HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team gave every inch of their talent on the volleyball court Friday at the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, but split a pair of matches to finish their season.
WNCC started the day with a hard-fought five-set win over Monroe College 21-25, 25-16, 19-25, 25-22, 15-7 to advance to the consolation bracket semifinals. In the semifinals the Cougars played hard but fell short to a good Panola College team, falling 16-25, 25-13, 25-19, 25-21 to end their season with a 33-8 record.
WNCC head coach Binny Canales said he is proud of his team for how hard they fought all year, including Friday at nationals.
"It was a good season. I told them that and I told them I am proud of them," Canales said. "it was a good season and it didn't end the way we wanted it to. But it isn't going to end the way any team wants it to end except for one team. We did well. They played hard. I am proud of them,"
This team definitely played hard on Friday. The first match showed how much grit and fire the team had to get the five-set win over Monroe. The second match against Panola started out strong and then Panola played well in sets two through four to get the win.
"Panola played the net well. They defended well. They did some good things and put the ball away," Canales said. "They are a good team just like everybody else here, they all are good teams. It just didn't work to our advantage today."
Against Monroe, WNCC dropped the first set 25-21 and responded back in the second set on strong service play and a lineup change. It worked as the Cougars won the second 25-16.
Monroe came back and wont he third set 25-19 to go up 2-1. The fourth set saw WNCC up 11-7 at one time and then behind 21-19. That was when things changed as a block put the service into Brooke Kaawa's hands and she put WNCC up 23-21. Syenna Masaki made it 24-22 and Kadara Marshall served the final point for the 25-22 win.
WNCC held a slim 5-4 lead before a Bartley kill. Kirstee then served three points for a 9-4 lead and Jayme Commins served the final three points on two big saves for the 15-7 win. During the final three points, it was the Cougars' defense that stepped up as the defense made two long runs for saves to keep the ball in play to help them get a point.
That win put the Cougars up against Panola with the winner advancing to the 9th place game on Saturday. WNCC dominated the first set as they went up 10-6 on three Benitez points and led 15-8 after two Kaawa points. The Cougars pushed the lead to 21-13 on two more Benitez points and then Commins served out the first set with three points for the 25-16 win.
WNCC had three players finish with double figure kills in the match. Sarena Bartley and Kaawa each had 14 kills while Masaki finished with 12 kills.
The difference in the match was hitting. WNCC hit ..224 while Monroe was just .132. The Monroe Mustangs hit -.063 in the fifth set.
WNCC had three players finish with a double-double. Kaawa had 14 kills with 17 digs. She also had eight points and three assist blocks. Masaki had a near triple-double. The freshman from Hawaii had 12 kills with 13 set assists, nine digs, two solo blocks, and five points. Genesis Benitez tallied 10 points and 22 digs.
Also for the Cougars, Commins tallied 35 set assists with eight points; Trees had 11 points and seven digs; Lauren Shaul had two digs; Joise Maldonado had five kills' Kaile Tuisamatatele with five digs; and Marshall had four kills, five digs, five points.
Panola came out hot in the second set and rolled to the 25-13 win behind big service runs and a mean block.
Panola started the third with four straight points and led 14-10 at one time. WNCC came back to cut the lead to 19-17 and trailed 22-19 late, but the Fillies won 25-19.
WNCC never led in the fourth set despite having the score tied five times, the last time at 9-9. WNCC came withing 20-17 late on two Commins points and a Bartley/Marshall block and a Masaki kill. WNCC couldn't get any closer.
Commins finished with a double-double of 33 set assists and 12 digs. The Ogallala graduate also had nine points.
Masaki and Kaawa each had double-figure kills. Masaki had 16 kills while Kaawa had 14. Masaki also had five digs, two points, and a solo block, while Kaawa had four points and eight digs.
Bartley tallied six kills while Marshall ahd five, and Tuisamatatele had three.
Also for the Cougars, Benitez had 17 digs and seven points; Trees had 11 digs and three points; Marshall had eight digs, three solo blocks, and two points; and Bartley had three digs and two assist blocks.
WNCC will say goodbye to six sophomores – Shaul, Trees, Kaawa, Marshall, Benitez, and Maldonado. Canales said these six were special players.
"The sophomores were the heart and soul. They kept it together," he said. "This is a special group of sophomores and I can't say enough about them."
In other action at the tournament on Friday, the championship will pit Miami Dade and the College of Southern Idaho. Miami Dade topped New Mexico Military Institute 25-23, 17-25, 25-23, 25-16 while CSI topped Tyler 21-25, 25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 15-9. Tyler plays NMMI for third place.
Other scores saw Mineral Area top Iowa Western in five sets, while Polk needed five against Hill College, winning 24-26, 18-25, 25-12, 25-10, 15-6. Polk and Mineral Area will play for fifth, while Iowa Western and Hill plays for seventh.
The ninth place contest will pit Laramie County against Panola. LCCC won twice on Friday, beating Eastern Arizona in five, 25-22, 25-13, 21-25, 23-25, 15-13 before topping St. Petersburg in four 16-25, 25-15, 25-20, 25-23. The other matches saw Panola sweep Wallace State 25-16, 25-14, 25-22 and St. Petersburg beat Hutchinson 25-20, 25-23, 16-25, 25-20.