The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team's trek for a national title begins Thursday morning when they face Yavapai College in the first-round of the NJCAA Division I national tournament in Casper, Wyoming.
WNCC coach Binny Canales said the team is ready to go.
"Right now we are passing the ball and moving the ball more that we have throughout the season," he said. "I think we are well-prepared for the national tournament and we can adjust to most challenges."
The trek to the national title begins at 11 a.m. against Yavapai College, out of Prescott, Arizona. Yavapai enters the tournament at 22-6 and making their first national tournament appearance. WNCC comes into the tournament seeded second at 39-4 and is making its 17th straight tournament berth.
WNCC sophomore Katy Ernest said this team is focused and ready to go.
"We have been excited for the last two weeks now. We are ready to go," the sophomore from Leyton High said. "Our focus is, because we are leaving today {Tuesday], to get ourselves calmed down and have a little fun."
Ernest and the other four sophomores on the team – Santanna Mitchell, Keala Kaio-Perez, Fautino Manu, and Fabiana Andrade – is to finish their two year career with a bang.
"For some of us it is our last year of playing at WNCC and I think our goal is to finish our two years with a national championship."
The WNCC players and coaches know it won't be easy with a field that any team is capable of winning. WNCC has already defeated four of the tournament teams including No. 1 seed College of Southern Idaho, North Idaho College, Iowa Western Community College, and Northwest College. WNCC has also played many teams to five games, coming back to get those wins.
Ernest said playing that tough schedule and showing that they have the capability to come back is a plus.
"It kind of feels like we have a foot in the door. We are seeded second right now and I think those wins against ranked teams were good for u," Ernest said. "We are seeded second and I think those wins against ranked teams were good for us to come back and know what we are capable of. It shows that we can beat good, solid teams at the national tournament and regular season."
Ernest also knows that last year at the national tournament, the Cougars were upended in the first round by Arizona Western College, a team from the same conference that Yavapai is from. And she said, it will take playing to their fullest to get wins.
"It will take a lot of guts that is for sure," Ernest said. "I think we will really need to push to do things we haven't done before and that will be good for us. We will just have to keep our heads together and play together as a team."
Canales said they have had some good practices before the tournament and right now he is impressed with they are doing.
"We just need to pass the ball. If we pass the ball and we are in-system, we are hard for any team to match up with," he said. "Right now if we play consist make our serves, and keep our heads on straight, I think we will be in all the matches."
The Cougars have an explosive lineup quarterbacked by Region IX South Setter of the Year and Region IX South tournament MVP Fabiana Andrade. She had a plethora of hitters to go to, including Region IX South Freshman and Player of the Year Barbara Rabanal-Briceño.
Yavapai also has some talented players. Yavapai is led by 6-foot-1 freshman hitter Iva Alebic of Germany, who was their region's MVP. Canales said he believes it will be a good match.
"Yavapai has a big outside hitter from Germany and the rest of their team is solid," he said. "The rest of their team is solid and they play solid defense, pass well and block really well. I think it will be a good matchup."
The plus for the Cougars is players that can play different positions, which Canales said should be beneficial to get the best player on the court.
"We have many different looks which is fun and great options to have as a coach," he said. "Having many options makes me a better coach and I feel the girls are prepared to go in and play."
If WNCC wins its opener, they will advance to play the winner of the Missouri State-West Plans and North Idaho College match at 5:30 p.m. The two losers of the matches will face each other Friday at 10 a.m.
The tournament can be watched online at www.njcaatv.com.