WNCC women's basketball drops contest to South Plains by a point

Submitted by Jeremy Woznick, Star-Herald Sports Reporter

COLBY, Kan. - The Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team couldn't make a double-digit, second-half lead stand up as the Cougars dropped a 54-53 season-opening setback to South Plains College (Texas) on Thursday at the Colby Ambassador Classic in Colby, Kan.

WNCC, which is ranked No. 11 in the NJCAA preseason national rankings, led by as many as 10 points with 10 minutes to play before falling in the final few seconds. Leading 53-52 with just two seconds to play in the contest, WNCC missed a free throw and committed a crucial foul on the rebound attempt. South Plains responded by knocking down both free throws to earn the win.

"The kids came out and played hard, but the little things really hurt us tonight," WNCC assistant coach Jennifer Pedersen said. "We missed too many layups and we had a few turnovers at the wrong time when we should have had the game won."

Three players cracked the double-figure scoring column for WNCC in the game. Lorena Medairos and Shaquilah Davis both poured in 12 points, while Stormye Everett added 10. SeLina Ysac tallied eight points and Tawny Drexler added six.

Drexler led the Cougars on the glass with eight rebounds. She also collected a pair of steals. Davis added six rebounds and led the Cougars with six assists and three steals. Ysac pulled down six boards and Everett had five.

South Plains held a 24-23 advantage at the half.

"I think we were pleased with the effort for the first game," Pedersen said. "South Plains is a very athletic team and they played well. But I thought the way we dominated defensively, we probably should have came out on top."

WNCC will be right back in action today at 5 p.m. against the Hastings Junior Varsity. The Cougars will wrap up the tournament on Saturday against Colby.

WNCC (0-1) 23 30 - 53
South Plains (1-0) 24 30 - 54
WNCC
Lorena Medairos 12, Michelle Lighthall 1, SeLina Ysac 8, Shaquilah Davis 12, Stormye Everett 10, Tawny Drexler 6, Caley Fisher 2, Juliana Bassetto 2.

WNCC volleyball team opens regional tournament action Friday against Otero

Paloma Alvarez never experienced the regional tournament when she played last year at Colby Community College. That is why she is excited when the NO. 2 Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team takes to the court today in its Region IX South Tournament game.

“It is very, very exciting to be going to regionals because I have never been there. This is a new thing and I am very excited for it,” the 5-10 sophomore said. “I really don’t think we even made it to regionals. This is a new experience for me and I hope we win regionals and go to nationals because that would be even a bigger thing for me.”

The Cougars, who earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament at Lamar, Colo., will Otero Junior College, who was a winner over Lamar Community College in the first round. WNCC contest is slated for an 11 a.m. first serve on Friday. The volleyball matches can be heard on KOZY, 101.3 FM and the Internet.

The other side of the bracket has No. 2 seed Northeastern Junior College facing Trinidad State Junior College at 9 a.m. Friday. Trinidad State stopped McCook Community College in the first round. The championship is slated for Saturday afternoon in the double elimination tournament.

For the Cougars to capture their 10^th straight regional title, Alvarez said this team just needs to focus on the task at hand and not look ahead to the Nov. 20-22 national tournament in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

“Coach [Giovana Melo] told us to go one game at a time because since this team was national champions last year, most of the people are thinking nationals and jumping over regionals,” she said. “It is like ‘hello, we have to win regionals to get to nationals.’ Our competition is NJC so we have to work hard to beat them.”

To do that, the team needs to play a complete contest and stay focused.

“We have to focus and play hard in our game and just leave everything on the court,” Alvarez said. “We need to be ready for NJC and stop their Brazilian hitter [Brunna Kronbauer]. We need to play hard against them and don’t lose focus. That is the key.”

The Cougars have had a stellar year, falling just three times. The first two losses came to No. 1 ranked Iowa Western Community College on Sept. 9. The third defeat, to Miami Dade College a couple weeks ago, was a loss that actually will help the team.

“I think that loss was a news flash where we are a beatable team. It shows that there are other good teams that have what it takes to beat us,” Alvarez said. “The loss was like a reality check where we realized that we are human, and that we can lose, too. We just have to work hard on some things and focus on little details.”

The Cougars are the odds on favorite to capture the regional title after breezing through the South Sub-region tournament with an unblemished record for the fifth straight year. The Cougars dropped just two games in those 10 matches, both to Northeastern Junior College.

There are times, however, that the team seems to drop to their team’s talent-level. Alvarez said they need to treat all teams like they are a ranked team.

“Sometimes we get down to the level of the other team and that is when we lose focus,” she said. “We are ahead by like 10 points and then the next time you see the score they are almost gaining on us because we lose focus and go down to their level. A lot of times, we make a lot of service errors, which is not good.”

The one thing the Cougars have experienced this year was a team with plenty of depth. The Cougars are led by just three sophomores, Alvarez, Fatima Balza and Nayka Benitez. Balza and Benitez were both members of last year’s national championship team. Benitez was named the national tournament libero of the tourney, while Balza was an honorable mention NJCAA all-American.

The Cougars have also received support from 6-foot twins Sabina and Paulina Piegza, outside hitters Kaleinani Kabalis and Cami Weimer, as well as players such as Naomi Flinders, Brooke Blomenkamp, and Gregner Quinones.

Alvarez said as good of a season that they have had, it would be a shame if this team would falter.

“We have to win regionals and then go to nationals and prove we are one of the best teams,” she said. “I know there are a lot of high expectations for this team. This is a very good team and I am blessed to even be here. It would be just great to be there and win the title again. I want to be part of that.”

WNCC men's basketball team opens season Friday, Saturday at home

The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team will kick off their season tonight when they host the WNCC Classic at Cougar Palace.

And for Brian Joyce, he can’t wait to get the season started.

“Every year at the beginning it is really exciting to have a new group of guys that are working together, looking long term, and having an opportunity to win a championship,” Joyce said. “I think we have a have a lot of talent. The biggest thing we have is versatility. We have a lot of guys that can play multiple positions and are very, very competitive that come off of winning teams, and I think that combined with our returners, gives us an edge of what we try to accomplish.”

WNCC open the season tonight at 7 p.m. against Buckley Air Force Base, while Warren Air Force Base and Southwest Academy play at 5 p.m. The Cougars will then play Warren Air Force Base at 7 p.m. while Buckley faces Southwest Academy at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

This weekend’s contests will also honor the area Veterans with free admission to the games. Other events during the weekend include a Tailgate for the Troops beginning around 5:30 p.m. in the west parking lot, weather permitting. WNCC men's basketball coach said this is an opportunity for individuals to bring their favorite tailgate dinner on and enjoy the company of other Cougars fans.

Then, on Saturday, the Cougar softball team will hold an all-you-can-eat Chili Supper in the Cougar Den beginning at 5 p.m. and running to around 7 p.m. The chili dinner costs $5 a ticket and includes chili, dessert and a drink. There will also be a raffle for a variety of Cougar softball merchandise as well as other WNCC items. Tickets for the event can be purchased from any Cougar softball player through Friday night, or at the door.

With all the activities going on this weekend, the Cougars themselves are hoping to start the season strong just like last season. A year ago, WNCC ran off five straight opening season wins before settling for a 16-15 record.

Joyce said this year’s team has all the potential to accomplish the same start as a year ago and even compete for a regional title, especially with three key players returning that say plenty of playing time.

They include Daniel Smith, a 6-0 guard from Baltimore, Md., who averaged 12 points and five assists a game last season. Also returning to the squad is Lloyd Hickinson, a 6-6 forward from Chandler, Ariz., and Chris Hamblin, a 6-6 forward from St. Paul, Minn.

“Those three sophomores played a lot,” Joyce said. “They were either starters or part-time starters and I think that gives you enough to pass on to your younger guys, which is really important as you build your team and building what you are trying to accomplish for the year.”

Those three, however, will have a good nucleus of talent around them. One of the players that Joyce is excited about, as well as the fans should enjoy watching is red-shirt freshman Scott Bamforth, a 6-2 shooting guard from Albuquerque, N.M.

“Scott would have been an important part of our team last year and I thought it would have been better for him to red-shirt last year and put us in a better position,” Joyce said. “I thought the foundation was laid last year and we continue to build upon it, and Scott is one of those guys that will be fun to watch, along with a lot of other guys that we have.”

The Cougars also have two transfers that will add some depth to the leadership roles. They include Brandon Mitchell, a 6-4 forward from Minneapolis, Minn., and Demetrius Rouse, a 6-7 forward/post player from Detroit, Mich.

WNCC’s roster is also dotted with 13 freshmen looking to make an impact. Two players come to the Nebraska via overseas and Brussels, Belguim. They include 6-2 guard Geoffrey Firmin and 6-7 forward/post player Ritchie Mundende.

Other freshmen hoping to make an impact and a return back to Region IX’s elite include Tarell Clark, 6-4 guard from Burnsville, Minn.; Josh Helton, 5-8 guard from El Paso, Texas; Saul Torres, a 6-2 guard from Chihuahua, Mexico, who played high school basketball in Colorado; Francisco Cruz, 6-4 guard/forward from Denver, Colo.; Sedrick McBounds, 6-7 forward from Minneapolis, Minn.; Vigil Baker, 6-2 guard from Minneapolis, Minn.; Brandon Givens, 6-6 forward from Ruffin, S.C.; Larry Brown, a 6-6 forward from St. Paul, Minn.; John Bright, 6-2 guard from Minneapolis, Minn.; and Ali Djim, 6-8 post from Hampton, Virg.

“I think we have the pieces to compete for the championship,” Joyce said. “Like anything else, it depends how things come together and how guys accept their role. We have guys really pushing each other in practice, which is a key part, but it is also key that we pull for each other after that competition is over in practice and they pull for each other in games.”

2008 Cougar Men’s Roster

1 – Lloyd Hickinson, 6-6 sophomore from Chandler, Ariz.; 3 – Terell Clark, 6-4 freshman from Burnsville, Minn., 10 – Josh Helton, 5-8 freshman from El Paso, Texas; 12 – Saul Torres, 6-2 freshman from Chihauhua, Mexico; 15 – Daniel Smith, 6-0 sophomore from Balitmore, Md.; 20 – Chris Hamblin, 6-6 sophomore from St. Paul, Minn.; 22 – Scott Bamforth, 6-2 freshman from Albuquerque, N.M.; 23 – Francisco Crus, 6-4 freshman from Denver, Colo.; 30 – Brandon Mitchell, 6-4 sophomore from Minneapolis, Minn.; 33 – Sedrick McBounds, 6-7 freshman from Minneapolis, Minn.; 34 – Geoffrey Firmin, 6-2 freshman from Brussels, Belgium; 35 – Virgil Baker, 6-2 freshman from Minneapolis, Minn.; 40 – Brandon Givens, 6-6 freshman from Ruffin, S.C.; 42 – Larry Brown, 6-6 freshman from St. Paul., Minn.; 44 – John Bright, 6-2 freshman from Minneapolis, Minn.; 50 – Ritchie Mundende, 6-7 freshman from Brussels, Belgium; 52 – Demetrius Rouse, 6-7 sophomore from Detroit, Mich.; 55 – Ali Djim, 6-8 freshman from Hampton, Virg.

2008 Cougar Men’s Schedule

November

7-8 – Cougar Tournament, Cougar Palace; 13-15 – @ Air Force Prep Tournament, Colorado Springs, Colo.; 21-23 – @ Air Force Prep Tournament, Colorado Springs, Colo.; 25 -- @ Eastern Wyoming, Torrington, Wyo.; 28-29 – TEAM Chevrolet Thanksgiving Classic, Cougar Palace.

December

2 -- @ Laramie County C.C., Cheyenne, Wyo.; 5-6 -- @ EWC Tournament, Torrington, Wyo.; 12-13 – WNCC Tournament, Cougar Palace;

January

13 – Laramie County C.C., Cougar Palace; 16 – @ Lamar Community College, Lamar, Colo.; 20 – Casper College, Cougar Palace; 24 -- @ Northeast Nebraska, Norfolk, Neb.; 28 -- @ Northeastern Junior College, Sterling, Colo.; 30 – Lamar Community College, Cougar Palace;

February

3 – North Platte C.C., Cougar Palace; 7 -- @ McCook Community College, McCook, Neb.; 10 – @ Casper College, Casper, Wyo.; 14 – Eastern Wyoming, Cougar Palace; 20 – Northeast Nebraska, Cougar Palace; 21 – McCook Community College, Cougar Palace; 24 – @ North Platte C.C., North Platte, Neb.; 28 – Northeastern Junior College, Cougar Palace.

Region IX Men's All-region Teams

1st Team All-Region IX Team
Tyler Arbuckle - FR - LCCC - Forward
Jordan Byram - SO - LCCC - Forward
Allen Deru - SO - WWCC - Midfield
Romeo Kabanda - SO - LCCC - Midfield
Cameron Shumway - FR - LCCC - Midfield
Morgan Wall - SO - WNCC - Midfield
Ryan Harper - SO - LCCC - Defense
Cameron Lowry - FR - WWCC - Defense
Carlos Miranda - SO - WNCC - Defense
Shane Tower - SO - WNCC - Defense
Cameron Clark - FR - LCCC - Keeper

2nd Team All-Region IX Team
Devin King - FR - WWCC - Forward
Lazarro Torres - SO - WNCC - Forward
Fabian Osorio - SO - LCCC - Midfield
Nikko Ouzounis - SO - WNCC - Midfield
Chase Talbot - SO - WWCC - Midfield
Mark Zigray - SO - WNCC - Midfield
Kevin Gold - FR - LCCC - Defense
Nic Gonzalez - SO - WWCC - Defense
Jeff Jewell - FR - WWCC - Defense
Alex Post - SO - LCCC - Defense
Shawn Coryell - SO - WWCC - Keeper

WNCC volleyball finishes regular season 53-3, sweeps Trinidad State

TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College finished the regular in impressive fashion, sweeping past Trinidad State Junior College 25-5, 25-18, 25-11.

The win pushed the Cougars to 53-3 overall and it was marked the fifth straight year the squad went undeated in the South Sub-region with a 10-0 mark.

Saturday afternoon, the Cougars utilized their entire roster in getting the victory. WNCC opened the first set by winning 25-5. Back on Oct. 4, the Cougars defeated Trinidad State 25-1 in the opening set. This time, though, it was the serving of Gregner Quinones that sparked the team with 14 points and eight aces.

WNCC assistant coach Nicole Gonzalez said the serving was too much for the Trojans to handle.

“We served pretty tough,” she said. “Because of that serving, we didn’t get to hit as much because Trinidad had trouble passing.”

Quinones also led the team with eight digs, while Kaleinani Kabalis finished with seven digs.

Naomi Flinders was next in line in serving with six points and two aces. Flinders also had six set assists. Sabina Piegza had 21 set assists.

Gabriela Aviles paced the Cougars in hitting with eight kills, while Paulina Piegza had seven kills. Paulina Piegza also ahd two blocks, followed by Fatima Balza with two blocks and Gering’s Whitney Roth with a solo block.

WNCC will next be in action next week when they compete in the Region IX South tournament in Lamar, Colo. The Cougars will have a first round bye and won’t play until Friday morning against the winner of a first-round contest. Pairings will be announced on Monday. The winner of the regional tournament will qualify for the NJCAA national tournament in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Nov. 20-22.

--
Mark Rein
Photographer,
WNCC SID,
College Relations Assistant

Cell: 308-631-0459
Home: 308-436-2963
Work: 308-635-6057
Email: mrein@wncc.net

WNCC women's soccer celebration slated for Monday

Western Nebraska Community College will hold a celebration for the women's soccer team on Monday at 9:45 a.m. in the Pit area of the college.

The Cougar women, 11-6-1, captured their second Region IX championship in five years with a 3-1 win over Laramie County Community College earlier in October.

WNCC also moved up to No. 12 in the NJCAA polls from last week's No. 15 ranking. LCCC dropped to No. 13 in the nation.

The Cougar women will head to the district playoffs on Friday and Saturday in Overland Park, Kan. The Cougars first round opponent will be North Idaho College on Friday. A win over NIC would move the women into the district title contest against the Region VI winner from Kansas on Saturday. At stake in the contest is a berth in the national tournament in Chandler, Ariz., Nov. 20-22.

WNCC volleyball claims 52nd win with sweep over Otero Junior College

LA JUNTA, Colo. - The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team swept Otero Junior College on Friday by scores of 25-20, 27-25, 25-21.

The win improved WNCC's record to 52-3 overall and 9-0 in sub-region play.

Fatima Balza put down 15 kills to lead the Cougars in hitting. Paulina Piegza added 12 and Paloma Alvarez had nine.

Nayka Benitez totaled 16 digs defensively. Gregner Quinones and Brooke Blomenkamp both added six.

Benitez served six points and five aces while Quinones added three aces, while Blomenkamp led the Cougars in blocks with two. Naomi Flinders dished out 19 set assists and Sabina Piegza had 12.

The Cougars will finish off the regular season today at 1 p.m. at Trinidad State Junior College.

WNCC volleyball registers 51st victory of the season

LAMAR, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team received contribution from the entire roster as the No. 2 Cougars swept Lamar Community College 25-13, 25-16, 25-17 for their 51^st victory of the season.

Fatima Balza paced the Cougars from the court, registering 19 points and nine kills. She had 10 straight in one set alone.

Also for the Cougars, Paulina Piegza had nine kills, while Paloma Alvarez registered eight kills and a solo block.

The Cougars also received another fine defensive effort, getting 12 digs from sophomore Nayka Benitez, while freshman Gregner Quinones had eight digs. Naomi Flinders recorded 28 set assists in the win.

WNCC, 51-3 overall and 8-0 in sub-region play, will continue its southern Colorado road trip Friday night in La Junta, Colo., against Otero Junior College, and then wrap up the regular season with an afternoon tilt Saturday against Trinidad State Junior College.

WNCC volleyballers capture 50th win of season with four-set win against Northeastern Colorado

STERLING, Colo. -- The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team received a test Tuesday night against Northeastern Junior College. In the end, the No. 2 Cougars defense was too tough down the stretch for the Plainswomen to handle as WNCC registered a thrilling four-set win over NJC 27-29, 25-20, 25-22, 25-9.

The win was the Cougars 50th of the season and practically wrapped up the No. 1 seed in next week’s Region IX Tournament in Lamar, Colo.

“I think we got out a little flat and was watching and had to fight back. I thought we did a good job,” WNCC coach Giovana Melo said. “I told them [after we lost the first set] we have to play against good teams like that as hard as we can every single point; we can’t decide to play at the end of the game. We have to get in there from the very first point and they were able to pull it out.”

Defense, though, was the big winner for the Cougars in the contest as Nayka Benitez recorded a double-double, collecting 15 points, 13 digs and six aces in the win. The Cougars also got a fine hitting performance from Fatima Balza and Kaleinani Kabalis, who recorded 15 and 13 kills each. Balza also had six blocks in the contest.

But, it didn’t look good early for the Cougars as NJC took a 6-0 lead behind Masa Balandzik’s serving. NJC kept in control of set one, holding a 14-8 lead behind three points by Amy Einspahr.
WNCC didn’t fold as they fought back, taking a 17-14 lead behind eight service points by Benitez. Things became interesting after that as both teams traded points like two prized fighters. NJC came within set point at 24-22 only to see the Cougars tie the contest on Kabalis and Cami Weimer kill.

NJC finally captured the first set on a Caroline Ratterree kill and a Suyan Leipelt service point.

NJC stayed hot in the second set, holding a 6-5 lead early. WNCC, however, fought back. First, it was a Balza kill. Then, Sabina Piegza served up three points and then Kabalis had two points for a 13-8 lead. NJC cut the lead to 16-14 at one stretch, but that was as close as they got, as WNCC’s hitting and defense stifled the Plainswomen hitters for the 25-20 win, evening the match at a game apiece.

The third game was all WNCC early as the Cougars vaulted to a 19-10 lead behind six service points from Balza and two more from Kabalis. NJC made a run, however, as Alexis Eliades served up seven straight points to slice the lead to 19-18 before a Balza kill stopped the run.

NJC came back to take a 21-20 lead, before Balza stopped the run by hammering home three kills and the Cougar’s prevailed 25-22 on a Piegza service point.

Set four turned out to be a breeze for the Cougars as Benitez opened the set with three points for a 3-0 lead. NJC got within 3-2, but the Cougars turned up the heat behind a strong serving and hitting game to push the lead to 17-6. Kabalis did most of the damage during that run, serving five points, which incuded a spectacular pancake save to keep a rally going.

Benitez then added three points to push the lead to an insurmountable 21-7 lead. NJC managed two points, but Gregner Quinones served the final three points as Paloma Alvarez hammered home the game winner to put away the Plainswomen.

Melo said that her team played well after they decided to show up.

“We weren’t there at the beginning and then we decided to show up,” she said. “This is win is awesome especially to get the 50th win,” she said. “But, we need to keep getting better because we have regionals coming up and we will see them again.”

Besides Kabalis’ 13 kills, the freshman from Hawaii had nine points, three aces and 16 digs, balza also had five points and five digs to go with her 15 kills.

Also for WNCC, Quinones had four digs; Sabina Piegza had 26 set assists, five points, 19 digs, four kills and four blocks; Paulina Piegza had six kills and two blocks; Alvarez had seven kills and 13 digs; three kills and three blocks;

WNCC, 50-3 overall and 7-0 in sub-region play, will wrap up the regular season this weekend when they travel to southern Colorado for three more sub-region contests. The Cougars begin with a contest against Lamar Community College Thursday, followed by Otero Junior College on Friday and Trinidad State Junior College on Friday.

The Region IX tournament is slated for Nov. 7-9 in Lamar, Colo., with the winner qualifying for the national tournament.

WNCC falls to Miami Dade at Halloween Classic, goes 2-1 in second day of classic

Western Nebraska Community College’s Kaleinani Kabalis pounded home 48 kills In three matches Saturday, but it wasn’t enough as Miami Dade College stopped the Cougars 28-match winning streak in the second day of the Halloween Classic in Hillsboro, Mo., Saturday.

The Cougars opened the day with a 3-1 win over Missouri State-West Plains, downing the school 25-17,25-27, 23-25, 25-23 before falling to Miami Dade College in thre games 25-20, 25-19, 25-16. WNCC finished off the tournament by disposing of Jefferson College in four games 25-21, 25-20, 25-27, 25-21.

Despite the loss to Miami Dade, WNCC coach Giavoni Melo still thought her team played hard.

“I think we played pretty good. We had some ups and downs, but we played pretty well,” she said. “Against Miami, we didn’t play so well. I like I told them, I am taking the blame for the loss because I didn’t prepare them well enough.”

The loss to Miami Dade not only snapped the Cougars 28-match winning streak, but it could drop the Cougars from their No. 1 perch in the NJCAA national rankings when the new polls come out. Still, Melo said that sometimes a loss at this time of year can help re-focus and work to their advantage.

“I think the loss is good for us because we are able to see that we are not all there,” she said. “The loss came at the right time. It might hurt us a little bit in the rankings, but we are a team that can come back from and we did by defeating Jefferson. It was a good learning experience.”

Last year’s team also suffered a late October loss and that team went on to beat Miami Dade for the national title, so that is a good sign for the the Cougar faithful. Melo said it is not so important to be ranked No. 1 know as it is at the end of the season.

“The rankings help In a way, but it is more important at the end of season,” she said. “The loss will help us grow and make us get better.”

The Cougars opened the Halloween Classic on Friday when they swept through Lake Land College in three sets and then took care of Indian Hills Community College in four sets.

Saturday, the Cougars opened with a four-set win against Missouri State-West Plains as Kabalis and Gregner Quinones each had a double-double. Kabalis finished with 18 kills, 10 digs and eight points, while Quinones had 10 points, 13 digs and four aces.

Also for the Cougars, Fatima Balza pounded home 18 kills; Paulina Piegza ahd 13 kills; Sabina Piegza had 41 set assists and seven digs; and Brooke Blomenkamp ahd seven points, seven digs and two aces.

In the 3-set loss to Miami Dade, who the Cougars beat last year for the national championship, Kabalis led the way with 12 kills and four blocks.

Also for WNCC, Paulina Piegza had nine kills; Balza had eight kills and six points; Quinones had 13 digs; Sabina Piegza had 16 set assists; Blomenkamp had five digs; and Naomi Flinders had 11 set assists.

WNCC responded with a passion from the defeat as they took down the host school in four sets. Kabalis finished with a triple-double, finishing with 18 kills, 15 digs, 10 points and two aces. Sabina Piegza also had a double-double, collecting 12 digs and 29 set assists; followed by Paloma Alvarez with 14 digs and nine kills; Balza with 11 kills and five blocks; and Blomenkamp with seven points.

The road-weary Cougars, 49-3, will continue their road swing next week when they have four straight days of competition in Colorado beginning with a big match-up with Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., on Wednesday.

“When we get on Monday, we will give them some time off to rest,” she said. “Then we will come back and get ready to play the Colorado teams and then get ready for regionals.”

WNCC volleyball team picks up two wins at Halloween Classic

HILLSBORO, MO — The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team registered two more wins this season in the Halloween Classic in Hillsboro, Mo., to raise the Cougars record to 47-2 on the season.

The top-ranked Cougars opened up with a dominating win over Lake Land College 25-19, 25-16, 25-17. WNCC followed that win up with a four-set win over No. 24 Indian Hills Community College 25-15, 17-25, 25-14, 25-21.

Against Lake Land, Fatima Balza led WNCC in hitting with seven kills, one stuff block and three assisted blocks. Sabina Piegza dished out 22 set assists, while Brooke Blomenkamp served 10 points and one ace.

Also for WNCC, Kaleinani Kabalis had eight kills, while Paloma Alvarez had nine kills and eight digs.

In the Cougars second win of the day, Balza was hitting on all cylinders racking up 17 kills. The 6-foot-3 middle hitter also had seven points and three aces. Also for WNCC, Alvarez had 10 points with an ace and seven digs. Paulina Pirgza had 10 kills and one solo block, while Kabalis picked up nine digs and nine kills, and Gregner Quinones totaled 11 digs.

The Cougars, playing without Nayka Benitez who is still out with an illness, will have three more matches today. WNCC will open things at 8 a.m. against Missouri State-West Plains, followed by Miami Dade College and Jefferson College. Miami Dade is the team the Cougars beat last year for the national championship.

WNCC women's soccer ranked No. 15 in latest NJCAA polls

The Western Nebraska Community College women’s soccer team is still riding a high after capturing the program’s second Region IX championship in its five year history.

That high got a little higher after the National Junior College Athletic Association polls were released Wednesday morning and the team found themselves ranked among the top 15 in the nation after capturing the Region IX championship on Sunday.

The players and coaches are basking in the glory for now, but they realize they still have plenty of work to do to accomplish the rest of their goals of qualifying for the national tournament.

“I think they have worked hard this year and I think we were very close of being ranked in several circumstances of being ranked earlier this year,’ WNCC coach Todd Rasnic said. “Rankings to me mean very little; it is how we finish the season that makes the big difference. I think they have done a great job of winning the Region IX playoffs, but we still have some road blocks in the way of what we are trying to achieve this year. This, however, is a big thing of achieving a national ranking. It is something we wanted to do as a team. I think it is something that will make them feel good and it is certainly nice to be recognized for your achievements. I certainly believe they are in the top 15 in the nation and I thought all year. We still have some work to do before we can start glorifying about those type of things.”

Sophomore Mara Crouch said it is exciting to be a part of a team that is bringing winning back to the soccer program.

“We have been waiting to be ranked all year. I think we can go far,” the defender from Hillsdale, Mich., said. “We all knew we could go this far; it just took that game [the Region IX championship] to win to be a reality. Our team really did think we could go pretty far this season.”

The next stop for the women’s team is the district playoffs slated for Nov. 7-8 in Overland Park, Kan. The Cougars, 11-6-1, will face North Idaho College on Nov. 7 with the winner facing the winner of the Kansas region on Nov. 8. The district winner will be one of eight teams to qualify for the national tournament Nov. 20-23 in Chandler, Ariz.

“We have to win the district title to move on,” Rasnic said. “We have two games where if we lose just one game we are coming home. Our focus right now is not necessarily on us winning the Region IX tournament or whether we are nationally ranked, but it is basically focused on how we are going to put a game on the field against North Idaho College that is better than they play. That is really what we are going to maintain as we go along.”

Crouch and the rest of the players are excited to be playing soccer in November. The last time that happened for the women’s team was in 2003 when the Cougars fell in the District championship game to Dixie State College 3-0, after topping Butler County Community College 2-1 in overtime to open districts. It was the team’s only defeat that season.

“It is indescribable, really. LCCC was the best team to have beaten in the regional tournament,” Crouch said. “All the sophomores have been trying to beat that team since last year.”

The ranking is something special for the Cougar women’s soccer program. The team hasn’t been ranked since the program inaugural season in 2003. That year the team finished ranked No. 8 in the final regular season polls. Rasnic said that he knew all along that this team has the potential for greatness.

“Once I saw where we were down in matches and had the ability to come back for wins, I knew we turned the corner as a team,” he said. “I think we are in a position now where we will continue to play that way. I could be wrong. Certainly the ladies have to come out with the same drive and determination to continue to keep that same consistent play that they have been doing. We are hoping they can do that.”

The women’s soccer team has played five teams that are ranked either in the top 15 or received honorable mention votes this week, coming away with a 2-4-1 record against ranked opponents. WNCC topped No. 15 Barton County Community College 3-1 and also topped No. 11 Laramie County Community College 3-1 in the regional title contest as well as tying their Region IX foes 2-2 earlier this year on the road.

Darton College out of Albany, Ga., is the top ranked women’s soccer team with a 17-0 record followed by Navarro College at 16-0, Polk Community College at 11-3-1, Young Harris College at 14-1-1, and Lewis & Clark Community College at 17-1.

Other schools that WNCC faced in the rankings include No. 7 Iowa Western Community College, No. 10 Paradise Valley Community College and Butler County Community College, who received honorable mention votes.

“I think it is nice to be ranked, but I certainly would like to be ranked No. 1 at the end of the season. That is every coach’s goal,” Rasnic said. “I have been a bit realistic [in setting goals in the past]. I have never set goals as high as what we have set for this season with any of my teams here at WNCC. I think if we can continue to work hard, we might actually move up in those rankings.”

WNCC volleyball wins final home match of the season over Casper College

The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team wrapped up the home portion of their schedule in impressive style, sweeping past Casper College 25-13, 25-18, 25-23 to notch their 45^th victory.

The Cougars finished this season 13-0 at home and have not dropped a home match since the 2003 season, running their home win streak to 85 matches.

But, the win wasn’t all rosy on a night where the three sophomores – Fatima Balza, Nayka Balza and Paloma Alvarez – were honored. Balza, who is the team captain, said it was an emotional time playing on the Cougar Palace court for the final time.

“I was a little nervous because I played here for the last two years and it is hard to explain in words how I am feeling right now,” Balza said. “We didn’t play like we could have. The last game we didn’t do the job. Finally, at the end, we came on strong.”

WNCC head coach Giovana Melo said they played OK considering everything that was surrounding the Cougars on sophomore appreciation night.

“It was hard because we had Sabina [Piegza] coming back [from an injury and we didn’t have Nayka [because of sickness],” she said. “We were trying to get over that, but we did an OK job. We just need to be a little bit more consistent.”

Balza did finish with a double-double in her last time at Cougar Palace, finishing with 10 points and 14 kills. Alvarez also had a nice night, finishing with nine kills and five digs. Alvarez also had the last two kills for the Cougar’s 45^th win of the season.

The third set was a barn-burner as Casper fought tooth and nail against the No. 1 team in the nation. WNCC jumped out to an 8-5 lead on a Balza kill and led 16-10 after three Kaleinani Kabalis service points.

The Cougars couldn’t hold the lead as the Thunderbirds came storming back, slicing the lead to 17-15 on an ace serve by Kristin Gliczinski. Casper followed that by taking a 19-18 lead on three straight points by Katya Kopanarova. Balza stopped the skid with two clutch kills to bring both squads even again at 20-20.

Casper pushed forward, grabbing a 22-20 lead and seemed as if they were going to force a fourth game. Things changed after a missed Thunderbird serve as Paulina Piegza hammered home two monster kills to tie the third set at 23. Kabalis then served up her 13^th and 14^th points of the match, as Alvarez hammered home the final two kills for the win.

The third set, however, was a lot different from how they started. The Cougars dominated in the opening set, moving to a 7-1 lead behind Kabalis’ six straight points. WNCC pushed the lead to 21-7 as Balza and Gregner Quinones each served five points. WNCC won the set on a Balza kill.

The second set was a little tighter at the end. Kabalis started the Cougars on a good know as she served up two aces for a 3-0 lead. WNCC pushed the lead to 12-4 on a Balza and Naomi Flinders block. In the meantime, Brooke Blomenkamp and Balza each stepped up serving. Blomenkamp served six straight, while Balza had five straight for a 18-7 lead.

Casper fought back, slicing the lead to 20-13 on four straight points by Konefesi Vaisigano. However, that was as close as Casper got as Balza hammered home three late kills for the second set victory.

The Cougars had plenty of players that stepped as well. Kabalis finished the night with 14 points, seven aces, three kills, eight digs and two blocks. Also for WNCC, Sabina Piegza had two points, 19 set assists and four digs; Quinones had 10 digs and seven points; Blomenkamp had six points; Flinders had four set assists and four blocks; Cami Weimer had three kills; and Paulina Piegza had five kills and two blocks.

Gilczinski paced Casper with six kills and nine digs. Vanessa Muir also contributed six kills, while Konefesi Vaisigano had nine digs.

WNCC, 45-2, will now head to the Jefferson College Invite in Hillsboro, Mo., where they will face ranked teams Friday and Saturday. The Cougars will match up with Lake Land College and Indian Hills Community College on Friday, followed by Missouri-West Plains, Miami Dade College and Jefferson College on Saturday.

“This weekend is not going to be easy,” Melo said. “We are going to have good games and we are going to see good teams. We will have to work hard to win.”

WNCC women's soccer team wins Region IX Title

Region IX Women's Soccer Champions

The Western Nebraska Community College women's soccer team knew it wasn't going to be an easy road to the Region IX championship.

Then, again,the women had nothing to lose nothing, and they went out in the championship mat and played like champions, earning the programs second regional championship with a thundering 3-1 against No. 4 ranked Laramie County Community College in the championship match Sunday at Rock Springs, Wyo.

To say the least, WNCC soccer coach Todd Rasnic and the players were ecstatic by earning the regional title.

"This win was because of the effort of the kids. The game is about the players and they certainly went out and showed that today. They went out and took ownership of the game," Rasnic said. "We just played basic soccer. No one did anything spectacular, we just played together and continued to play the game that we needed to play to keep moving forward in this tournament all weekend."

Rasnic said WNCC was just better then LCCC was on Sunday and it showed on the scoreboard.

"They played our game. We had the same four goals from the other day and they completed all four of those objectives very well," Rasnic said. "Basically we went out and did what we do every day, except we did it better then our opponent.

"That was our theme. We were just going to go and do what we always do. We are going to go out and play a good physical, technical game of soccer and perform better then our opponents. That is what we did both games and we came out on top."

The Cougars, 11-6-1, will now head to the district playoffs Nov. 7-8 at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan. The winner of the district playoffs then heads to the national championships Nov. 19-23 in Chandler, Ariz.

Sunday, though, was all Cougars from the get-go as the team put together a complete team effort. The goals Rasnic set forth for the team which they needed to execute to get the win included winning the 50/50 balls and the 1v1 challenges; don't give up penalities; track players on transition, so when the other team gets the ball each player had to pick someone up as they were traveling to the other end of the field; and to keep their team discipline on the field, which includes staying organization.

They also scored goals against the No. 4 team in the nation, and it didn't take them long either.

The Cougars took a quick 1-0 lead with only 5:50 gone in the match as Ashley Quintana took a pass from Brooke Dudley and buried the ball in the back of the net. That was all the scoring in the first half.

Rasnic said that opening goal was huge.

Rasnic said Quintana broke free on the side and played the ball with some speed and some spin on it. The keeper wasn't able to handle it the first time and Quintana followed her shot and popped it into the net a second time.

"She just performed what we were trying to do all year," Rasnic said. "We have been trying to clean up our finishing, which by and large, is following up the shot and putting the ball in the back of the net."

Laramie County fought back in the second half, tying the match on a goal by Michaela Boyd in the 51^st minutes.

That was it for the Golden Eagles scoring as the Cougar defense shut down the nationally-ranked team. WNCC, on the other hand, wasn't done scoring. In the 76^th minute, Gering's Keah Brost knocked in what turned out to be the game winner. Brost took a pass from Ana Jacobo, dribbled a couple times and nailed the back of the net for the 2-1 lead.

Rasnic said Brost's goal was perfect execution of a play.

"Keah basically anticipated play and made a big run," he said. "She received the ball behind the defense, took a couple of dribbles, and put a hard shot on goal keeping it away from the goal keeper and put it right in net. It was a great hit. Sometimes you get those goals where you have to get the rebound [like the first goal] and this one basically she freed herself up in space and was very composed on the final shot, and put it where it belonged."

WNCC added an insurance goal in the 85^th minute as Quintana had an unassisted goal to salt the match away and earn the Cougars a berth in the district championships in November.

The women are out there playing, and we as coaches, were glad they stepped out there and played like we knew they could do.

Both teams finished with 13 shots on goal. The big difference was the play in net by Cougar goalkeeper Terri Huntington, who recorded 12 saves. The Cougars also had four corner kicks compared to just two for the Golden Eagles.

"Terri did some really good things today and we know she will do some more good things in days to come," Rasnic said. "Again, she went out and did her job and she did it well. That is what it takes [to win] and that is everybody doing their jobs the way they should be."

The championship is not only special to Rasnic, but also the players, who bought into the coach's philosopy on the field.

"The one thing I have to say about these ladies all season long is they have bought in to what we are doing and taken ownership in things that we tried to put in as coaches," Rasnic said. "They have bought into it and in every single game, I have seen our ladies take what we have been doing in training and putting it out on the field.

"I knew eventually it would pay off. It was a long road, but we continued to get better as the season wore on. They probably have the best team chemistry of any team that I have coached. They don't fight and they are all friends and they get along. They work well together."

"I knew it was a matter of time. There were moments where I thought maybe this is not going to work out. We stayed the course and kept doing the same things we have been doing. Sometimes you drop a couple of key matches and you start second quessing, that what we were doing was not going to work. We just continued to believe in what we were doing, and as we continued to believe and pushing theh ladies to believe in what we were doing, they turned that corner and bought into what we were doing and were performing that on the field. "

WNCC's rise to the championship has come full circle. After the team won their first rgional title in 2003, the teams first year fielding a team, the Cougars did not field a team in 2005 because of a coaching change. Three years later, the Cougars are in the championship circle. Rasnic said that is tribute of the ladies for doing the job on the field.

"Every game is special to me. It is one of those things where this game is about the players, and honestly, I think I didn't do anything special with these girls as a coach. They just went out and they made the decision they were going to put a game out on the field that is of the highest quality," he said. " I can life with that. It is always a good feeling to win, but we have more road blocks in our way to achieve goals for this year. Right now we are celebrating the win and now we are ready to get back down to business and we are going to take what is in front of us. We will go into district play and see how things shape up from there."

WNCC women win, men lose in first round of Region IX soccer playoffs

The Western Nebraska Community College women's soccer team advanced to the championship match of the Region IX Playoffs with a 3-0 win over Western Wyoming Community College Friday afternoon in Rock Springs, Wyo.

The Cougar men, on the other hand, saw their season come to a close after falling to Western Wyoming Community College 1-0.The Cougar women, 10-6-1, will now face No. 4-ranked Laramie County Community College Sunday at 11 a.m. in the title contest.

WNCC coach Todd Rasnic said the ladies played well, but they will have to play better Sunday.

“The girls played alright. Their touch wasn’t on today, but they went out and accomplished the goals I set for them,” Rasnic said. “We have some work to do before Sunday. We will practice [today] and we have to clean up a few things.”

Rasnic said the ladies met the expectations he set forth in the opening-round contest.

“I gave them four goals in the game plan and they accomplished all four of those in a fairly strong fashion,” he said. “Our passing was off quite a bit today and I think that will change the whole game once that gets back on. We work some on that tomorrow and get them flowing again.”

The four things that Rasnic told the team to accomplish included winning the 50/50 balls and the 1v1 challenges; don’t give up penalities; track players on transition, so when the other team gets the ball each player had to pick someone up as they were traveling to the other end of the field; and to keep their team discipline on the field, which is their organization and trying to force the game.

Rasnic said the ladies did all four of those things pretty well.

The other thing they did was score. Just six minutes into the game, the Cougars registered their first goal as Ana Jacobo scored off an assist by Shawna Michaelis.

The score stayed that way until the second half when WNCC added two more goals. The first came with 62:17 left to play as Ashley Quintana scored off an assist by LeeAnna Paxton. The final goal came off the foot of Andrea Ardito, who nailed a penality kick into the net with 89:10 to play.

WNCC recorded 10 shots on goal compared to Western Wyoming's three. The Cougars had six corner kicks in the contest.WNCC goalkeeper Terri Huntington had three saves in net.

But for the Cougar women to bring home a regional title – their first since the program’s inaugeral season in 2003 – they need to play at a higher level to beat Laramie County.

“They have to do more than [those four goals],” Rasnic said. “They have to be a lot more advanced in their play. We will just need to take it up another level.”

While the women were victorious on the field, the men weren’t as fortunate. The Mustangs scored the only goal of the contest in the 40^th minute to hold a 1-0 lead at intermission. WNCC did score late, but the goal was called back.Rasnic said the men’s team dominated the game, getting 12 shots on goal compared to Western Wyoming’s four, but the Cougar men just couldn’t get the ball in the net.

“Western Wyoming got one lucky break where they got through and scored on us,” he said. “That is the bottom line. They had only seven shots and only four were shots on goal.”T

The Cougar men finish with a 6-8-1 record, while the women will try to win their 11^th match of the season Sunday at 11 a.m. for the Region IX title.

Cougar soccer teams ready for regional tournament this weekend

The Western Nebraska Community College women’s soccer team are entering this weekend’s Region IX playoff with a little bit of confidence scoring-wise having scored having scored 18 goals in the last four matches.

The Cougar women also realize they can’t take anyone for granted when they open the Region IX playoffs Friday afternoon in Rock Springs, Wyo., against Western Wyoming Community College. First kick is slated for 1 p.m.

The Cougar men, on the other hand, are on the opposite side of the boat, where they need to find the back of the net more often. The Cougar men have scored just four goals in their last five matches. The men will kick off the regional playoffs also Friday, as they take on Western Wyoming Community College at 3:30 p.m.

The winners of Friday’s contests will face Laramie County Community College on Sunday in Rock Springs. The women’s title contest is slated for 11 a.m., while the men’s title contest is slated for 2 p.m.

The Cougar women have the huge task in quest of a regional title as they must get by Laramie County Community College, the No. 4 team in the country with a 12-2-2 record. WNCC enters the playoffs with a 9-6-1 mark.

The Cougar women feel good about their chances, especially after tying LCCC 2-2 in double overtime back on Sept. 10.

“That tie was huge. Last year they lost 7-2 and this year we were down 2-0 and in second half we came back and were tied 2-2,” freshman Brooke Dudley said. “It was such an exhausting game that went into double overtime that going home everyone wanted to be knocked out on the bus. It was huge and wonderful that we tied. Hopefully we can beat them this weekend.”

Not so fast. WNCC realizes there is another hurdle in their way to a regional title and that is Western Wyoming. Dudley said they are not taking any team lightly, like they did in their past couple of contests.

“I think what we did [against Hesston] was we underestimated them and we were too relaxed,” the freshman from Ft. Collins, Colo., said. “By halftime, we just said this is ridiculous. What are we doing. We have to step it up and we did.”

In Tuesday’s contest against Hesston, WNCC trailed 2-0 at halftime until they went on a scoring explosion, tallying four, second half goals to earn the 4-3 win. Dudley and freshman Shaylee Williams were the top scorers, each tallying a goal and an assist in the win.

Dudley said they will need to play like they did in the second half for the full 90 minutes against a Western Wyoming squad they can’t underestimate. WNCC defeated the Mustangs twice this year, 2-0 and 3-2 in overtime.

“We can’t underestimate them not at all because we did that last game against them and we luckily beat them in overtime,” she said. “We just have to have our heads on straight.”

The way the Cougar women have been scoring lately, though, is a good sign. WNCC has netted 18 goals in the last four matches and the goals have come from a variety of players. That is a credit to the new system that head coach Todd Rasnic has put in.

“This last game we scored four goals and people got it in the back of the net more,” Dudley said. “Coach has been switching forwards on top more and it has been helping out.”

The Cougars have four players that have knotted five or more goals this year season, led by Williams and freshman Jaime Gastelle with seven goals each. Sophomore Ashley Quintana follows with six goals and freshman Ana Jacobo has five. Jacobo leads the team with 22 points as she has registered 12 assists to go with her five goals. Quintana and Williams also have 17 points so far this season.

Dudley said that one of the strengths of this year’s team is the bond that the girls share with each other on and off the court.

“Our strength is team unity because our team just goes so well together,” she said. “We flow so well. There is no drama on the team, we all get along. There is not one person on the team I would change.”

But, for the Cougar women to pick up the schools second Region IX soccer championship – the first coming in 2003 when the team went 19-1 – they will need to fight for every ball every minute of the game. If they do that, Dudley said they can bring home another championship to the Panhandle.

“We will need to want to win it and want it more than the other teams. We just have to have a hunger to get the ball,” she said. “We definitely have the potential to win it. I really think we want it more at this point.”

While the Cougar women are entering regionals on a bit of a high, the men need to put together a complete game. The Cougar men enter regionals with a 6-7-1 record and have scored just four goals in the last five matches. For the season, the WNCC men have been outscored 22-29.

The Cougar men did score 11 goals a couple weeks ago against Northwest Wyoming, but since then, the team tied Hastings College junior varsity 1-1 and fell to LCCC 2-1 in overtime, Hesston College 2-0, and beat Dodge City County 2-1 in overtime, and beat Western Wyoming 1-0.

Still, if the Cougar men can put together a complete contest, they can bring home a regional title in a wide-open field. Western Wyoming enters with a 9-7 record, while Laramie County has a 11-4-2 mark. The last time the Cougar men won the regional title was back in 2003, the college’s first year of fielding a soccer program.

WNCC Cougars defeat NJC in four games, capture 44th win of the season

Western Nebraska Community College's Naomi Flinders wasn't nervous entering her first start at setter for the injured Sabina Piegza.

Flinders was just one of a handful of Cougars that stepped up their game in helping the No. 1 Cougars topple the No. 14 Northeastern Junior College Plainswomen in four games win 25-21, 25-19, 22-25, 25-23 Tuesday night at Cougar Palace.

But, it wasn't as easy as one would think as both teams exhibited long rallies and booming hits.

"I thought we came together pretty well after we made some errors tonight," the freshman from Provo, Utah, said. "We came together as a team tonight. They are a fun team to play against because it was good competition."

Flinders, who finished with 26 set assists, seven points and 11 digs, said she wasn't nervous at the start. But as the match went along, the nerves started to surface.

"I wasn't nervous at first then as the game got on I started to get nervous," she said. "We covered our hitters well I thought and got some good digs, so there were a lot of longer rallies. That made the game more fun."

Definitely the Cougars had their hands full against a talented Plainswomen squad. WNCC, on the other hand, had just a tad more talent as the Cougars finish with double-figure kills as well as Kaleinani Kabalis and Nayka finishing with double-doubles.

Fatima Balza paced the team with 17 kills followed by Paloma Alvarez with 11 and Kabalis and Paulina Piegza with 10 kills each. Kabalis also finished with 10 digs on the night as well as six points.

Benitez, though, was the star in the back row, collecting an eye-popping 20 digs. The 5-foot-3 libero also rattled off 11 points and five aces in securing the Cougars 44th win of the season against two defeats.

As much as the Cougars shined in the game, NJC was matching the Cougars talents left and right. Brunna Kronbauer led the Plainswomen with 12 kills follow2ed by Suyan Leipelt and Amy Einspahr with 7 kills each. Caroline Ratteree also stepped up with five kills.

NJC also dug up plenty of the Cougars' hard hits as freshman Dere Martinez led the Plainswomen with 11 digs followed by Leipelt with nine.

None of the four games were runaways. In the first game, WNCC jumped out to a commanding 11-3 lead behind Gregner Quinones' four points and some clutch kills by Balza, Alvarez, Kabalis and Flinders.

NJC battled back cutting the lead to 14-12 and later tying taking the first lead of the game 20-19 on two Kronbauer points. The Cougars battled back has Kabalis hammered home a kill and then Balza served up two points for a 22-20 lead.

Amy Einspahr stopped the run momentarily before Kabaliz hammered home two blistering kills and Flinders served out game one with two points.

Game two was back and forth for the first half of the game as both teams were knotted at 12-12 before Balza opened up the contest and kill and three service points. WNCC kept playing well in the second game as the Cougars frontline was hitting on all cylinders to breeze to the 25-19 win.

Game three was a game of momentum switches. WNCC held an 11-6 lead on three Kabalis service points, including two aces and later led 14-9 on a Alvarez kill. NJC's Martinez quickly brought the Plainswomen back into the contest with three service points at 14-13.

NJC finally took the lead at 17-16 on a Alexis Eliades point and took control of the contest, leading 22-17 on four points by Einspahr. WNCC fought back, cutting the lead to 23-22 on three points by Benitez, but they couldn't get game three as the Cougars dropped their first game since Sept. 7 when Iowa Western toppled the Cougars.

Flinders said the game three loss might have been a little wake up call for the team.

"We knew we just had to shake it off and win the next game," she said. "That is all you can do. We needed to come out and play hard."

What a fourth game it was, too. NJC moved out to an 8-4 lead only to watch the Cougars come storming back behind the serving of Flinders. Flinders proceeded to serve four straight points, including to monster kills by Piegza brought the Cougars back in front 9-8.

Things stayed tight as each team was playing like two ranked volleyball teams. WNCC couldn't get more than a two-point lead the rest of the way. The turning point in the match came with the score knotted at 18-18. That was when the two teams' defenses stepped up some pancake saves and plenty of hustle in saving balls. WNCC finished off the rally as Kabalis hammered home a kill for the winner.

WNCC couldn't celebrate too long, as Einspahr came right back with a kill to tie the game at 19-19. Things changed momentarily as Piegza had a kill and Benitez served two points for a 22-19 lead. NJC, however, fought back tying the game at 23-23 on two points by Leipelt.

After a WNCC timeout, Alvarez had a key block and then Quinones served the final point as Balza recorded the match-winning kill.

The Cougars, winners of 25 straight matches, will have a week off before they host Casper College next Tuesday in the team's final home match of the year. After that, they will compete in the Jefferson College Invite, where they will face more ranked teams, including Miami Dade College. Miami Dade is the team the Cougars defeated last year for the national title.

WNCC soccer teams split final regular season games with Hesston College

HESSTON, Kan. – The Western Nebraska Community College men's and women's soccer teams split its last regular season games to Hesston Community College Tuesday evening.

The women came back from a 2-0 first half deficit to register a thrilling 4-3 win over Hesston. The Cougar men, however, fell 2-0 on a water-soaked field.

The Cougar women, trailing 2-0 after the first 45 minutes, received a clutch performance from freshman Shaylee Williams, who scored one goal and had two assists. In fact, the Plain City, Utah, native scored the team's first goal in the 54th minutes off an assist from Ana Jacobo.

Six minutes later, Williams delivered a pass to Brooke Dudley, who tied the contest in the 60th minute. Hesston, however, came back and took the lead in the 68th minute.

The Cougar women showed some heart to score the winning goals in a three-minute span. Williams collected her second assist of the evening delivering a pass to Ashley Quintana to tie the match at 3-3 in the 75th minute. Three minutes later, Dudley recorded an assist as Alisha Ropkin took Dudley's pass and score what would be the winning goal in the 78th minute.

WNCC completely dominated play in the match, outshooting Hesston College 16-2 in the match. It was the Cougars ninth win of the season heading into this weekend's regional playoffs.

The Cougar men weren't as fortunate as the women, falling to Hesston 2-0. Still, WNCC soccer coach Todd Rasnic was pleased with how his guys played.

"We played extremely well controlling things throughout as the field conditions were terrible with standing water," he said.

The Cougar men, 6-7-1, also will enter the Region IX playoffs on Friday. In fact, both teams will face Western Wyoming Community College in the opening round this Friday at Rock Springs, Wyo., with the winner facing Laramie County Community College Sunday in the Region IX championship match.

WNCC and NJC volleyball teams tangle on the volleyball Tuesday at Cougar Palace

Western Nebraska Community College's Giovana Melo and Northeastern Junior College's Marci Henry know how important Tuesday's match between the two ranked teams will be.

The Cougars come into the contest ranked No. 1 in the nation with a 43-2 record, while the Plainswomen are 27-8 on the season. Tuesday's contest is also Blue and Gold night at the Palace. More importantly, the contest will go a long ways in sub-region standings for next month's Region IX tournament, especially momentum-wise.

"I expect it to be a great volleyball match," Melo said. "I think the crowd should be entertained and have fun with it."

Henry said that these two squads are the cream of the crop when it comes to Region IX volleyball.

"For NJC, this is a big game," Henry said. "Since 2004, We have been competing with WNCC for the regional championship to only come up short. We view WNCC as our conference rival. The past five years competing with them has been intense. I hope that we can again give WNCC a challenge."

The Cougars last lost to NJC back in 2004 when the Plainswomen topped the Cougars at the South Sub-region tournament. The year before, NJC topped the Cougars twice during the regular season. WNCC, however, has won the big match, the Region IX championship matc every year since the two squads were a part of the South Sub-region. The contests the two squads competed against each other, were hum-dingers with many of the matches going to five games.

Melo doesn't expect this contest to be a walk in the park by any means.

"I think this match is huge. NJC is a great team," she said. "We are going to have to play as hard as we can for every single point. Serving and passing is very important to our team."

The Cougars, fresh off winning the Ozfest Invitational in Liberal, Kan., last weekend, have won 24 straight matches since falling to Iowa Western Community Community back in September.

WNCC, however, could be without the services of setter Sabina Piegzal, who went down with an ankle injury in the championship game against Frank Phillips on Saturday. Piegza's status will be a game-time decision.

"I was very pleased with how we played at Seward. I think our team played well and got better every day," Melo said. "Not having Sabina in there changes a bit because they are different setters and they have different styles. However, they both are good setters."

WNCC did't miss a beat in the Frank Phillips contest as the Naomi Flinders came in and led the team to victory, recording 23 set assists.

NJC is also playing well. The last time they lost was at the Wyo-Braska Shootout when Seward County Community College beat them in five games. Henry expects some hard-hitting action in the sub-region showdown.

"I expect to see some hard hitting offenses with some great 'superstar' defensive saves," she said. " I can't remember when this match-up wasn't worth seeing. The fans in Scottsbluff and in Sterling have really benefitted from both teams' success as they get to see some of the best volleyball in the nation."

Several Plainswomen are among the leaders in hitting in Region IX. Brunno Kronbauer, Alexis Eliades and Suyan Leipelt lead the Plainswomen, averaging over two kills a game. Kronbauer has 266 kills on the season and is averaging 3.33 kills a game.

Amy Einspahr is leading the team in blocks, averaging 1.03 a game, while hitting at .380. Also for the Plainswomen, freshman Masa Balandzic is second in the region in setting, averaging 10.13 assists a game. Balandzic has also served up 38 aces this year.

WNCC matches the Plainswomen's explosiveness with three players that have recorded over 300 kills this season. Sophomore Fatima Balza leads the team in kills with over 350 kills. Balza also is among the leaders in blocking and serving.

Freshmen Kaleinani Kabalis and Paulina Piegza also have notched over 300 kills this season. Kabalis, who thundering kills has sparked the Cougars, is also among the leaders in digs, serving percentage, aces and blocks. Piegza has become a force along the front through her middle blocking position as well.

The key to the match will be defense and both teams bring in strong defensive players. WNCC's Nayka Benitez was named the NJCAA national tournament top libero last year. She currently is averaging over four digs a game, while leading the team in aces with over 60 served up this year.

NJC also has strong defensive players. Dera Martinez leads the team with 316 digs (3.85 a game) and Suyan Leipelt qith 2.62 digs a game.

Henry knows the contest will be decided by defense.

"For us to win we will have to play some great defense both on the back line and the block. WNCC has some phenomenal hitters in each position," she said. "For us to win we will have to play some great defense both on the back line and the block. WNCC has some phenomenal hitters in each position."

Henry is hoping her team is up to the challenge in facing the No. 1 team in the nation.

"We had some injuries that were rested the past week and I think we are ready to see if we can challenge the number one team in the nation," she said. "You always have to be happy if you beat the number one team in the nation, not to mention the team who just won a national championship. WNCC is a great team, with a great coach. Any program who could come into Cougar Palace and win would very happy."

WNCC wins Seward Invite, four players selected to all-tournament team

LIBERAL, Kan. — Chalk up another tournament title for the No. 1 team in the nation as the Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team swept through the Ozfest Invitational without dropping a game in capturing the tournament championship.

The Cougars, 43-2, won the title in dominating fashion, dropping No. 11 Frank Phillips College 25-22, 25-18, 25-20 behind double-doubles from Kaleinani Kabalis and Gregner Quinones.
Three Cougars earned first team all-tournament honors and one earned second team all-tournament honors.

Kabalis, Nayka Benitez and Fatima Balza earned first team honors, while Sabina Piegza was named to the second team, while Sabina Piegza earned second team honors. Benitez was the libero of the tournament.

“It feels really good especially after the last match where I saw a different level of the players with energy and at-titude and enthusiasm. They were playing, leaving everything on the court in the last match. They fought for every single point. I have not seen that part of them yet and I am really glad to see it and come up with a win.

What really impressed Melo with the way her team played, especially in the championship match, was the team effort that was shown, especially since they rallied around after losing starting setter Sabina Piegza to an ankle injury. I never saw this part of the team play before. They really picked it up after Sabina went down and rolled her an-kle. Every one of the girls fought 10 percent more.”

Naomi Flinders came in and picked the team up, finishing with 23 set assists.

“She came in and was put in a spot,” Melo said. “It was a hard position for her, but she came in and did a good job.”

The Cougars started the bracket portion of the tournament in impressive fashion, beating Barton County Community College 25-7, 25-10, 25-21 to move into the semifinals. WNCC then took care of Hutchinson Community College in three games 25-22, 25-13, 25-23.

The competition, even though the Cougars didn’t drop a game, was competitive. Melo said they didn’t matches like this to get ready for Tuesday’s sub-region showdown with No. 14 Northeastern Junior College at Cougar Palace.

“It was good for us to see some better teams," Melo said. "Every time we stepped on the court, we got better.”

In the championship tilt, Kabalis recorded 10 kills, 14 digs and one solo block; while Quinones had 10 digs, 12 blocks and an ace serve. Also for the Cougars, Fatima Balza had 14 kills and seven points, Paulina Piegza had eight kills; and Nayka Beni-tez had 11 digs and two aces.

The Cougars also received stellar performances in the opening two matches.
Against Hutchinson, Balza and Paulina Piegza tallied 17 and 14 kills respectively. Balza also had six assist blocks. Also for the Cougars, Sabina Piegza had 39 set assists and four assist blocks; Quinones had four aces, 12 points and seven digs; Benitez had seven points, three aces and 15 digs; and Kabalis had eight digs.

Against Barton County, Benitez, the libero of the tournament, finished with a double-double, collecting 12 digs, 15 points and five aces. Also for WNCC, Balsa had 18 kills and seven points; Sabina Piegza had 32 set assists and five kills; Kabalis, Paulina Piegza and Naomi Flinders each had five kills. Kabalis also added five digs.

Other members of the all-tournament team include Midland’s Ariadne Alcantara, Frank Phillips’ Kayleigh Gid-dens, and Hutchinson’s Molly Betgkamp and Melissa Gmur on the first team.
Other second team members included Redland’s Shayna Severance and Alessandra de Silva, Frank Phillips’ Ales-sa Roberts, Arizona Western’s Fernanda Costa, Seward County’s LaKendra Sanders and Jelena Simic.