas point, but a Knox kill stopped the
rally. Knox then served four straight points, including a punishing back-row
kill for a 22-19 lead. WNCC came back as Rivera serviced the final two points
for the win.
The
Cougars had three players finish with double doubles. Youngblood finished with
four points, 12 kills and 10 digs; while Rivera had 17 digs, 11 points, and
three aces. Martins also collected a double-double with 15 digs, 32 set
assists, five points, and three kills.
Also
for the Cougars, Mendes had four kills; Tovar had nine kills, two blocks, three
digs, and three points; Kat Agson had three kills and two blocks; Tasha Meyer
had seven digs and four points; Megan Johnson had five kills and two blocks;
and Allora Tanner had four kills.
WNCC,
who has had nine straight home matches over the past two weeks, will return to
action Tuesday when they travel to Torrington, Wyo., to face Eastern Wyoming
College. The team will then have seven days off before facing Western Wyoming
Community College on Oct. 8.
Knox
said they will use the break to get better as a team.
“I
don’t feel like we need the break, but we are going to enjoy it,” she said. “We
will take the time to get better in practice and be ready and more prepared for
our next games. We just have to go into this next game with everything we
have.”
