Cougar women defeat Hastings College junior varsity

             

                [12-7-2012] The sixth-ranked Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball put five players in double figures and remained undefeated with a 90-41 win over Hastings College junior varsity in the second day of the Holiday Classic on Friday at Cougar Palace.

                The Cougars controlled the game from the get-go with a strong start. Laurin Rivera, a freshman from Colorado Springs, Colo., said this team has a knack to start strong.

                “We are all ready to play in every game so that is good,” she said. “We just come out strong and don’t focus on what the other team is; we just come out strong in every game and that is what gets us the lead.”

                The Cougars scored the first 21 points of the contest with a tenacious defense that had three steals and two 3-pointers from Shalisa Moffit and Jess Samorodova. Hastings’ first bucket didn’t come until six minutes was gone as Abby Jackson picked the pocket of Gritt Ryder for the easy score.

                WNCC came right back and scored 14 straight points, including back-to-back buckets by Rivera to go up 35-2 before leading 43-8 at halftime.

                The big reason for the Cougars strong their ability to take the ball to the hole and that is what they did a night after they connected on 12 3-pointers against Colby on Thursday. The Cougars connected on just 6 of 11 treys in Friday’s contest as Shalisa Moffit had three.

                Rivera said this team can score from anywhere on the court.

                “This game was definitely a driving to the basket game,” she said. “We can definitely do both like shoot from outside and drive inside. Tonight, we just played really well together and I am excited that we have a victory.”

                Hastings started the second half by connecting on two 3-pointers by Rachel Walton and Jackson, but the Cougars depth was too much for Hastings as WNCC went up 57-15 and then used a late run15-6 run to open up an 80-32 lead that was aided by 3-pointers by Rivera and Kelsey Doddridge and four points from Katie Kerkhoff.

                The Cougars blistered the nets for 62 percent shooting compared to 25 percent for Hastings. Once again, the Cougars shared the ball on the court, dishing out 29 assists and getting 24 steals. Rivera paced the team with eight assists while getting four steals. Mikayla Brower, Gritt Ryder, and Moffit all had four assists. Ryder and Maurissa Ortega led the team with five steals each.

                The Cougars offensive output was enormous with five players in double figures while the Cougar bench outscored Hastings 43-9.

                Samorodova and Ryder paced the team with 14 points each followed by Rivera’s 11 points, and Ortega and Jessica Aratani each with 10 points.

                WNCC, 13-0, will wrap up the Holiday Classic as they face Air Force Prep at 3 p.m. at Cougar Palace. Air Force Prep came back from a 12-point second-half deficit to sting Colby Community College 61-58 on a last-second shot. The first game on Saturday has Colby facing Hastings at 1 p.m.

Hastings JV                         8 33 – 41

WNCC (13-0)                      43 47 – 90

HASTINGS JV

Jesi Markvicka 4, Abby Jackson 8, Katie Hofer 5, Rachel Walton 9, Haley Gebers 7, Chelsie White 4, Kyle Gee 2, Makenzie Mudloff 2.

WNCC

Laurin Rivera 11, Kelsey Doddridge 6, Gritt Ryder 14, Shalisa Moffit 9, Katie Kerkhoff 8, Maurissa Ortega 10, Michelle Brassard 2, Ashley Stevens 4, Jessica Aratani 10, Jenna Lindquist 2, Jess Samorodova 14.

WNCC women defeat Colby Community College

                [12-6-2012] The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team blistered the nets for 12 2-pointers and the No. 6-ranked Cougars ran past Colby Community College 94-47 in the first day of the Holiday Classic at Cougar Palace on Thursday.

                The win pushed the Cougars to 12-0. It was also the third straight game where the Cougars scored 90 or more points.

                Jessica Aratani, who led the Cougars with 14 points along with Jess Samorodova, said they played well offensively.

                “Our offense was really on and we came out in the second half and played tough defense, holding them under 50 points, so we are really happy with that,” the sophomore from Morrill said. “We are always happy when our offense is working right. I think our defense creates our offense and we are really known for our defense and that is what helps us winning all these games.”

                WNCC had the hot hand shooting in the first half especially from beyond the arc. The Cougars were 9 of 15 from the 3-point line for 60 percent and shot 52 percent from the field. Mikayla Brower and Kelsey Doddridge each buried three 3-pointers in the opening half, while Shalisa Moffit had two treys.

                A big key for the Cougars’ hot shooting was ball movement. The Cougars finished with 31 assists in the contest and the quick passing opened up shooters from the outside.

                “Coach Harnish always preaches to us to not be selfish and play as a team,” Aratani said. “That is what we have on the team is good team chemistry and that is what is going to take us far in the season.”

                The way the team is playing right know both offensively and defensively is definitely giving the players some momentum. Aratani said while it is hard to stay up while winning by 30 points, the key is to keep playing hard as they enter the second semester with key sub-region games.

                “Coach Harnish keeps telling it is hard to stay motivated when we are winning big, but with all the success we are having, it will keep motivating us,” she said. “We are going to start coming into the more difficult part of our season next semester and we should be ready.”

                The Cougars were definitely ready on Thursday.               WNCC trailed just once in the contest as Colby’s Linda Pagrode scored the opening bucket. After that, it was all Cougars as WNCC jumped out to a 22-4 lead behind nine points from Samorodova, two treys from Moffit and a 3-pointer by Brower.

                WNCC pushed the lead to 30-7 before both teams started to trade buckets left and right. The Cougars led 53-32 at halftime.

                The Cougars picked up their defense in the second half, outscoring the Trojans 25-2 in the first nine minutes of the game to lead 78-34 for the victory.

                WNCC had four players in double figures. Besides Samorodova and Aratani’s 14 points, Moffit and Doddridge each finished with 11 points. Brower and Gritt Ryder each finished with nine points each.

                Moffit dished out seven assists, while Ryder had six and Brower four. The Cougars also generated 26 Colby turnovers, while the Cougars turned the ball over just eight times.

                WNCC will be back in action Friday in the second day of the Holiday Classic, facing the Hastings College junior varsity at 5 p.m. The opening game at 3 p.m. will have Colby against the Air Force Prep, while the nightcap will have the WNCC Cougar men taking on Northwest Kansas Technical College at 7 p.m.

Colby                     32 15 – 47

WNCC (12-0)      53 41 – 94

COLBY

Liene Liepina 9, Agnese Aramina 10, Shantydra Arnold 7, Kytiana Seals 4, Ashlon Gaines 4, Linda Pagrode 10, Desiree Jones 1, Haley Dinkel 2.

WNCC

Mikayla Brower 9, Laurin Rivera 5, Kelsey Doddridge 11, Gritt Ryder 9, Shalisa Moffit 11, Maurissa Ortega 4, Simone Evans 5, Michelle Brassard 5, Alyssa Yates 4, Ashley Stevens 3, Jessica Aratani 14, Jess Samorodova 14.

WNCC's Melo earns AVCA West Region Coach of the Year honor

Western Nebraska Community College volleyball coach Giovana Melo is up for American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national coach of the year honors after being selected as a West Region Coach of the Year.
                The AVCA selects eight coaches from the four regions as finalists for the national coach of the year honor, The national coach of the year will be announced at the AVCA annual convention Dec. 13 in Louisville, Kent.
                Melo is in her fifth year as head coach of the WNCC volleyball program and helped lead this year’s team to a 40-3 record and a runner-up finish at the NJCAA national tournament. The Cougars strung together 34 straight wins before falling in the national championship match to the College of Southern Idaho.
                This is Melo’s third consecutive year garnering AVCA West Region Coach of the Year honors.
                Other coaches up for the national honor include Heidi Cartisser of College of Southern Idaho, Sharon Nelson of San Jacinto College, Nabil Mardini of Los Angeles Pierce College, Darin McBroom of Iowa Western Community College, Chip Will of Grand Rapids Community College, Nephtali Delgado Reyes of Monroe College, and Gary Larkin of Hillsborough Community College.
                Melo has a 225-17 coaching record at WNCC, including a national title in 2010. Her teams have always finished in the top four at the national tournament.
                Melo played for WNCC in 2001 and 2002, earning first team all-American honors her sophomore year. Melo then went on to play at NCAA Division I Arizona State.

Youngblood, Martins earn first team NJCAA, AVCA all-American honors

                Western Nebraska Community College volleyball players Danika Youngblood and Luiza Martins were honored by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) last week with first-team All-American honors.

                Youngblood, a 5-8 sophomore outside hitter from South Jordan, Utah, and Martins, a 5-9 freshman setter from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, helped lead the Cougar women to a 40-3 record and a runner-up finish at the NJCAA Division I national tournament in November. The two were just part of a Cougar team that had could have had a number of others receive the honor, according to head coach Giovana Melo.

                “It [the honors] says a lot about the program but I give the credit to all the other players as well,” she said. “They get better because of each other. We had an extremely talented team this year and they made each other better every day.”

                The NJCAA selects first and second team selections as well as honorable mention in each of the divisions of one, two, and three. The AVCA’s selection is a combination of all the two-year college no matter division or state association. The only other first-team all-American was Morgan Heise of Central Community College-Columbus.

                Melo said it was an honor to watch Youngblood and Martins on the court this season.

                “My memories are of them enjoying playing with each other and as a team,” she said. “They are both hard working kids and brought a lot of energy to this team.”

                Melo said that Youngblood really stepped up her game this season, both on and off the court.

                “Danika had a great season,” she said. “I think she matured as a player and as a person.”

                Youngblood finished her sophomore season with 474 kills, 401 digs, 37 blocks, and 24 ace serves. She finished the season third in the nation in kills, kills per set and total attacks. She was also 8^th overall in points per set at 4.4 while accumulating 520 points (kills plus aces plus solo blocks).

                Youngblood and Martins each were selected to the NJCAA national tournament all-tournament team. The two were also on the Region IX South all-region team. Martins was also picked as the Region IX Setter of the Year and Freshman of the Year.

                Martins had an outstanding season finishing with 10.26 assists per set. She also had 55 kills, 282 digs, and 36 ace serves. Melo said Martins became more comfortable her style of play as the season went along. Martins was third in the nation in total assists (1,334) and fifth in assists per set.

                “Luiza struggled a little bit in the beginning with the language, getting used to a new game, and the different culture but I think by the end of the season she was able to pull all together,” Melo said. “She is a great setter and still has a lot of room to improve.”

                Youngblood and Martins selection as first-team all-Americans by the NJCAA marks the third time in the last four years that WNCC has had two first-team all-Americans. Last year Fernanda Goncalves and Debora Araujo earned that honor and both players now playing at NCAA Division I Cal State-Bakersfield.

                Kaleinani Kabalis and Sabina Piegza were tabbed first team all-Americans in 2009, while Fatima Balza and Nayka Benitez were all-Americans in 2008. All four played at Division I schools after WNCC. Piegza just finished her senior season at St. Johns University, while Kabalis played her final season at South Dakota State after playing a year at Washington State.

                Balza, who is now the assistant coach for WNCC, won two national championships at Penn State. Benitez went on to play at Creighton and is now playing professionally in Puerto Rico.

                Melo said it is an honor to see this success with this program.

                “Honestly, I try to teach them [the players] to strive for success as becoming better people and getting better each day,” she said. “The accomplishments come as consequence of their hard work.”

Cougar women ranked No. 6 in nation, host Lady Cougar Holdiay Classic this weekend

The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team is living up to the national attention they are receiving right now, vaulting in the national spotlight with a No. 6 ranking in the latest NJCAA national polls.

                The ranking or unbeaten record is not a surprise to the team. Ashley Stevens, a freshman form Bridgeport, said what they are doing on the court is a testament of the hard work they have put in during the pre-season.

                “It has been a long road to get here but it is nice that all the hard work is paying off,” she said. “We put in a lot of hard work we first came here, including getting up on Fridays and running our miles to.”

                Stevens said the only pressure that is on their back is the everyday pressure of playing together as a unit.

                “There is the pressure that we need to play good every game. It will be nice if we can keep going this way, but if not, we will need to regroup and get back on it,” she said. “Being ranked is news to me and it is good that we are getting some recognition now. We just need to play every game because we know everybody will be after us knowing that we are up there.”

                The Cougars will showcase their talent to the fans this weekend when they host the Lady Cougar Holiday Classic. Action begins Thursday when the Cougars face Colby Community College at 7 p.m. Action continues Friday and Saturday as the Cougars face Hastings College junior varsity on Friday at 5 p.m. and then Air Force Prep at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

                Stevens said they are looking forward to playing at home this weekend.

                “This weekend we just need to keep our noses to the grindstone and pushing through,” she said. “We can never give up on anything. Even if we are tired, we still need to keep going. It is the will to win more than anything.”

                The Cougars success this season is a combination of a stellar defense and an offense that just gets the job done. Stevens said having those two components equals wins for the team. The Cougars are in the top 20 in scoring at 74.9 points a game. WNCC has scored over 85 points a game four times season, including a 96-31 win over Colorado Christian.

                Better yet, the Cougars defense right now is one of the best in school history as the Cougars are giving up just 40 points a game. The Cougars have given up the least amount of points in Region IX this season with the other regionals with Central Wyoming allowing giving up 50 points a game and Eastern Wyoming College allowing 60 points a game.

                Stevens said having both sides of the ball performing well is a testament to the work ethic of the players.

                “Our defensive pressure is what helps gets us our offensive points,” she said. “What we are doing is just a team effort.”

                WNCC’s explosion in the rankings has come as a surprise. The Cougars last were ranked in the nation in February 2011. Last season, the Cougars never were ranked. This season, the Cougars entered the rankings at No. 22 on Nov. 21. Then, after bettering Casper College by 30 points 72-42 on Nov. 20, the Cougars leapfrogged the competition to a number 8 ranking last week.

                This week, the Cougars are tied at sixth with Georgia Highlands College. The top five in the poll include North Idaho College at 9-0 on top followed by Hutchinson Community College (10-0), Northwest Florida State College (10-0), Iowa Western Community College (11-0), and Trinity Valley Community College (11-1).

                Only one other Region IX team is ranked and that is Gillette College at No. 14 with a 12-1 record.

                The rankings this season will play a big part in the national tournament after the NJCAA revamped the men’s and women’s tournament. Gone is the 16-team tournament with a consolation bracket. Instead, the tournament is now up to 24 teams with the addition of four at-large teams along with four different regions each year getting a second team into the tournament. Region IX won’t get an automatic second team until 2016, but they still can get an at-large team besides the Region IX champion.

                Nationals will now feature a single elimination tournament beginning on Monday and one loss and a team’s season is finished. The at-large teams will be determined by three factors, and the rankings in the national polls play a 60 percent factor in the selection. After that, 20 percent each of the at-large selection will be based on strength of schedule and the region’s history at the national tournament.

                For now, though, the Cougar women are focused on the task at hand and that is just getting better game by game. Stevens said this team has a lot of talent, especially after this weekend when they beat a talented Las Vegas Heat all-star team that featured players that played at Division I schools. WNCC won 91-68 against Heat.

                “They [Las Vegas Heat] were very athletic and knew what to do,” she said. “They played college basketball before. Coach Harnish told us that one of the girls played at Notre Dame. They were just smart. We just ran the floor well because they weren’t in shape like us, so we had to tire them out.”

                The Las Vegas Heat and Casper wins really have set this team apart. Stevens said the depth of the team is starting to stand out.

                “We have a full bench of players that can come in at any time,” she said. “Offensively this team is starting to gel. We are getting to a point where we can see each other. We play well together and we know where each other will go. Our offense is coming around a lot.”

                After this weekend’s Holiday Classic, the Cougars will wrap up the first semester with a road trip to Colorado Christian junior varsity on Tuesday. Then the Cougars will begin sub-region play in January with hopes of winning the south sub-region and hosting the Region IX tournament in March.

Lady Cougar Holiday Classic Schedule

Thursday, Dec. 6

7 p.m. – WNCC vs. Colby

Friday, Dec. 7

3 p.m. – Colby vs. Air Force Prep

5 p.m. – WNCC vs. Hastings College J.V.

7 p.m. – WNCC men vs. Northwest Kansas Tech

Saturday, Dec. 8

1 p.m. – Colby vs. Hastings College J.V.

3 p.m. – WNCC vs. Air Force Prep