The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team had four players earn South All-Region honors recently.

                WNCC players earning First Team South honors included sophomore Shanelle Martinez and freshman Kyana Gabriel. Cougars that earned Second Team honors included freshman hitters Lilly Zwart and Finja Schul.

                Martinez wrapped up her 2-year career at WNCC with another All-Region honor as the sophomore from San Antonio, Texas, finished this season with 1,067 set assists along with 121 kills, 372 digs, 37 ace serves, and 41 blocks.

                Gabriel, from Hilo, Hawaii, played in 33 matches for the Cougars in hammering down 245 kills along with 158 digs and 32 blocks. She also had 27 ace serves.

                Zwart, from New Zealand who earned second team honors, had a strong campaign in her freshman year in tallying 373 kills, 104 digs, 87 blocks, and getting 13 ace serves.

                Schul, the freshman from Germany, also had a nice first year, had a nice first year playing in 34 matches and collecting 167 kills from her middle-hitter position along with 95 digs, 115 blocks, and 23 ace serves.

                Other members of the South All-Region Team include First Team selections NJC's Annika Helf, Caty Havekost, and Nerea Alvarez Jorge; and McCook's Greta Bolognini and Fernanda Merancio. Second Team members included NJC's Whitney Chintala; Trinidad State's Jordan Garcia and Amya Speller; McCook's Gabby Caskey; and Otero's Nicole Custodio.

                Other South honors included Setter of the Year going to NJC's Nerea Alvarez Jorge, Libero of the Year going to McCook's Greta Bolognini; Freshman of the Year going to NJC's Nerea Alvarez Jorge, and Player of the Year going to NJC's Annika Helf.

                The North All-region honors saw several top performers. Eastern Wyoming College had a First Team selection in Anna Djurovic. Other First Team selections included Casper's Mia Hutchinson and Katrina Vulic; LCCC's Elysiana Fonseca and Demi Stauffenberg; Western Wyoming's Paisley Blood; and Central Wyoming's Tehana Mo'o.

                North Second Team honors included Central Wyoming's Megan Hardman and Rana Yamada; LCCC's Kate Ohlsen and Addyson McArthur; Western Wyoming's Marlayina Masani; and Casper's Amelia Piekut and Nia Suman.

                North Player of the Year was Casper's Mia Hutchinson while Libero of the Year went to Rana Yamada. The Setter of the Year went to Casper's Katrina Vulic while Freshman of the Year went to Western Wyoming's Paisley Blood.

                The South Coach of the Year was NJC's Mackenzie Chrisman while Casper's Angel Shsrman was the North Coach of the Year.

                The volleyball all-tournament team was also announced and no Cougar made that team. The team included tourney MVP Annia Helf of NJC along with her teammates Nerea Alvarez Jorge, Whitney Chintala, and Anna Ruter; Casper's Mia Hutchinson, Katarina Vulic, and Paulina Dziedzic; Western Wyoming's Sara Anderson and Marlayiina Masani; Central Wyoming's Megan Hardman and Tehana Mo'o; Trinidad's Amya Speller and Eimaya Medina; and LCCC's Elsiana Fonseca and Demi Stauffenberg.

                The Sheila R. Worley Sportsmanship Award was awarded to Northeastern Junior College.