The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team rebounded from its heartbreaking five-set loss to Salt Lake Community College on Thursday with a dominating performance in action on Friday in the WyoBraska Invite.

                The Cougars received 10 kills each from Karen Cordero and Leslie Mamai-Lagafuaina in sweeping past Sheridan College 25-9, 25-9, 25-13. The Cougars went 2-0 on the day with a 25-19, 25-15. 25-22  win over Midland College.

                The Sheridan match was all WNCC as WNCC utilized a lot of players to get the win. The Cougars took control in the first two sets with strong serving. The first set saw Gabriela Canavati have a 5-point run for a 7-1 lead and then Ana Costas had a 6-point run for a 16-4 lead. WNCC stayed strong for the 25-9 win.

                The second set was just as impressive. Adia Sherbeyn started the scoring with five straight points followed by Alex Hernandez adding four points to help WNCC to a 16-4 lead. Hernandez served the final two points for the 25-9 win.

                The strong team play carried over to the third set as Anabelle Gillen had two points for a 15-8 Cougar lead. Anuhea Kaohi tallied two points as well for an 18-8 lead before Andrea Tsvetanova finished the match with three straight service points.

                Cordero had a good match against Sheridan with 10 kills, seven digs, and nine points. Mamai-Lagafuaina had 10 kills and four blocks, while Alex Hernandez had seven kills, nine points, and two digs.

                Kaohi finished with four kills and five digs, while Olivia Schaub had two kills and three blocks.

                Also for WNCC, Ana Costas had nine digs, 11 points, and two aces; Olivia Transfiguracion had 17 set assists and three digs; Luisa Beining had two digs and two points; Canavati had four digs and four points. Adia Sherbeyn had seven digs and five points; Tsvetanova had five points, 16 set assists, and two digs; and Anabelle Gillen had two points.

                Against Midland, WNCC trailed just once in the opening set at 2-1. After that, Mamai-Lagafuaina had three points to help WNCC lead 10-4. The Cougars kept the lead, winning the first set on a La'Treva Kennedy kill.

                WNCC and Midland went back and forth in the second game. Midland led 4-1 early and held a 13-12 lead late. WNCC retook the lead on two Cardona service points. Tsvetanova finished off the set with an 8-point service run for the 25-15 win.

                WNCC never trailed in the third set despite the set being close. WNCC led 11-5 at one point before Midland sliced the lead to 19-18. WNCC came back to lead 21-18 on a Hernandez service point. Midland cut the lead to 23-22 before a Kennedy block ended the match.

                Mamai-Lagafuaina led the offensive charge with 14 kills with six points. Cordero finished with eight kills while Kennedy had seven. Beining tallied six kills while Canavati had four, Hernandez and Tsvetanova each with two.

                Tsvetanova had a double-double in the contest with 11 points and 22 set assists. She also had eight digs. Transfiguracion finished with 17 set assists, while Costas had 17 digs and four points. Also for the Cougars, Arianna Mitchell had eight digs, and Sherbeyn had 12 digs.

                In other action at WNCC No. 20 Utah State University Eastern topped Sheridan 25-16, 25-13, 25-17; Casper came back to top Trinidad State 25-15, 23-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12; Midland defeated Casper 18-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-14; and Utah State Eastern topped Trinidad 25-19, 25-12, 25-19.

                WNCC will wrap up the invite with two matches on Saturday when they face Colorado Northwestern at 2 p.m. followed by Laramie County Community College at 6 p.m.

                In action at Torrington, Wyoming, in the invite, the Eastern Wyoming College Lancers went 1-1 on the day after topping Colorado Northwestern on Thursday 25-15, 26-24, 25-20. The Lancers opened Friday by sweeping past Dawson Community College 25-20, 25-19, 25-17. EWC then fell to Salt Lake Community College in exciting action 25-17, 25-18, 21-25, 25-19.

                Other action at Torrington, Wyoming, saw Northeastern Junior College needing five sets to take down Laramie County Community College 18-25, 21-25, 25-16, 25-13, 15-10. Salt Lake then remained undefeated in the tourney by topping NJC 23-25, 27-25, 25-20, 25-22.

                Other games saw Western Wyoming Community College sweep Dawson 25-23, 25-18, 25-12; Western Wyoming also swept Colorado Northwestern 25-21, 25-11, 25-17; and LCCC sweeping Colorado Northwestern 25-12, 25-14, 25-16.

                EWC will have two matches on Saturday when they face Utah State-Eastern at 2 p.m. followed by Trinidad State at 6 p.m.