The Western Nebraska Commnity College women's volleyball team advances to the semi-finals of the National Junior College Athletic Association Volleyball Tournament for the third straight year wiht a commanding three-game win over Frank Phillips College Tuesday afternoon 30-22, 30-11, 30-18.
The Cougars utilized a block party and a ace serving attack in collecting the win. The Cougars had 20 blocks as a team led by Barbara Freitas, Jenny Eichler and Soriana Pacheco each with five. The team also finished with 16 ace serves as Leticia Kuhn had four aces and six points. Kuhn Also finished with 16 kills and seven digs.
Also for the Cougars, Eichler had 11 kills, Bianca Rivera had 14 digs and five points, Kendra Schauerman had 13 digs and eight points; and Frietas has six kills, five points and three aces.
The Cougars will now face North Idaho College today (Tuesday) at 5 p.m. with the winner advancing to the National Championship match Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Cougars win opener at nationals
WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Western Nebraska Community College left little doubt in the minds of the Cape Fear Community College players of who the better volleyball team was Monday afternoon in the first round of the National Junior College Athletic Association Volleyball Tournament.
The Cougar’s Leticia Kuhn finished with a double-double and the team combined for 16 ace serves in routing the Sea Devils 30-10, 30-17, 30-15 to earn a trip to the Elite Eight. The Cougars advance to play Frank Phillips College, who were a four-game winner over Hillsborough Community College 27-30, 30-25, 30-24, 30-27 today at 11 a.m.
WNCC coach Chris Green said they will need to play well in all their games from now on out to be able to move into the national championship match on Wednesday.
“I think we passed and served well in the first game. The second game we had a little bit of a lapse. We didn’t stay focused,” he said. “We maybe weren’t as pumped up as we were in the first game. But, overall it was a pretty good match.”
The Cougars came out and dominated the Sea Devils from start to finish in game one. And, it was a plethora of players that got the job done. Barbara Freitas opened the game with four service points, including two aces, to give WNCC a 7-2 lead.
A couple rotations later, Kendra Schauermann had six straight points to push the Cougars lead to a commanding 16-4 lead, and they continued playing tough the rest of the way until Freitas and Shawntell Jones finished off the game on a block.
The second game was a little more scarier; that was until Bianca Rivera stepped to the service line with the Cougars trailing 8-7. Rivera, with her sizzling jump serves, served up five points, three of which were aces, for a 12-8 lead. Soriana Pacheco closed out the Sea Devils with two ace serves for the 30-17 win.
WNCC flexed it’s depth even more in the third game running all over the Sea Devils. Schauermann helped the Cougars jump out to a 9-2 lead on five kills, including a floor-denting kill by Rivera. Moments later, Freitas had four points to push the lead to 18-6.
Cape Fear mounted a comeback as Stephanie Ford served up two straight ace serves, but Leticia Kuhn silenced the run with a kill and then three straight points for a 21-9. Several rotations later, Jillian Kelly had the final two points for the match.
Kuhn paced the team with 14 kills, 10 digs, four points and two aces. Jenny Eichler also had a good match, finishing with 10 kills, while Freitas had nine kills, seven points and two aces. Also for the Cougars, Pacheco finished with 38 set assists, eight points, six aces, four digs, five kills and two blocks; Schauermann collected 16 points, one ace and six digs; Rivera netting eight points, four aces, six digs and four kills; Stacie Meisner serving four points; and Jones with two blocks.
Green said while the team had 16 ace serves, they had a number of missed serves, 13 to be exact. That is one area that needs to be corrected for today’s matches.
“We had quite a few missed serves and it wasn’t from our jump serving, it was from our other serves,” he said. “When we are aggressive and miss serves, I am not too concerned. But when we are missing serves that are not the aggressive type of mistakes, then those are the bad ones.”
And, today’s matches will be a tad more difficult then Monday’s opener.
“We know the top eight seeds are very good and the 9-13 seeds are also good, so we will have to play a lot better then we did today,” he said. “We will have to play at a high level all three games
instead of one game.”
In other tournament action, there were a few upsets in the first round. On the Cougar’s side of the bracket, Hutchinson Community College upended last year’s national runner-up with a thrilling five-game win 30-23, 30-20, 29-31, 21-30, 18-16, while North Idaho College defeated Western Wyoming Community College 30-17, 25-30, 30-19, 30-16.
The other side of the bracket saw Iowa Western Community College crushing Temple College 30-21, 30-24, 30-9; Blinn College scurrying past 26-30, 30-25, 30-23, 30-27; San Jacinto College taking out the University of Arkansas-Ft. Smith 34-32, 26-30, 30-25, 22-30, 15-5; and Missouri State-West Plains defeating Northwest Shoals Community College 30-12, 30-19, 30-16. In elimination matches Monday night, Salt Lake took care of Temple College 30-16, 30-28, 30-17 and Ft-Smith sent Northwest Shoals home 30-23, 30-23, 30-21, 30-14. The late matches Monday say Miami-Dade winnng in five games over Western Wyoming and Hillsborugh beating Cape Fear in three.
Today’s schedule has Iowa Western facing Blinn and San Jacinto meeting MSU-West Plains at 9 a.m.; WNCC taking on Frank Phillips and Hutchinson meeting North Idaho at 11 a.m.; Salt Lake taking on Arkansas-Ft. Smith and the winners of Today’s late matches at 1 p.m.; the losers of the morning games taking state at 34 p.m. followed by the winners of today’s morning games at 5 p.m.
The Cougar’s Leticia Kuhn finished with a double-double and the team combined for 16 ace serves in routing the Sea Devils 30-10, 30-17, 30-15 to earn a trip to the Elite Eight. The Cougars advance to play Frank Phillips College, who were a four-game winner over Hillsborough Community College 27-30, 30-25, 30-24, 30-27 today at 11 a.m.
WNCC coach Chris Green said they will need to play well in all their games from now on out to be able to move into the national championship match on Wednesday.
“I think we passed and served well in the first game. The second game we had a little bit of a lapse. We didn’t stay focused,” he said. “We maybe weren’t as pumped up as we were in the first game. But, overall it was a pretty good match.”
The Cougars came out and dominated the Sea Devils from start to finish in game one. And, it was a plethora of players that got the job done. Barbara Freitas opened the game with four service points, including two aces, to give WNCC a 7-2 lead.
A couple rotations later, Kendra Schauermann had six straight points to push the Cougars lead to a commanding 16-4 lead, and they continued playing tough the rest of the way until Freitas and Shawntell Jones finished off the game on a block.
The second game was a little more scarier; that was until Bianca Rivera stepped to the service line with the Cougars trailing 8-7. Rivera, with her sizzling jump serves, served up five points, three of which were aces, for a 12-8 lead. Soriana Pacheco closed out the Sea Devils with two ace serves for the 30-17 win.
WNCC flexed it’s depth even more in the third game running all over the Sea Devils. Schauermann helped the Cougars jump out to a 9-2 lead on five kills, including a floor-denting kill by Rivera. Moments later, Freitas had four points to push the lead to 18-6.
Cape Fear mounted a comeback as Stephanie Ford served up two straight ace serves, but Leticia Kuhn silenced the run with a kill and then three straight points for a 21-9. Several rotations later, Jillian Kelly had the final two points for the match.
Kuhn paced the team with 14 kills, 10 digs, four points and two aces. Jenny Eichler also had a good match, finishing with 10 kills, while Freitas had nine kills, seven points and two aces. Also for the Cougars, Pacheco finished with 38 set assists, eight points, six aces, four digs, five kills and two blocks; Schauermann collected 16 points, one ace and six digs; Rivera netting eight points, four aces, six digs and four kills; Stacie Meisner serving four points; and Jones with two blocks.
Green said while the team had 16 ace serves, they had a number of missed serves, 13 to be exact. That is one area that needs to be corrected for today’s matches.
“We had quite a few missed serves and it wasn’t from our jump serving, it was from our other serves,” he said. “When we are aggressive and miss serves, I am not too concerned. But when we are missing serves that are not the aggressive type of mistakes, then those are the bad ones.”
And, today’s matches will be a tad more difficult then Monday’s opener.
“We know the top eight seeds are very good and the 9-13 seeds are also good, so we will have to play a lot better then we did today,” he said. “We will have to play at a high level all three games
instead of one game.”
In other tournament action, there were a few upsets in the first round. On the Cougar’s side of the bracket, Hutchinson Community College upended last year’s national runner-up with a thrilling five-game win 30-23, 30-20, 29-31, 21-30, 18-16, while North Idaho College defeated Western Wyoming Community College 30-17, 25-30, 30-19, 30-16.
The other side of the bracket saw Iowa Western Community College crushing Temple College 30-21, 30-24, 30-9; Blinn College scurrying past 26-30, 30-25, 30-23, 30-27; San Jacinto College taking out the University of Arkansas-Ft. Smith 34-32, 26-30, 30-25, 22-30, 15-5; and Missouri State-West Plains defeating Northwest Shoals Community College 30-12, 30-19, 30-16. In elimination matches Monday night, Salt Lake took care of Temple College 30-16, 30-28, 30-17 and Ft-Smith sent Northwest Shoals home 30-23, 30-23, 30-21, 30-14. The late matches Monday say Miami-Dade winnng in five games over Western Wyoming and Hillsborugh beating Cape Fear in three.
Today’s schedule has Iowa Western facing Blinn and San Jacinto meeting MSU-West Plains at 9 a.m.; WNCC taking on Frank Phillips and Hutchinson meeting North Idaho at 11 a.m.; Salt Lake taking on Arkansas-Ft. Smith and the winners of Today’s late matches at 1 p.m.; the losers of the morning games taking state at 34 p.m. followed by the winners of today’s morning games at 5 p.m.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Cougar men, women finish Husky Invite with wins
The WNCC men's and women's basketball team registered wins in the final day of the Husky Invite in Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunday.
In the women's contest, WNCC coach Dave Harnish picked up his 500th win with an 86-42 win over North Platte Commnity College. Alison Cheney led the charge as the freshman poured in 19 points. The Cougar women are now 8-0 on the season and will next be in action Dec. 1 and 2 at the NJC Classic.
The Cougar men, on the otherhand, rebounded from an 82-80 loss to Air Force Prep on Saturday, to down Luke Air Force Base 86-67. The Cougar men, 6-2, had two players record over 20 points. Freshman Maurice Wright poured in 26 points while Ricardo De Bem had 23 points. WNCC will next be in action Wednesday, Nov. 29 when they face North Platte Commnity College in a East Sub-region contest.
In the women's contest, WNCC coach Dave Harnish picked up his 500th win with an 86-42 win over North Platte Commnity College. Alison Cheney led the charge as the freshman poured in 19 points. The Cougar women are now 8-0 on the season and will next be in action Dec. 1 and 2 at the NJC Classic.
The Cougar men, on the otherhand, rebounded from an 82-80 loss to Air Force Prep on Saturday, to down Luke Air Force Base 86-67. The Cougar men, 6-2, had two players record over 20 points. Freshman Maurice Wright poured in 26 points while Ricardo De Bem had 23 points. WNCC will next be in action Wednesday, Nov. 29 when they face North Platte Commnity College in a East Sub-region contest.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Cougar women win, Harnish gets win No. 499
The WNCC women's basketball team went 8-0 on the season with a 75-41 win over Kansas City Kansas Community College in the Husky invite Saturday. The Cougars led 43-24 at half. The win was also 499 for WNCC coach Dave Harnish, who will go for caree win No. 500 Sunday at 1 p.m. against North Platte Community College.
Chelsea Lyles led the team with 19 points and Alison Cheney finished with 13 points.
Chelsea Lyles led the team with 19 points and Alison Cheney finished with 13 points.
Cougar men fall at Air Force Prep Invite
The Cougar men seem to love heart-wrenching games. This time, though, the Cougar men were on the opposite end falling 82-80 to Air Force Prep in the second day of the Husky Invite in Colorado Springs. The men held an 11-point lead in the second half and held a 3-point lead late, but couldn't hold on to the lead. Ricardo De Bem led with 21 points followed by CJ Hampton with 21 points.
The loss drops the team to 5-2 on the season. They will next be in action Sunday against Luke Air Force Base at 1 p.m. There is no radio or internet of that game.
The loss drops the team to 5-2 on the season. They will next be in action Sunday against Luke Air Force Base at 1 p.m. There is no radio or internet of that game.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Cougar men down Air Force J.V. at Husky Invite
The WNCC men's basketball team needed two free throws by Erik Smith with just over four seconds to play for the 3-point win 78-75. The Cougars led by 11 at halftime and led by as many as 10 and 12 points on many occasions, only to see the jayvee squad cut the lead to two and one point, the latter with 5.8 seconds to play.
WNCC had four players in double figures. Ricardo De Bem and Erik Smith each had 18 points followed by Maurice Wright with 16 and Chance Wallesen with 14. Also scoring for the Cougars were Matthew Akins with six, and Carl Buck, CJ Hampton and Antonio Jones with two each.
WNCC will be back in action Saturday afternoon against Air Force Prep and then wraps up the tournament on Sunday at 3 p.m. against Luke Air Force Base.
WNCC had four players in double figures. Ricardo De Bem and Erik Smith each had 18 points followed by Maurice Wright with 16 and Chance Wallesen with 14. Also scoring for the Cougars were Matthew Akins with six, and Carl Buck, CJ Hampton and Antonio Jones with two each.
WNCC will be back in action Saturday afternoon against Air Force Prep and then wraps up the tournament on Sunday at 3 p.m. against Luke Air Force Base.
Women's Basketball wins first game of Air Prep Classic
WNCC coach Dave Harnish is now two wins from career win No. 500 after his ladies basketball team defeated Arizona Western 79-50 in the first day of the Air Force Prep Classic on Friday.
In the contest, Alison Cheney led the team with 17 points followed by Kiki Taylor with 17, Tiara Scott, Chelsea Lyles with eight, Lesley Olson with seven, Shataya Taylor and Victoria Martin with six, and Dana Iverson with three.
The Cougars, 7-0, will be back in action Saturday at 6 p.m. against Kansas City Kansas Community College and Sunday at 1 p.m. against North Platte Community College. Saturday's contest will be on the air.
In the contest, Alison Cheney led the team with 17 points followed by Kiki Taylor with 17, Tiara Scott, Chelsea Lyles with eight, Lesley Olson with seven, Shataya Taylor and Victoria Martin with six, and Dana Iverson with three.
The Cougars, 7-0, will be back in action Saturday at 6 p.m. against Kansas City Kansas Community College and Sunday at 1 p.m. against North Platte Community College. Saturday's contest will be on the air.
Cougars receive police escort out of town -- for trip to national tournament
WNCC Volleyball Team sent off to Nationals with a police/fire department escort and a pep rally wishing them the best at the national tournament in West Plains, Mo. The team's first action is Monday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. (MST) against Cape Fear Community College.
Cougar volleyball team making habit of Final Four appearances
Final Four appearances is becoming old hat for the Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team over the last seven trips to the National Junior College Athletic Association National Volleyball Tournament.
Just once, though, WNCC coach Chris Green would love to break that string and take the team to the next level – the National Championship match. If there is any year that change could happen, it is this year’s tournament. WNCC enters the national tournament, which begins Monday, as the top-ranked team in the NJCAA polls and the No. 1-seed in the 16-team tournament.
With everything the team as accomplished this season, it is not automatic that the No. 1 team will get to the championship game. But, Green likes his teams changes after playing a rigorous schedule this season.
“Over the last few years, we have scheduled tough tournaments where we have played top 10 teams throughout the season,” Green said. “I think the players are confident and experienced when they step on the court. They know exactly what needs to be done when we play a top opponent.”
The Cougars strong schedules over the past years definitely have paid dividends at nationals. WNCC boosts a 14-13 record over the past seven years at the national tournament, including four Final Four appearances. The highest the team has placed was third in 2001, when they defeated Southwest Missouri State on their home turf.
Green said that 2001 team boosted plenty of talent that played their hearts out to gain the Cougar’s highest finish at nationals.
“We had a very good team with a great quarterfinal upset [over Utah Valley State College in five games] to get into the final four,” he said. “ We did not play well in the semi-finals against Miami, but we finished strong with a third place win over the home team Southwest Missouri-West Plains.”
For the next two seasons, the Cougars had a slight hiccup, falling out of the Final Four perch before restoring the magic in 2004 and 2005, where they finished fourth both years.
This year, the Cougars are hoping to get out of that “third-place match” and play for a national title. And, as the No. 1 team in the nation, the eyes will be focused on the Cougars, who enter the tournament with a eye-popping 53-1 mark.
“We are going into the national tournament as the number one seed and that puts a target on our back. Everyone will be gunning for us,” he said. “It would be a great accomplishment to make it that far, especially given the level of talent in all the top 10 seeds.”
WNCC begins its march to the championship Monday at 1 p.m. against Cape Fear Community College, a team that comes into the tournament 21-7 and winners of their last eight matches. Barring an upset by Cape Fear, the Cougars road to the national championship will take a steep climb in talent. The Cougars will face either Frank Phillips College or Hillsborough Community College.
If anything, it is that second round match-up that is giving Green butterflies. “Our first round will not be against a top ten team, but our second round will be very dangerous,” he said. “If we get by the first round as we are expected, from there on it will be very difficult. The second round match may be against the Frank Phillips/Hillsborough winner, both teams being very talented.”
WNCC, though, always finds a way to win the early matches – against some good teams. It is the semi-finals that the Cougars stumble. Green said teams that make the Final Four will play twice in one day, exerting lots of energy against powerhouse teams.
“It is very difficult to play at the highest level for three straight days,” Green said. "This year, there are no dominant teams in the country. I believe that any of the top 10 seeds have a chance to make it to the championship match because of this year’s parity.”
What makes the mission for a championship match berth more stimulating is the atmosphere, both on and off the court.
"The atmosphere is amazing. The teams are playing at their very best, and it is a great place to play,” he said. “There are always some intense matches and this year will be no different.”
Of all the teams that Green has taken to the national tournament, he has experienced the thrills and the heartaches. Green said the team that overachieved was the 2004 team. That year they finished sixth, but only had four sophomores – Brittany Fornstrom, Brittany Isakson, Leslie Reeh and Jenny Quicke -- and limped into the national tournament with a 45-7 mark.
“To even get to nationals was a feat in itself. We defeated a very talented NJC team on their home court to make it,” Green said. “ We got a good draw in the bracket, but for that team to make it to the final four was a great accomplishment. We did not have a lot of height or a lot of offensive weapons, but we were consistent and played as a team.”
That 2004 miracle team opened play with wins over Pasco Hernando Community College and Western Wyoming Community College, before falling to Miami Dade in the semi-finals. The team then lost to Indian Hills in the third place match.
While the 2004 team stands out, Green had high hopes for the 2002 team. Things didn’t materialize liked he hope. That team went 1-3 after opening the tournament with a win over Frank Phillips, before dropping their next three.
“We lost a heartbreaker to Southwest Missouri in the quarterfinals in five tight games [25-30, 26-30, 30-18, 30-27, 11-15],” he said. “We then ended up losing the rest of our matches, finishing 8th place and 1-3 in the tournament. The team did not continue to fight through the tournament after they lost the chance to win a national championship.”
Unlike that year, this year’s team has plenty of fight having won all the tournaments they have competed in this season, including the always tough Salt Lake tournament. The Cougars also won the Wyo-Braska Shootout, as well as tournaments in Columbus, Garden City, Kan., and Liberal, Kan.
This year’s team is very similar to the 2004 team in the fact they only have three sophomores, and just two – Hailey Mueller and Bianca Rivera -- have seen national tournament before. Barbara Freitas transferred in after taking a year off to help her mom back in Brazil.
“I have asked the sophomores to help explain what it's all about,” he said. “I think they have been exposed to big tournament atmosphere at Salt Lake and at Seward County, so I don’t think it will be a problem.
“Again, the second round will be a very tough match. It will come down to which team is playing the best on that day.”
How the Cougars have fared in their eight trips to Nationals
1988 – The head coach was Cathy Schiller and current head coach Chris Green’s sister Monica was a member that led the team to the college’s first national trip in Miami, Fla. … The tournament was pool play and then single elimination bracket … They beat they No. 1 team in the tournament before settling for fifth place … Finished with a 45-13 overall record.
1999 – It was Chris Green’s first trip to nationals, finishing the tournament at 1-2 … Opened with a loss against Glendale Community College … Rebounded by defeating Iowa Western Community College in three games before losing to Sheridan College in five games … Finished the year at 35-10.
2000 – This was the first year the team became real contenders on the national level … Finished tournament withy a 2-2 record and a fourth place finish … Opened with wins against Illinois Central and Barton County, before falling to Southern Idaho in the semis and then to Utah Valley in the third place match … Finished year at 51-3.
2001 – The Cougars finished third at nationals in the first year at West Plains, Mo. … The team went 3-1 in tournament play … They opened with wins over Illinois Central and Utah Valley before falling to Miami Dade in the semis … Rebounded with a four-game win against Southwest Missouri on their home court. Finished year 57-5.
2002 – One of Green’s most disappointing finishes at nationals … Team finished tournament 1-3 after opening with win against Frank Phillips … Cougars then fell to Southwest Missouri in five games followed by losses to Seward County and Arizona Western … Finished year with a 57-9 record.
2003 – Only the second time the Cougars started the tournament with a loss … The team fell to the host team Southwest Missouri in the first round … The Cougars came storming back with wins over Casper College, Pasco Hernando and Southwestern Illinois for the consolation bracket trophy … Finished season at 43-12.
2004 – The Cougars took nationals by storm, upending NJC in the regional finals … Then went on to nationals to finish and take fourth … The Cougars opened with wins over Pasco Hernando and Western Wyoming before falling to Miami Dade in the semis … Cougars took fourth after losing a heartbreaker to Indian Hills in three games … Finished year at 47-9.
2005 – This year the team came so close to that first championship match appearance … Team opened with two wins, a cake walk through North Central Texas followed by a five-game thriller with Indian Hills … Cougars then lost to Miami Dade in three … WNCC finished tournament 2-2 after dropping third-place match to Missouri-West Plains in five games … Finished year at 53-3.
Just once, though, WNCC coach Chris Green would love to break that string and take the team to the next level – the National Championship match. If there is any year that change could happen, it is this year’s tournament. WNCC enters the national tournament, which begins Monday, as the top-ranked team in the NJCAA polls and the No. 1-seed in the 16-team tournament.
With everything the team as accomplished this season, it is not automatic that the No. 1 team will get to the championship game. But, Green likes his teams changes after playing a rigorous schedule this season.
“Over the last few years, we have scheduled tough tournaments where we have played top 10 teams throughout the season,” Green said. “I think the players are confident and experienced when they step on the court. They know exactly what needs to be done when we play a top opponent.”
The Cougars strong schedules over the past years definitely have paid dividends at nationals. WNCC boosts a 14-13 record over the past seven years at the national tournament, including four Final Four appearances. The highest the team has placed was third in 2001, when they defeated Southwest Missouri State on their home turf.
Green said that 2001 team boosted plenty of talent that played their hearts out to gain the Cougar’s highest finish at nationals.
“We had a very good team with a great quarterfinal upset [over Utah Valley State College in five games] to get into the final four,” he said. “ We did not play well in the semi-finals against Miami, but we finished strong with a third place win over the home team Southwest Missouri-West Plains.”
For the next two seasons, the Cougars had a slight hiccup, falling out of the Final Four perch before restoring the magic in 2004 and 2005, where they finished fourth both years.
This year, the Cougars are hoping to get out of that “third-place match” and play for a national title. And, as the No. 1 team in the nation, the eyes will be focused on the Cougars, who enter the tournament with a eye-popping 53-1 mark.
“We are going into the national tournament as the number one seed and that puts a target on our back. Everyone will be gunning for us,” he said. “It would be a great accomplishment to make it that far, especially given the level of talent in all the top 10 seeds.”
WNCC begins its march to the championship Monday at 1 p.m. against Cape Fear Community College, a team that comes into the tournament 21-7 and winners of their last eight matches. Barring an upset by Cape Fear, the Cougars road to the national championship will take a steep climb in talent. The Cougars will face either Frank Phillips College or Hillsborough Community College.
If anything, it is that second round match-up that is giving Green butterflies. “Our first round will not be against a top ten team, but our second round will be very dangerous,” he said. “If we get by the first round as we are expected, from there on it will be very difficult. The second round match may be against the Frank Phillips/Hillsborough winner, both teams being very talented.”
WNCC, though, always finds a way to win the early matches – against some good teams. It is the semi-finals that the Cougars stumble. Green said teams that make the Final Four will play twice in one day, exerting lots of energy against powerhouse teams.
“It is very difficult to play at the highest level for three straight days,” Green said. "This year, there are no dominant teams in the country. I believe that any of the top 10 seeds have a chance to make it to the championship match because of this year’s parity.”
What makes the mission for a championship match berth more stimulating is the atmosphere, both on and off the court.
"The atmosphere is amazing. The teams are playing at their very best, and it is a great place to play,” he said. “There are always some intense matches and this year will be no different.”
Of all the teams that Green has taken to the national tournament, he has experienced the thrills and the heartaches. Green said the team that overachieved was the 2004 team. That year they finished sixth, but only had four sophomores – Brittany Fornstrom, Brittany Isakson, Leslie Reeh and Jenny Quicke -- and limped into the national tournament with a 45-7 mark.
“To even get to nationals was a feat in itself. We defeated a very talented NJC team on their home court to make it,” Green said. “ We got a good draw in the bracket, but for that team to make it to the final four was a great accomplishment. We did not have a lot of height or a lot of offensive weapons, but we were consistent and played as a team.”
That 2004 miracle team opened play with wins over Pasco Hernando Community College and Western Wyoming Community College, before falling to Miami Dade in the semi-finals. The team then lost to Indian Hills in the third place match.
While the 2004 team stands out, Green had high hopes for the 2002 team. Things didn’t materialize liked he hope. That team went 1-3 after opening the tournament with a win over Frank Phillips, before dropping their next three.
“We lost a heartbreaker to Southwest Missouri in the quarterfinals in five tight games [25-30, 26-30, 30-18, 30-27, 11-15],” he said. “We then ended up losing the rest of our matches, finishing 8th place and 1-3 in the tournament. The team did not continue to fight through the tournament after they lost the chance to win a national championship.”
Unlike that year, this year’s team has plenty of fight having won all the tournaments they have competed in this season, including the always tough Salt Lake tournament. The Cougars also won the Wyo-Braska Shootout, as well as tournaments in Columbus, Garden City, Kan., and Liberal, Kan.
This year’s team is very similar to the 2004 team in the fact they only have three sophomores, and just two – Hailey Mueller and Bianca Rivera -- have seen national tournament before. Barbara Freitas transferred in after taking a year off to help her mom back in Brazil.
“I have asked the sophomores to help explain what it's all about,” he said. “I think they have been exposed to big tournament atmosphere at Salt Lake and at Seward County, so I don’t think it will be a problem.
“Again, the second round will be a very tough match. It will come down to which team is playing the best on that day.”
How the Cougars have fared in their eight trips to Nationals
1988 – The head coach was Cathy Schiller and current head coach Chris Green’s sister Monica was a member that led the team to the college’s first national trip in Miami, Fla. … The tournament was pool play and then single elimination bracket … They beat they No. 1 team in the tournament before settling for fifth place … Finished with a 45-13 overall record.
1999 – It was Chris Green’s first trip to nationals, finishing the tournament at 1-2 … Opened with a loss against Glendale Community College … Rebounded by defeating Iowa Western Community College in three games before losing to Sheridan College in five games … Finished the year at 35-10.
2000 – This was the first year the team became real contenders on the national level … Finished tournament withy a 2-2 record and a fourth place finish … Opened with wins against Illinois Central and Barton County, before falling to Southern Idaho in the semis and then to Utah Valley in the third place match … Finished year at 51-3.
2001 – The Cougars finished third at nationals in the first year at West Plains, Mo. … The team went 3-1 in tournament play … They opened with wins over Illinois Central and Utah Valley before falling to Miami Dade in the semis … Rebounded with a four-game win against Southwest Missouri on their home court. Finished year 57-5.
2002 – One of Green’s most disappointing finishes at nationals … Team finished tournament 1-3 after opening with win against Frank Phillips … Cougars then fell to Southwest Missouri in five games followed by losses to Seward County and Arizona Western … Finished year with a 57-9 record.
2003 – Only the second time the Cougars started the tournament with a loss … The team fell to the host team Southwest Missouri in the first round … The Cougars came storming back with wins over Casper College, Pasco Hernando and Southwestern Illinois for the consolation bracket trophy … Finished season at 43-12.
2004 – The Cougars took nationals by storm, upending NJC in the regional finals … Then went on to nationals to finish and take fourth … The Cougars opened with wins over Pasco Hernando and Western Wyoming before falling to Miami Dade in the semis … Cougars took fourth after losing a heartbreaker to Indian Hills in three games … Finished year at 47-9.
2005 – This year the team came so close to that first championship match appearance … Team opened with two wins, a cake walk through North Central Texas followed by a five-game thriller with Indian Hills … Cougars then lost to Miami Dade in three … WNCC finished tournament 2-2 after dropping third-place match to Missouri-West Plains in five games … Finished year at 53-3.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Brackets for National Volleyball Tournament Released
Western Nebraska Community College’s Chris Green is surprised with the brackets for this year National Junior College Athletic Association national volleyball tournament. WNCC did receive the No. 1 seed, as expected, and will play No. 16 seed Cape Fear Community College at 1 p.m. Monday. After that, the teams were shuffled.
“It was a bit surprising that they did not seed teams according to the last poll,” Green said. “For example, North Idaho got a No. 4 seed when they were ranked No. 8 in the country. I am not sure who decided how to seed the teams and why some teams got moved up and others moved down, but no matter the seeding, after the first round, the competition for us will be very, very tough.”
Green knows very little about Cape Fear, except that they came on strong at the end of the season. “It looks like they have improved throughout the season,” Green said. “They closed out the season with a win over a team they hadn’t beat in their previous match ups.”
After the Cape Fear match, the Cougars will have a tough second round facing either the No. 8 seed Frank Phillips (37-5) or No. 9 Hillsborough (38-3). Green said both squads are salty. "Frank Phillips has one of the best players in junior college and have been very successful this year,” he said. “Hillsborough upset Miami Dade in their last game of the year [for the state championship], so both teams are formidable.”
Other teams that that the Cougars could face in the semi-finals are No. 5 Miami Dade (22-6) who takes on No. 12 Hutchinson Community College (22-13) in the first round, and No. 4 North Idaho College (34-6) or faces No. 13 Western Wyoming Community College (38-5) in the first round.
The other first round match-ups will have No. 3 Iowa Western Community College (56-4) facing No. 14 Temple College (18-17), No. 6 Blinn College (31-3) meeting No. 11 Salt Lake Community College (27-15), No. 7 University of Ft. Smith-Arkansas (37-5) meeting No. 10 San Jacinto College (24-9); and No. 2 MSU-West Plains (38-5) facing No. 15 Northwest Shoals (35-7).
Green, though, doesn’t have a problem with the bracketing realizing that anything is possible at the national tournament.
“I think it looks like a pretty fair bracket,” he said. “Seeds 1 through 13 are all very good teams, so it really didn’t matter how you bracket it. There will be many great match ups early in the tournament.”
WNCC, though, goes into the tournament having played one of the toughest schedules with wins over six of the national tournament participants. The team’s only defeat came against North Idaho the first weekend in September.
Since then, the team has dominated the competition having defeated North Idaho, Salt Lake, Iowa Western, Arkansas-Ft. Smith, Western Wyoming and Hutchinson. The Cougars have won 44 straight matches and have only dropped individual games to Hutchinson and Northeastern Junior College during that stretch.
“We have played well in tournaments,” he said. “I think the fact that we have played many of these teams already this season is going to help us. The tough competition we faced at Salt Lake, at Seward County, and with NJC being so strong, will help us more than anything.”
“It was a bit surprising that they did not seed teams according to the last poll,” Green said. “For example, North Idaho got a No. 4 seed when they were ranked No. 8 in the country. I am not sure who decided how to seed the teams and why some teams got moved up and others moved down, but no matter the seeding, after the first round, the competition for us will be very, very tough.”
Green knows very little about Cape Fear, except that they came on strong at the end of the season. “It looks like they have improved throughout the season,” Green said. “They closed out the season with a win over a team they hadn’t beat in their previous match ups.”
After the Cape Fear match, the Cougars will have a tough second round facing either the No. 8 seed Frank Phillips (37-5) or No. 9 Hillsborough (38-3). Green said both squads are salty. "Frank Phillips has one of the best players in junior college and have been very successful this year,” he said. “Hillsborough upset Miami Dade in their last game of the year [for the state championship], so both teams are formidable.”
Other teams that that the Cougars could face in the semi-finals are No. 5 Miami Dade (22-6) who takes on No. 12 Hutchinson Community College (22-13) in the first round, and No. 4 North Idaho College (34-6) or faces No. 13 Western Wyoming Community College (38-5) in the first round.
The other first round match-ups will have No. 3 Iowa Western Community College (56-4) facing No. 14 Temple College (18-17), No. 6 Blinn College (31-3) meeting No. 11 Salt Lake Community College (27-15), No. 7 University of Ft. Smith-Arkansas (37-5) meeting No. 10 San Jacinto College (24-9); and No. 2 MSU-West Plains (38-5) facing No. 15 Northwest Shoals (35-7).
Green, though, doesn’t have a problem with the bracketing realizing that anything is possible at the national tournament.
“I think it looks like a pretty fair bracket,” he said. “Seeds 1 through 13 are all very good teams, so it really didn’t matter how you bracket it. There will be many great match ups early in the tournament.”
WNCC, though, goes into the tournament having played one of the toughest schedules with wins over six of the national tournament participants. The team’s only defeat came against North Idaho the first weekend in September.
Since then, the team has dominated the competition having defeated North Idaho, Salt Lake, Iowa Western, Arkansas-Ft. Smith, Western Wyoming and Hutchinson. The Cougars have won 44 straight matches and have only dropped individual games to Hutchinson and Northeastern Junior College during that stretch.
“We have played well in tournaments,” he said. “I think the fact that we have played many of these teams already this season is going to help us. The tough competition we faced at Salt Lake, at Seward County, and with NJC being so strong, will help us more than anything.”
Friday, November 10, 2006
Cougar men get offensive, pound Buckley 117-109
The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team wanted to make a statement Friday in the Colby Ambassador Classic after Thursday's overtime loss.
And, they did downing Buckley Air Force Base 117-109. The two team's combined scores of 226 points fell six points of the all time record of most points by two teams. That mark of 232 points, was set back in the 1963-64 and 1966-67 seasons. Still, the Cougars had to fend off numorous rallies all night by Buckley, who had just five players suited up.
Playing well for the Cougars was CJ Hampton, who nailed some clutch 3-pointers to finish with over 20 points. Also playing well was David Busma, who nailed some key buckets late in the first half.
WNCC will now face Colby Community College on Saturday in the final day of the tournament.
And, they did downing Buckley Air Force Base 117-109. The two team's combined scores of 226 points fell six points of the all time record of most points by two teams. That mark of 232 points, was set back in the 1963-64 and 1966-67 seasons. Still, the Cougars had to fend off numorous rallies all night by Buckley, who had just five players suited up.
Playing well for the Cougars was CJ Hampton, who nailed some clutch 3-pointers to finish with over 20 points. Also playing well was David Busma, who nailed some key buckets late in the first half.
WNCC will now face Colby Community College on Saturday in the final day of the tournament.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Women's basketball wins, men lose at Colby tourney
The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team went to 4-0 on the young season with a 74-57 win over Pratt Community College at the Colby Tournament Thursday.
The WNCC men’s basketball weren’t as fortunate at the same tournament as the women’s team, falling in overtime to the Colby Replacements 85-80 in overtime. WNCC men’s coach John Jungers wasn’t pleased with the outcome.
“I’m very disappointed in our effort,” he said. “I guess I need to do a better job in getting them ready to play. We are a young team and we don’t understand what it takes to be successful.”
Jungers said his team was up early in the first half and then things went back and fourth until a late rally put the Cougars up 41-30 had halftime. The second half was what got the Cougars in trouble as they went scoreless for the first six minutes of the game. Both teams were knotted at 70 after regulation and then the Replacements outscored WNCC 15-8 in the extra period for the win.
Four Cougars finished with double digit scoring. Maurice Wright and Matthew Akins each had 14 points. Akins also had eight rebounds. Also collecting double digits was Erik Smith with 12 and Ricardo De Bem with 11. De Bem also led the team with nine rebounds.
The Cougars (2-1) will be back in action this afternoon at 3 p.m. when they face Buckley Air Force Base in the second day of the tournament.
Replacements 30 40 15 – 85
WNCC (2-1) 41 29 8 – 78
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Antonio Jones 2, Matthew Akins 14, Keron McKinzie 5, DaRon Kirkendoll 2, Ricardo De Bem 11, Chance Wallesen 3, Maurice Wright 14, Erik Smith 12, David Busma 3, CJ Hampton 5, Doradji Wilson 7.
The WNCC men’s basketball weren’t as fortunate at the same tournament as the women’s team, falling in overtime to the Colby Replacements 85-80 in overtime. WNCC men’s coach John Jungers wasn’t pleased with the outcome.
“I’m very disappointed in our effort,” he said. “I guess I need to do a better job in getting them ready to play. We are a young team and we don’t understand what it takes to be successful.”
Jungers said his team was up early in the first half and then things went back and fourth until a late rally put the Cougars up 41-30 had halftime. The second half was what got the Cougars in trouble as they went scoreless for the first six minutes of the game. Both teams were knotted at 70 after regulation and then the Replacements outscored WNCC 15-8 in the extra period for the win.
Four Cougars finished with double digit scoring. Maurice Wright and Matthew Akins each had 14 points. Akins also had eight rebounds. Also collecting double digits was Erik Smith with 12 and Ricardo De Bem with 11. De Bem also led the team with nine rebounds.
The Cougars (2-1) will be back in action this afternoon at 3 p.m. when they face Buckley Air Force Base in the second day of the tournament.
Replacements 30 40 15 – 85
WNCC (2-1) 41 29 8 – 78
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Antonio Jones 2, Matthew Akins 14, Keron McKinzie 5, DaRon Kirkendoll 2, Ricardo De Bem 11, Chance Wallesen 3, Maurice Wright 14, Erik Smith 12, David Busma 3, CJ Hampton 5, Doradji Wilson 7.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Cougar men win 73-72 on free throw after the buzzer
Western Nebraska Community College freshman Maurice Wright has never experienced a game like Saturday night against Lamar Community College. With no time on the clock and a deadlocked contest, Wright was standing at the free line knowing that just one charity toss would give WNCC the win. The 6-foot-2 Detroit calmly hit the shot to give the Cougars a thrilling 73-72 win over the Runnin’ Lopes in the WNCC Classic.“Coach told me to relax that you have two free throws and you put one down and we win the game,” an excited Wright said moments after sinking the winning free throw. “That is the first time I have been in a situation like that. I was nervous but my teammates said be cool you got this. I made the first free throw and we went out of there with the win.
WNCC coach John Jungers said this win shows just how good this team can be. “This is a great win and it showed our true character of our team. We didn’t quit and we didn’t give up. We competed. We battled,” he said. “We had a freshman step with no time on the clock and he made a big free throw. It says a lot about our program and the direction we are heading.
Wright finished with five points on the night, and while his clutch free throw was the winning shot, it was the play of his teammates all night long, that registered the win. “This was a team effort and it is always a team effort,” Wright said. “There is no I in team. It was a team effort and we worked hard. They scored 14 points in the first two minutes of the game and then 14 points in the rest of the 18 minutes of the half. That is our defense that we had in the first half.”
Early on, Lamar took it to the Cougars running out to a 14-2 lead. WNCC regrouped and tied the game at 24 on a Erik Smith 3-pointer with six minutes remaining in the half and went on to lead 29-28 at intermission. The second half was back and forth with nine lead changes. With just under five minutes to play, Lamar took a 65-62 lead on two Darius Joseph free throws. WNCC’s Ricardo De Bem brought the Cougars back scoring five points , including a dunk with 1:40 to play to give the Cougars a 70-69 lead.
Seconds later, Wright took a pass from Smith and drove the lane to put the Cougars up 72-69. Lamar came back and tied the game on a bucket by Mike Bogar with 14.8 seconds to play, which led to Wright’s drive on the baseline that saw him get fouled as time the clock hit zero.
Jungers said the way this team played, shows a lot of promise for the season. “I think we have the ability to be a very good team but it is a team effort. It is just not one guy and it doesn’t all fall on my shoulders,” he said. “We have some kids [that can play] and I thought our fans stepped up and gave us a little energy that we didn’t have early on. We need that here at Cougar Palace.”
CJ Hampton led the Cougars with 23 points, including five 3-pointers. Three of those treys came during a two minute stretch in the second half that brought WNCC from a 49-45 deficit to a 56-53 lead. Ricardo De Bem was the other Cougar in double digits finishing with 22 points. He also pulled down nine rebounds.
“Every night it will be someone different,” Jungers said. “CJ stepped up big for us and Ricardo showed why he should be an all-American and why Texas Tech should really recruit him.”
The Cougars will be in action next week when they compete in the Colby Tournament beginning Thursday.
Colby (2-1) 56 52 — 108
Little Big Horn (0-2) 37 54 — 91
COLBY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Shedric Cole 18, A.J. Stephens 9, Jorge Canedo 12, Tyler Turner 8, T.J. Schmidt 16, Troy Smith 9, Camilo Londono 14, Mike Mosley 20, John Ortiz 2.
LITTLE BIG HORN
Frank Yellowtail 6, Kevin Yazzie 2, Cameron McCormide 8, Darrell Morning 2, Bobby Takes Enemy 11, Isiah Stewart 6, Terrence Fixico 6, Ellis Old Bull 15, Clint Fitzpatrick 20, Andy Roundtree 4, Aaron Stops 7, Robert Hugs 2.
Lamar (2-1) 28 44 — 72
WNCC (2-0) 29 44 — 73
LAMAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Darius Joseph 12, Roman Andrade 2, Brandon Johnson 23, Delvin Franklin 14, DeShawn Wolfe 13, Jerry Nash 2, Mike Bogar 6.
WESTERN NEBRASKA CC
Keron McKenzie 3, Chance Wallesen 3, Maurice Wright 5, Erik Smith 8, Antonio Jones 3, Beno Jaekel 1, Matthew Akins 2, CJ Hampton 23, Doradji Wilson 3, Ricardo De Bem.
WNCC women 3-0 after blowout against Dawson
Don't look know but next week the Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team might just be No. 1 in the country -- that is in scoring offense. That is right, the Cougar women blasted their way to a 116-39 win over Dawson Community College Saturday afternoon in the final day of the Sheridan College Tournament.
The Cougar women led 49-21 at halftime and then scored 67 points in the second half for the win. Four players scored 14 points to lead the Cougars. They were Kiki Taylor, Dana Iverson, Lesley Olson and Alison Cheney.
The Cougars will get a test next week as they head to the Colby Tournament and face Pratt Community College, Colby Community College and Barton County Community College.
The Cougar women led 49-21 at halftime and then scored 67 points in the second half for the win. Four players scored 14 points to lead the Cougars. They were Kiki Taylor, Dana Iverson, Lesley Olson and Alison Cheney.
The Cougars will get a test next week as they head to the Colby Tournament and face Pratt Community College, Colby Community College and Barton County Community College.
WNCC men open season with win against Colby
The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team hit for 10 first-half 3-pointers and led from start to finish to open the John Jungers’ coaching era with a 79-69 win over Colby Community College in the WNCC Classic Friday evening.“The first win is weight off the shoulders,” the first-year head coach said. “Now I worry about winning game number two. One is great, two will be better and 30 will be ideal.”
The Cougars will go for win number two today in the second day of the WNCC classic when they face Lamar Community College at 7 p.m. Colby (1-1) will play Little Big Horn College (0-1) in the opening game at 5 p.m.
Lamar (2-0) was a 95-66 winner over Little Big Horn College to open the Classic, and for the Cougars to pick up their second win, Jungers said they will need to play much better.
“I think we got their attention. The team understands that we didn’t play real well and we weren’t at the top of our game,” he said. “We need to improve defensively, some of the shots that we took were taken sometimes to quickly, and our inside guys need to be more of a presence.”
The thing that stood out was the Cougars’ 3-point shooting in the first half. WNCC shot a blistering 52 percent from beyond the arc, nailing three straight treys to open the game. Bridgeport’s Chance Wallesen did most of the damage from beyond the arc canning four treys for his 12 points.
“We are a good 3-point shooting team and we were living and dying by it [Friday],” Jungers said. “We can’t do that. We are going to have off nights. We shot 1 of 9 in the second half [from beyond the arc0.”
WNCC led 11-2 early on only to see Colby slice the lead to 23-19 on a T.J. Schmidt 3-pointer with six minutes to go. It was then the Cougars hit stride going on a 19-5 run for a 42-24 halftime lead.
Doradji Wilson started the scoring run with a 3-pointer from the left wing followed by a Wallesen down-towner from the right wing. WNCC continued sizzling the nets with three more bombs, two of wich from 6-foot-6 Matthew Akins and one from Erik Schmidt from the left corner.
Jungers said they played good defense in the first half, but wasn’t overly pleased with his team’s lack of movement, which allowed Colby to make 14 free throws in the first half. The Trojans finished the game 33-of-45 from the charity stripe.
WNCC’s dominating first half proved key in the second half. Colby outscored WNCC 45-37, but never could make a dent in the score to single digits. In fact, WNCC held a 77-55 lead with about two minutes to play before Colby made a late 14-2 run to close the final gap.
The Cougars had five players in double figures. Ricardo De Bem and CJ Hampton finished with 13 points each, followed by Wallesen and Smith with 12, and Maurice Wright with 10.
Jungers expects to get an even stiffer test tonight against Lamar, which canned 10 3-pointers in their win against Little Big Horn.
“I expect them to shoot the ball really well. They are athletic and I think their guard play and their perimeter shooting is better,” he said. “We had nervous guys out there. We will get better and tomorrow will be a new day and will improve and go get our second win.”
Little Big Horn (0-1) 34 32 — 66
Lamar C.C. (2-0) 61 34 — 95
LITTLE BIG HORN
Raymond Bullshows 4, Frank Yellowtail 10, Kevin Yazzie 6, Cameron McCormide 8, Darrell Morning 4, Bobby Takes Enemy 3, Isiah Stewart 4, Ellis Old Bull 14, Clint Fitzpatrick 9, Andy Roundtree 2, Robert Higs 2.
LAMAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Jermaine Harris 3, Devin Vandergeest 2, Darius Joseph 7, Roman Andrade 8, Ryan Pelton 2, Brandon Johnson 23, A.J. Green 3, Delvin Franklin 21, DeShawn Wolfe 16, Mike Boger 10.
Colby CC (1-1) 24 45 — 69
WNCC (1-0) 42 37 — 79
COLBY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Shedric Cole 6, A.J. Stephens 6, Jorge Canedo 13, T.J. Schmidt 10, Troy Smith 2, Camilo Londono 21, Mike Mosley 11.
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Chance Wallesen 12, Maurice Wright 10, Erik Smith 12, Antonio Jones 5, Matthew Akins 6, Carl Buck 2, CJ Hampton 13, DaRon Kirkendoll 1, Doradji Wilson 5, Ricardo De Bem 13.
Friday, November 03, 2006
WNCC women's basketball 2-0 on young season
The Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team continues to rack up the points on the young season with their second win in two tries at the Sheridan Tournament Friday afternoon.The Cougars, this time, downed Salish Koonai College 99-40. WNCC led 38-19 at halftime. Leading the Cougars in scoring was Kiki Taylor with 20 points followed by Chelsea Lyles with 17.
WNCC will play Dawson Community College Saturday at 2 p.m. in the final day of Sheridan Tournament.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Women's basketball opens with huge win
The Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team put five players in double figures as they cruised to a 123-48 win over Little Big Horn College in the first day of the Sheridan Tournament in Sheridan, Wyo.The Cougars were in control of the game from the get-go as they led 68-15 at halftime. Leading the team in scoring was freshman Dana Iverson with 21 points, including a 3-for-4 performance from the 3-point arc.
Also netting double figures was freshman Alison Cheney and sophomore Tiara Scott with 18 points, sophomore Lesley Olson with 15 and freshman Emma Beddome with 12 points.
The Cougars will play Salish Kooenai College at 4 p.m. on Friday and then Dawson Community College Saturday at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Cougar volleyball wins 50th match over LCCC
The Western Nebraska Community College finished the regular season portion of its schedule on a good note with a sweep of Laramie County Community College Wednesday at Cheyenne.The Cougars showcased their No. 1 ranking early in getting the 30-9, 30-14, 31-29 win. It was also the team’s 50th win of the season and pushed the Cougars win streak to 41 matches.
“We served tough in the first two games and they couldn’t run much of an offense because of our tough serving.” WNCC coach Chris Green said. “We had a completely different line up out there in the third game and it is tough to adjust when you mix up the lineup as much as we did.
WNCC’s dominance in the first two games was sparkling, and it was Soriana Pacheco’s serving that baffled the Golden Eagle defenders. Pacheco had 15 of her match high 17 points in the opening two games, including five aces.
In the second game, the freshman from Venezuela started the game with nine straight points before a missed serve stopped the rally. It didn’t matter as WNCC went on to post the 30-14 win and never let the Golden Eagles come within single digits.
The second game was a little tougher as WNCC mixed up the lineup. Still, the Cougars depth was too much. Laramie County held game point at 30-29, until Pacheco put down a kill and then proceeded to serve the final two points, the final an ace, for the win.
Jenny Eichler led the team with 11 kills. The 6-foot rightside hitter also had four blocks. Barbara Freitas also had a good night finishing with eight kills, nine digs, seven points and two aces.
Also for the Cougars, Leticia Kuhn had nine kills, three digs, three points and two aces; Hailey Mueller finished with three blocks and two kills; Shawntell Jones getting three blocks; Pacheco collecting 17 points six kills, three digs, two blocks, 29 set assists and six aces; Kendra Schauermann finishing with three kills, three digs, six points and two aces; Jillian Kelly netting seven points and three kills; Bianca Rivera getting five kills, 11 digs and four points; Stacie Meisner finishing with six points and one ace; and Cassie Vrooman and Becky Hughes with one kill.
The Cougars, 50-1, are now off until they host the regional tournament next week. Green said they had a nice regular season, finishing on top of the NJCAA national polls for the seventh week.
“We worked hard during the regular season and now from here on out the post season is what is counting. If you lose twice, you are done. From here on out it is due or die,” he said. “I hope we can play like we did in the first two games at regionals, where our serving was really tough. If we can do that in Cougar Palace, we will be hard to beat, and then going into the national tournament the No. 1 seed would be a great accomplishment for this team. Hopefully, we can push toward that.”
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
WNCC sweeps NJC, wins south sub-region regular season title
The No. 1-ranked Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team earned another sub-region title and the No. 1 seed in next months Region IX tournament with a 30-25, 30-27, 30-28 win over Northeastern Junior College Wednesday at Sterling, Colo.
The Cougars, now 49-1 and winners of 40-straight matches, used a workman-like performance to register the win against the No. 15 Plainswomen led by Leticia Kuhn with a 15-kill, 14-dig performance. Jennifer Eichler also put a exclamation mark on the game finishing with 14 kills, including the final two kills for the sweep.
“We are happy with the win but I just wish we could play at the highest level all the time and I think we still can improve. I think the girls know that,” WNCC coach Chris Green said. “I think we still can play better then tonight. We had some errors but it was a great win for us to go on the road and get a win against a very good team.”
Defense, though, was the name of the game for both teams. Green said NJC had precision passing all night long. But, as much as NJC dug up ball after ball, it was the Cougars passing that won the game. Bianca Rivera, who committed to play volleyball at Creighton University next year, finished with 22 digs followed by Kuhn and Kendra Schauermann with 14 each.
“NJC passed the ball really well. The first two games we never had an ace serve,” Green said. “You have to give credit to NJC’s passing because our team relies on our tough serving and they passed the ball to the setter all night long. For us to get a win despite their perfect passing says a lot about their team.”
The Cougars also stopped balls from hitting the ground, which is something that the team prides themselves in. It is that defensive toughness that has earned the Cougars their 49-1 and No. 1 ranking for a sixth straight week after the polls were released Wednesday.
“This team plays great defense and defense wins games. You saw a lot of ball saved by our defensive play [Wednesday night],” Green said. “Kendra had a great pancake, which won a point, and she also had some other digs. Bianca had digs all over the place. Those digs are what gives us those extra points and we only won by a few points each of the games. Each of those points we save on defense are very important.”
The Cougars dominated play in the first game only trailing twice before escaping with a 30-25 win on three Schauermann service points.
The second game was a little closer. WNCC held an 11-7 lead on a Kuhn kill. The lead was soon short-lived with NJC taking a 25-23 lead late. With the score tied at 27, Kuhn hammered home a kill and Schauermann served out the game for the 2-0 lead.
The third game was all NJC for the majority as the Plainswomen held a 24-19 lead on three Brittany Palmer serves. WNCC rallied behind a Kuhn kill and four Soriana Pacheco service points to take a 26-25 lead. NJC called a timeout and got a sideout to stop the run momentarily. But it was only temporary as Eicher hammered a kill that dented the floor and two serves later, hammered home the game winner.
The Cougars were led by a variety of players in several categories. Pacheco led the team with 12 points, two aces and five digs; followed by Kuhn with 15 kills, 14 digs, five and five points. Also, Rivera had 22 digs and five points, Schauermann 14 digs, eight points and two digs; Eichler with 14 kills and six blocks; Barbara Freitas with six kills, five blocks and three digs; Hailey Mueller with five kills; and Jillian Kelly with four points.
The Cougars are now off until next Wednesday when they travel to Laramie County Community College
for their final regular season contest before hosting the regional tournament Nov. 9-11.
The Cougars, now 49-1 and winners of 40-straight matches, used a workman-like performance to register the win against the No. 15 Plainswomen led by Leticia Kuhn with a 15-kill, 14-dig performance. Jennifer Eichler also put a exclamation mark on the game finishing with 14 kills, including the final two kills for the sweep.
“We are happy with the win but I just wish we could play at the highest level all the time and I think we still can improve. I think the girls know that,” WNCC coach Chris Green said. “I think we still can play better then tonight. We had some errors but it was a great win for us to go on the road and get a win against a very good team.”
Defense, though, was the name of the game for both teams. Green said NJC had precision passing all night long. But, as much as NJC dug up ball after ball, it was the Cougars passing that won the game. Bianca Rivera, who committed to play volleyball at Creighton University next year, finished with 22 digs followed by Kuhn and Kendra Schauermann with 14 each.
“NJC passed the ball really well. The first two games we never had an ace serve,” Green said. “You have to give credit to NJC’s passing because our team relies on our tough serving and they passed the ball to the setter all night long. For us to get a win despite their perfect passing says a lot about their team.”
The Cougars also stopped balls from hitting the ground, which is something that the team prides themselves in. It is that defensive toughness that has earned the Cougars their 49-1 and No. 1 ranking for a sixth straight week after the polls were released Wednesday.
“This team plays great defense and defense wins games. You saw a lot of ball saved by our defensive play [Wednesday night],” Green said. “Kendra had a great pancake, which won a point, and she also had some other digs. Bianca had digs all over the place. Those digs are what gives us those extra points and we only won by a few points each of the games. Each of those points we save on defense are very important.”
The Cougars dominated play in the first game only trailing twice before escaping with a 30-25 win on three Schauermann service points.
The second game was a little closer. WNCC held an 11-7 lead on a Kuhn kill. The lead was soon short-lived with NJC taking a 25-23 lead late. With the score tied at 27, Kuhn hammered home a kill and Schauermann served out the game for the 2-0 lead.
The third game was all NJC for the majority as the Plainswomen held a 24-19 lead on three Brittany Palmer serves. WNCC rallied behind a Kuhn kill and four Soriana Pacheco service points to take a 26-25 lead. NJC called a timeout and got a sideout to stop the run momentarily. But it was only temporary as Eicher hammered a kill that dented the floor and two serves later, hammered home the game winner.
The Cougars were led by a variety of players in several categories. Pacheco led the team with 12 points, two aces and five digs; followed by Kuhn with 15 kills, 14 digs, five and five points. Also, Rivera had 22 digs and five points, Schauermann 14 digs, eight points and two digs; Eichler with 14 kills and six blocks; Barbara Freitas with six kills, five blocks and three digs; Hailey Mueller with five kills; and Jillian Kelly with four points.
The Cougars are now off until next Wednesday when they travel to Laramie County Community College
for their final regular season contest before hosting the regional tournament Nov. 9-11.
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