2021-22 WNCC Lady Cougar Volleyball News

  • Scottsbluff’s Bewley signs with WNCC volleyball
    March 30, 2022
    Scottsbluff’s Megan Bewley was juggling between playing tennis or volleyball in college. In the end, she picked volleyball and signed to play at Western Nebraska Community College on Tuesday. Bewley becomes the first Scottsbluff volleyball player to sign with WNCC in over 10 years. The last Bearcat to sign and play for the Cougars was Jodi Huddleston, who signed with the Cougars in January 2010. That fall, Huddleston helped the Cougars to the NJCAA national title. Bewley said she has attended camps at WNCC and just felt at home with the Cougars.
  • WNCC’s Boggs inks with Wyoming volleyball
    December 14, 2021
    Macey Boggs’ hard work paid off after playing two semesters at Western Nebraska Community College in playing at the Division I level. Boggs, who is only one of 17 setters in Cougar history to record over 1,300 set assists in a season and the first since 2016, made it official as Boggs signed her national letter of intent to play volleyball for the Cowgirls at the University of Wyoming. “The University of Wyoming gave me an opportunity to play at a level of volleyball that is close to home which is super special,” Boggs said at her signing Monday evening at Cougar Palace. “Laramie has super great facilities which is attractive and the community feel that it has being the only university in the state is really cool because of the support that it has.”
  • WNCC’s Fava earns NJCAA First Team All-American honor
    December 03, 2021
    Erica Fava’s volleyball background is intense and the 5-foot-10 outside hitter became the second consecutive Western Nebraska Community College player to earn NJCAA First Team All-American honors after the NJCAA released the All-American lists on Wednesday. Fava, who played her senior year at Maize South High School in Wichita, Kansas, in 2019-20, had an exceptional year in her first year with the Cougar volleyball program. Fava was excited when she heard she was a First Team All-American.
  • Former WNCC Cougar Whitney Roth excited to be in the NIVC volleyball tourney with Arkansas
    December 02, 2021
    While many four-year volleyball coaches are preparing their teams for the NAIA or the NCAA Division I and II national volleyball tournaments, former Western Nebraska Community College volleyball player Whitney Roth is taking a different role as her University of Arkansas Razorback volleyball team is preparing for a Saturday match in the NIVC national tournament. Roth, who is the Director of Volleyball Operations at Arkansas, is busy making all the travel arrangements for the Razorbacks as they preparing for their regional games in Nacogdoches, Texas, this weekend in the National Invitational Volleyball Championships. Arkansas will play in the Stephen F. Austin region and earned a first-round bye. The Razorbacks will play the winner of the Jackson State and Stephen F. Austin on Saturday at 6 p.m. with the winner advancing to the next round.
  • UPDATED: Three former WNCC players leading teams at NAIA national volleyball tourney this week
    December 01, 2021
    Three former Western Nebraska Community College volleyball players are participating in the NAIA National Volleyball Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa this week. Gering graduate Olivia Schaub has already helped her Northwestern College team advance out of the Pool F bracket after capturing two wins on Tuesday. Northwestern will face Missouri Baptist at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals. The other two former Cougars all played Wednesday to determine if they will move on. Sarena Bartley, who is a key contributed to 30-2 Corban University, helped her team top Ottawa University out of Arizona in four sets 25-16, 18-25, 25-22, 25-18 on Tuesday. Corban then finished its season by falling to Bellevue (Nebraska) University in four sets 25-20, 25-18, 11-25, 25-20.
  • Former WNCC coach Chris Green leads Alaska-Anchorage into the post-season
    December 01, 2021
    Former Western Nebraska Community College volleyball coach Chris Green is back in the post-season once again after the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves earned a bid to the NCAA Division II national tournament. The Seawolves, who have made the Division II championships 10 of the last 13 tournaments that Green has been coaching, will open up play Thursday, December 2 when they face the top seed from the West Region Cal State Bernardino at 6:30 p.m. (AST) and 8:30 p.m. (MST) “Our team is excited to still be competing,” Alaska Anchorage head coach Chris Green said. “There are only 64 teams still practicing in Division 2 and we are one of them, so our team knows that is an accomplishment to be proud of. There are about 300 D2 Volleyball programs across the country.”
  • WNCC former coaches Melo, Benatti and player Cordero heading to NCAA Volleyball Invitational tourney this weekend
    December 01, 2021
    Western Nebraska Community College volleyball will be well represented in the NCAA National Invitational Volleyball Championships that begin Friday at regional sites. Former WNCC player and coach Giovana Melo will be leading her Cal State-Bakersfield team into the NIVC. Cal-State Bakersfield, at 18-10 on the season, will be in the Weber State region where they will face the host school Weber State on Friday at 6 p.m. The other teams in the region are Pacific and Portland State, who battle at 3 p.m. on Friday. “It means a lot for our program [to play in the NCAA post-season],” Melo said. “! We have been working hard to make post season a goal every year. It is extremely special for our team.” Also on Melo’s staff is former WNCC assistant coach Cesar Benatti, who is the head beach volleyball coach and assistant court coach for Melo. The other former Cougar is Karen Cordero, who was an NJCAA all-American in the spring for the Cougars. Cordero will lead her Delaware State team into the post-season when they head to the Boston College region. Delaware Stae will open play on Saturday against Boston College at 2 p.m. The other teams in their region will have North Carolina A&T facing UConn.
  • Former WNCC, Gering volleyball player Olivia Schaub leading Northwestern into NAIA playoffs
    November 28, 2021
    Former Western Nebraska Community College and Gering volleyball player Olivia Schaub is playing in two national volleyball tournaments in 2021 after helping Northwestern College to the NAIA national tournament that begins this week in Sioux City, Iowa. Schaub and her Northwestern College Raiders will host Pool F of the NAIA national tournament with the winner advancing to the NAIA quarterfinals on December 2 with the semifinals on December 3 and the finals the day after. “It is a huge honor to make it to the NAIA National tournament in Sioux City, Iowa,” Schaub, who led WNCC to the national tournament in April, said. “That has been the goal for our team since the beginning of the season, so we are excited to be able to compete for a national championship.
  • WNCC ends season, Central wins regional title
    November 07, 2021
    The Central Wyoming College volleyball team captured their first Region IX Tournament title after downing Eastern Wyoming College in straight sets Saturday afternoon in the Northwest Plains B bracket at Cougar Palace. The Rustlers, who lost to NJC on Friday in the Northwest Plains A championship, controlled the tempo of the second championship contest for the most part in earning the 25-15, 25-21, 25-18 win over the Lancers. Both NJC and Central Wyoming will now compete in the NJCAA national tournament Nov. 18-20 in Hutchinson, Kansas.
  • WNCC tops Otero, faces EWC on Saturday
    November 06, 2021
    The 13th-ranked Northeastern Junior College Plainswomen were the first team to punch their ticket to the NJCAA national tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, after sweeping past No. 11 Central Wyoming College. The Plainswomen, who trailed late in each set, came storming back to down the Rustlers 28-26, 26-24, 25-23 for the title. It was NJC’s eighth Region Title overall and their fourth straight trip to the national tournament. The loss moves Central Wyoming College, which has never won a regional title and been runner-up just once in 1985, into the Northwest Plains B tournament championship match Saturday at 4 p.m.
  • WNCC volleyball falls to Central Wyoming at regionals
    November 05, 2021
    It will be No. 11 Central Wyoming College against No. 13 Northeastern Junior College for the Northwest Plains A Region IX championship on Friday after both squads earned sweeps on Thursday at Cougar Palace in the Region IX tournament. Central Wyoming College earned the right to play for their first Region IX title after defeating No. 18 Western Nebraska Community College 25-18, 25-16, 25-22 in the first semifinal. NJC followed that up with a 25-23, 25-15, 25-14 win over Northwest College in the other semifinal. The championship match is slated for 4 p.m. on Friday. There were two other matches on the day in the elimination bracket where the winner of the elimination bracket will earn the Northwest Plains B regional title that will be decided Saturday. Those two matches saw both winning teams earn sweeps. Eastern Wyoming College stayed alive with a 25-21, 25-20, 25-13 win over McCook Community College while Otero College earned a sweep over Trinidad State College 25-19, 25-22, 25-22. Friday’s contests will pit EWC against Northwest at 12 noon while WNCC faces Otero at 2 p.m. in elimination matches. The two winners will then face each other at 11 a.m. Saturday with the winner advancing to Saturday’s championship against the loser of Friday’s championship match.
  • WNCC volleyball sweeps EWC to open regional tourney play
    November 04, 2021
    Macey Boggs had a triple-double and Jenna Curtis and Erika Fava finished with double-doubles as the 18th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team won its opener of the Region IX tournament with a sweep over Eastern Wyoming College Wednesday afternoon at Cougar Palace 25-23, 25-10, 25-21. WNCC, 23-12, will face No. 11 Central Wyoming College in the semifinals on Thursday at 4 p.m. with the winner advancing to Friday’s championship match. Central Wyoming won its quarterfinal match over McCook Community College in interesting fashion in five sets 25-18, 26-28, 25-11, 18-25, 15-8. The other side of the bracket will pit Northwest College against No. 13 Northeastern Junior College in the semis at 6 p.m. Thursday. Northwest needed four sets to get by Otero College 25-15, 23-25, 25-10, 27-25, while NJC got by Trinidad State College 22-25, 25-13, 25-23, 25-20.
  • WNCC set to host regionals beginning Wednesday
    November 02, 2021
    Western Nebraska Community College will play host to all 12 Region IX volleyball teams beginning Wednesday when the Region IX tournament kicks off bright and early. Like previous years, this year’s competition is up for grabs with any team capable of winning and earning a berth to the National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, Nov. 18-20. Two Region IX teams will qualify for the tournament. Last April WNCC and Northeastern Junior College qualified for the tournament and both teams will have a chance to win two regional titles in the same calendar year. WNCC defeated NJC in the winner’s bracket title game and then NJC came back to down Central Wyoming in the second championship game. Both WNCC and NJC earned a first-round bye into the bracket play this year. NJC, who is ranked 13th in the NJCAA polls, is the No. 1 seed from the south and the Cougars, ranked 18th in the polls this week, are the No. 2 seeds from the South. The north top two seeds that earned a bye include No. 11 Central Wyoming College and Northwest College.
  • WNCC sweeps McCook, wraps up regular season wtih 22 wins
    October 28, 2021
    MCCOOK – The 20th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team wrapped up the regular season with a 25-17, 25-18, 25-23 sweep over McCook Community College Wednesday evening in McCook. The Cougars wrap up the regular season with a 22-13 overall record as they get ready to host the Region IX tournament Nov. 3-6 at Cougar Palace. The tournament begins at 8 a.m. on Wednesday with two matches and two more at 10 a.m. Wednesday’s match saw three players record double-figure kills. Ale Meoni, Erica Fava, and Jenna Curtis all finished with 11 kills. All three also had double-doubles.
  • WNCC volleyball falls in four to NJC
    October 24, 2021
                In a hard-fought battle at home, the No. 16-ranked Western Nebraska Community College Cougar volleyball team lose in four sets to the Northeastern Junior College Plainswomen 22-25, 25-20, 25-23 and 25-23.             It was a back-and-forth affair in the first set as Jenna Curtis opened the first set with three service points for a 4-0 lead. After that there were ties at 8, 11, 12, 13 and 14, with the longest battle for a point being WNCC’s 13th point.
  • WNCC sweeps Lamar on sophomore night
    October 23, 2021
    Holleigh Jaime had a sophomore night to remember for the No. 16 Western Nebraska Community College volleyball Friday evening against Lamar Community College. The 5-foot-3 defensive specialist from Soldotna, Alaska, opened the match with nine straight service points and then closed out the match with a kill from the front row in helping the Cougars run past Lamar 25-5, 25-13, 25-11 for the Cougars’ 21st win of the season. The six sophomores, who all started, were honored after the match. The six sophomores are Jaime from Alaska; Macey Boggs and Elli Winkler from Gering; Mariah Fukumoto and Angel Nahinu from Hawaii, and Hyleigh Fornstrom from Pine Bluffs, Wyoming.
  • PAWzitiviely Pink Night moved to Friday against Lamar
    October 19, 2021
    The No. 16 Western Nebraska Community College women’s volleyball match with Casper College that was scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed because of inclement weather in Wyoming. Tuesday’s match was also PAWzitively Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Night as well as WNCC Alumni Night. The PAWzitively Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Night has now been moved to Friday’s home match with Lamar Community College. First serve on Friday is slated for 6 p.m. at Cougar Palace.
  • WNCC hosts Casper Tuesday in breast cancer awareness night
    October 18, 2021
    This is a big week for the No. 16 Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team as they get ready to host three matches during the week. It all begins Tuesday night in one of the bigger nights of the year as the Cougars entertain Casper College in PAWzitively Pink breast cancer awareness night. First serve is set for 6 p.m. at Cougar Palace. Tuesday’s activities include al breast cancer survivors getting in free and if fans where pink, they get $1 off admission. There will also be information available on breast cancer. Youngsters can also get their hair sprayed pink during the night.
  • WNCC volleyball tops Trinidad for 20th win of season
    October 17, 2021
    TRINIDAD, Colo. – The 20th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team struggled early but came on strong in the third and fourth sets to down Trinidad State College 25-20, 20-25, 25-12, 25-14 for the Cougar’s 20th win of the season. The win was a crucial South conference contest as the Cougars are fighting for the No. 1 seed for November’s Region IX tournament, which WNCC will host beginning November 3. WNCC has one conference loss and trails Northeastern Junior College, who is unbeaten in the conference.
  • WNCC captures 19th win with five-set win over Otero
    October 16, 2021
    LaJunta, Colo. – Ale Meoni had a triple-double and the 20th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team needed five sets to get by Otero College Friday afternoon in a Region IX South Conference contest 23-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-27, 15-7. The win moved the Cougars to 19-12 on the season. WNCC will look for season-win number 20 when they travel to face Trinidad State College Saturday afternoon. The Cougars had trouble getting started in the opening set. After WNCC led 6-5 after three Meoni points, Otero came back to lead 17-15. WNCC retook the lead at 21-20, but saw the Rattlers go up 23-21 and win the first set 25-23.
  • Former Cougar Fatima Balza: "Touch Yourself"; Balza talks about her breast cancer awareness
    October 14, 2021
    “I have breast cancer” is something no one wants to hear and with October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, former Western Nebraska Community College volleyball player Fatima Balza is coming out to encourage people to take this disease serious. What the former Cougar is telling people is simple: “Touch your breast so you don’t lose your breast!”
  • WNCC volleyball sweeps EWC behind strong serving
    October 13, 2021
    Erica Fava, Jenna Curtis, and Julia Moccelin all had double-figure service points and the No. 20 Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team swept past Eastern Wyoming College 25-13, 25-15, 25-14 at Cougar Palace Tuesday evening. The way the Cougars played Tuesday was a marked difference in the way they played a week ago in Torrington, Wyoming, when the Lancers topped the Cougars in four sets. Alexis Keoho, a freshman from Hawaii, said it was a big difference between matches from a week ago.
  • WNCC volleyball tops McCook, falls to Iowa Western in five sets
    October 09, 2021
    The 16th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team left it all on the floor against No. 2 Iowa Western Community College in battling the defending national champs to the wire before falling in five sets 25-22, 23-25, 25-15, 16-25, 15-12 in a contest that saw plenty of long rallies and great defensive plays by both teams. WNCC did, however, earn the split on the day as they captured a straight set win over McCook Community College 25-21, 25-18, 25-19 in the first game of the triangular behind a 19-kill performance from Erica Fava. The win stopped a 2-game losing streak. The other match in the triangular saw Iowa Western earn a 25-21, 25-19, 25-18 win over McCook.
  • WNCC volleyball falls to Central Wyoming
    October 09, 2021
    After playing so competitively against No. 2 Iowa Western Community College Friday night in the five-set defeat, the No. 16 Cougars struggled Saturday afternoon in falling to No. 13 Central Wyoming College 25-22, 25-18, 25-20. Central Wyoming opened the day on Saturday in falling to Iowa Western in straight sets 25-18, 26-24, 25-22. WNCC, 17-12, will look to get back on the winning track with a home contest on Tuesday against Eastern Wyoming College, a team the Cougars lost to a week ago in four sets in Torrington, Wyoming.
  • WNCC hosts McCook, Iowa Western Friday
    October 07, 2021
    It will be a big weekend of volleyball for the No. 16 Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team as they get ready to host two Top 20 teams in action Friday and Saturday. More importantly, this weekend is vital to right the ship after the Cougars dropped back-to-back contests for the first time since 2019 when they lost two straight in August. The last time the Cougars lost three straight was at the 2016 NJCAA national tournament in Casper, Wyoming. The competition this weekend will be top notch as the Cougars, 16-10, will open Friday with a Region IX South conference game against McCook Community College. McCook will then face No. 2 Iowa Western Community College at 5 p.m. followed by WNCC meeting Iowa Western at 7 p.m.
  • WNCC falls to EWC in four sets
    October 06, 2021
    TORRINGTON, Wyo. – The Eastern Wyoming College volleyball team had a game plan entering Tuesday night’s contest with 16th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College. After the first set, the game plan wasn’t working as WNCC earned a 25-17 win. The difference in the contest was the second, third and fourth sets which the Lancers continued with the game plan and it worked as they won the next three sets 26-24, 25-19, 25-18 for the win over the ranked Cougars.
  • WNCC volleyball falls to NJC in four sets
    October 03, 2021
    STERLING, Colo. – The No. 14 Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team went on the road for a Region IX South contest against Northeastern Junior College and ended up suffering a hard-fought four-set loss to the Plainswomen 19-25, 25-23, 25-22, 27-25 Saturday afternoon in Sterling, Colorado. The Cougars battled hard in the first set and controlled the tempo as they cruised to the 25-19 win behind five service points from Jenna Curtis.
  • WNCC volleyball claims seventh straight win; sweeps Lamar
    October 02, 2021
    LAMAR, Colo. – The No. 14 Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team recorded 10 aces and rolled to a straight set win over Lamar Community College 25-13, 25-18, 25-14 in a Region IX South conference match Friday in Lamar, Colorado. The Cougars started the match with strong serving and the serving stayed sharp through the three sets needed to get the win.
  • WNCC volleyball wins 15th game, sweeps Trinidad
    September 26, 2021
    Jenna Curtis had 10 kills and the No. 18 Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team got 14 points from Ale Meoni as the Cougars swept Trinidad State College 25-15, 25-17, 25-15 Saturday afternoon at Cougar Palace. The win was the Cougars sixth straight and moved WNCC to 15-8 on the season.
  • WNCC volleyball sweeps Otero
    September 25, 2021
    Erica Fava had a double-double of 12 kills and 12 digs and the No. 18 Western Nebraska Community College found a way to get the sweep over Otero College 26-24, 25-15, 25-19 in the South Region IX Conference opener for both squads Friday night at Cougar Palace. The win was the Cougars 14th of the season as they have won five straight. WNCC will look for its sixth straight when they host Trinidad State College Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. WNCC returning setter Macey Boggs, who had a double-double of 34 set assists and 10 points, said it wasn’t the team’s best performance but they found a way to get the win.
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