When the Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team host the Lady Cougar Classic this weekend, there will be plenty on the line.
The top-ranked Cougars, who are on a 20-match win streak, will be looking to cap off the home portion of the regular season with an undefeated record. The Cougars are 14-0 at Cougar Palace while sporting a sparkling 33-3 record.
"It will take just team work and we have to continue to play at our level to win this weekend," sophomore Fautino Manu said. "We have to take everything we have been doing in practice from serving, offense, all the basic things and execute it. These last home games we need to feed off the positive energy coming off the crowd."
The weekend's three matches won't be walks in the park either. WNCC will play some scrappy teams in the tournament.
Friday's schedule has four games slated. WNCC opens the day by facing Laramie County Community College at 1 p.m. LCCC will bring a 21-9 record to Cougar Palace. After that, WNCC will face Eastern Wyoming College at 7 p.m., a team that might be 12-20 on the season but the Lancers are a team that have played everyone close.
Other matches on Friday include EWC taking on Iowa Western Community College at 3 p.m. followed by LCCC meeting Iowa Western at 5 p.m.
Saturday's schedule includes a battle of two top-five ranked teams as No. 1 WNCC faces No. 4 Iowa Western Community College at 1 p.m. The Reivers will open Saturday's action at 10 a.m. when they face Northeastern Junior College.
Manu said they are approaching the matches with the same mindset from the past. They realize Iowa Western won't be easy, having lost to the Reivers back in August 3-1.
"With that game, since we lost to them, we know what they are capable of. We have gotten better and I am sure they have gotten better," she said. "We just have to go in with the mentality that we are going to win and go in that we are going to pay hard each point. We have to have the mentality of don't be afraid to play or to lose; just go out there and play our best and play our hardest."
The Cougars are definitely playing some of their best volleyball right know. And, if Wednesday's win against McCook is any indication, the team is definitely on a roll. WNCC has won 20 straight matches and the sophomores have the opportunity to finish their two-year career undefeated at home. Last year the Cougars went 12-0 at Cougar Palace.
In Wednesday's win over McCook, Manu said that was probably one of the best they have played from start to finish.
"Coach [Binny Canales] said the main thing that we need to be a great team is cut down on the errors," she said. "Volleyball is a game of errors and the team that makes the least errors of course wins."
Friday's match with EWC will be special for the five sophomores as they will be recognized in what is billed as Sophomore Weekend. Fabiana Andrade, Keala Kaio-Peres, Fautino Manu, Santanna Mitchell, and Katy Ernest will wrap up the home portion of their careers and will be honored before the match against EWC.
"There is some nerves for this weekend and just being a sophomore it is crazy how fast things flew by this year," Manu said. "We just have to be good role models for the freshmen so when they are sophomores next year they know how to act. We are just trying to not overthink. It is just our last home games and go out and play hard for the crowd that always comes and supports us."
After this weekend, the Cougars will have one more regular season match left when they travel to Northeastern Junior College on Oct. 28. After that, it is the Region IX tournament Nov. 4-6 in Sterling, Colo.