Whew!
That is what the Western Nebraska Community College fans were thinking after the top-ranked Cougar volleyball team dug deep and came away with a thrilling and hard fought five-game win over No. 4 Iowa Western Community College Saturday afternoon at Cougar Palace.
The Cougars Barb Rabanal had a 20-20 as the freshman from Lima, Peru tallied 20 kills and 20 digs in helping the Cougars to the 20-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-16, 17-15 win over Iowa Western.
The win was the team's 23rd straight win of the season pushing the Cougars to 36-3 on the season. The win also capped off a perfect 17-0 home campaign for the Cougars, including a 74-match home winning streak.
Rabanal and the rest of the team was jubilant after winning the heart-stomping match.
"We played with heart and we played together," Rabanal said. "We talked together and that is what we work in practice a lot so we can get better. The other team is good, too, and we really had to fight. We won because we play with heart and we really wanted it."
WNCC definitely had to find that extra something deep down inside Saturday afternoon against a good Iowa Western squad that was digging up balls left and right. But, so was the Cougars as there were so many long rallies that the spectators were glued to their seats with excitement.
WNCC finished the contest with four players netting double-figure kills and three players getting double-figure digs.
Rabanal led with the team with 20 kills and 20 digs, but Jady Gerotto finished with 18 kills and Lara Picht and Shaney Tiumalu each had 12 kills. Gerotto had a big kill to put the Cougars up 16-15 in the fifth and then Picht hammered home the match winner.
Defense, however, was very crucial. After Rabanal's 20 digs, Keala Kaio-Perez tallied 19 digs followed by 12 from Fautino Manu. Fabiana Andrade also had nine digs, while Katy Ernest had eight.
Rabanal said this was a team win as everyone helped get the win even if the stats don't show a lot of digs or kills or blocks a lot of the players that saw spot playing time in crucial times.
"Everyone helped in different ways," she said. "Everyone was doing something maybe not with kills but by talking. We could do it. I know if we talk with each other, we can be a good team."
Different Cougars had big kills or digs or points at the right time. And it started in the first game. Iowa Western opened up a 14-7 lead before WNCC came back behind a five-point run by Andrade to close within 14-13. WNCC took its first lead of the game on back-to-back Tiumalu points. Iowa Western, however, came back to win the first game 25-20.
The Reivers opened the second game with a 3-0 lead and led 9-5 and later 14-11. That was when WNCC switched gears as Rabanal had three points for a 16-14 Cougars lead. WNCC went up 22-18 and Gerotto finished off the game with three points for the 25-18 win.
WNCC started the third game well, bolting to a 6-2 lead. The Reivers, however, came back to tie the game at 12-12 on four points each from Olivia Wolodkewitsch, and Maile Spenser. WNCC cut the lead to 23-18 on a Rabanal kill, but The Reivers won the third game 25-18.
The fourth game was due or die for the Cougars and they responded, but it wasn't easy as Iowa Western trailed 5-4 early, Thinks changed after that as Kaio-Perez and Picht each had two points and Andrade had five points, including back-to-back aces for a 17-7 lead. WNCC won the fourth 25-16 on a Tiumalu kill.
The fifth game was a blockbuster of a show. WNCC build an 8-6 lead behind two Kaio-Perez points and led 11-8 on an Andrade point. Iowa Western bounced back to tie the game at 13-13. Iowa Western even had match point at 15-14, but a WNCC timeout helped the Cougars tie the game at 15-15. WNCC then won the match on kills from Gerotto and the match-winner from Picht.
After the match, the Cougar players were filled with plenty of emotion after winning a national-championship caliber match with a very good Iowa Western squad, who defeated Northeastern Junior College in straight games earlier in the day 25-17. 25=2-. 25-14.
"We were just talking after the game in the lockerroom and taking pictures and we were really, really excited. We are very happy to be number one to this date but we want to keep working so we can get better," Rabanal said. "We are more like a family right know because we are playing like a team. We are playing good we want to go to nationals."
WNCC, 36-3, will have one regular season match left as they will travel to Sterling, Colorado, for a South Division match with Northeastern Junior College on Wednesday. Rabanal said they have to stay mentally tough to finish out the regular season with a bang.
"We just have to keep working hard with coach. We have to keep up the effort because without effort, we aren't going to play smart," she said. "We are so happy right know and we are going to keep working so we can stay number one."
No. 1 WNCC over No. 4 Iowa Western
20-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-16, 17-15
WNCC Stats
SET ASSISTS – Fabiana Andrade 64; POINTS – Andrade 13, Keala Kaio-Perez 1, Shaney Tiumalu 5, Barba Rabanal 6, Lara Picht 3, Jady Gerotto 10; DIGS – Andrade 9, Kaio-Perez 19, Fautino Manu 12, Tiumalu 2, Rabanal 20, Picht 5, Katy Ernest 8; KILLS – Tiumalu 12, Rabanal 20, Picht 12, Gerotto 18; BLOCKS – Andrade 2, Santanna Mitchell 2, Tiumalu 1, Picht 2, Gerotto 2.