STERLING, Colo. – The top-ranked Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team will enter next week's Region IX tournament in Sterling, Colorado, with plenty of motivation after the Northeastern Junior College stunned the Cougars with a five-game win Thursday night in dramatic fashion.

                NJC fought back from an 8-5 fifth game deficit to hand the Cougars only their fourth loss of the season 20-25, 26-24, 25-23, 22-25, 15-13. The loss snapped a 23-game WNCC winning streak.

                WNCC started the match strong by overcoming a 6-1 first-game deficit and won the opener 25-20. After that, WNCC committed too many errors hitting and serving.

                For the match, the Cougars committed 25 hitting errors and eight missed serves. On a brightside, though, WNCC pounded down 68 kills, including putting four players in double figures. WNCC also had 72 digs with five players in double figures.

                The hitting and digging was crucial in the final four games on both sides of the net.

                The second game was tight. NJC held a 21-18 lead and watched WNCC come back to get game point at 24-23. The Plainswomen, however, scored three straight points to steal the second game 26-24.

                WNCC held an early 3-1 and 14-9 lead in the third game. It was then a five-point service run by NJC that put the Plainswomen up 15-14. From there it was back and forth and with the game tied at 23-23, NJC snatched the final two points for the 2-1 game lead.

                The fourth game was another donnybrook as WNCC held an 8-5 lead only to watch NJC come back to grab a 17-16 lead. WNCC stayed strong in going up 21-18 and led 24-21 before NJC sliced the lead to one, 24-23. Santanna Mitchell then got a little tip for the game winner.

                WNCC started the fifth game well, grabbing an 8-5 lead on a Jady Gerotto kill. NJC fought back and took its first lead of the fifth game at 11-10. WNCC went up 12-11 on a Keala Kaio-Perez kill, but NJC scored three straight for a 14-12 lead and then won the game 15-13.

                WNCC's attack included double-doubles from Fabiana Andrade and Barb Rabanal. Andrade led the way with 64 set assists for a second-consecutive match. Andrade also tallied 13 digs and added seven digs.

                Shaney Tiumalu and Rabanal each had 18 kills. Rabanal had her double-double with 15 digs, while also getting six points. Tiumalu also added five digs and five points.

                Gerotto and Lara Picht also had double figure kills. Geroot had 12 kills, nine points, and six digs, while Picht tallied 11 kills, two points, and two points.

                Also for the Cougars, Fautino Manu had 11 digs, Katy Ernest had five digs, and Keala Kaio-Perez had six kills, 15 digs, and eight points.

                WNCC finishes the regular season with a 36-4 record and 9-1 in South Division play. The Cougars, who won the South with their win over McCook last week, will be the top-seed in next week's Region IX tournament that begins Wednesday in Sterling. The Cougars first game, however, won't be until Thursday at 11 a.m. against the winner of a first-round game. The winner of the regional tournament qualifies for the national tournament in Casper, Wyoming, Nov. 19-21.