SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – After winning twice on Friday, the Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team split matches on Saturday at the Crystal INNvational in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Cougars opened Saturday with a 4-set win over College of Southern Idaho 23-25, 25-20, 25-12, 25-18, and then fell to No. 14 Salt Lake Community College 18-25, 20-25, 26-24, 21-25 to finish the Invite with a 3-1 record. Salt Lake went 4-0 in its own invite.
The opening match with CSI, a team the Cougars defeated in straight sets last weekend at Central Wyoming College, saw CSI win the first set 25-23. WNCC led 22-21 on a Macey Boggs ace serve, but the Eagles went up 24-22 and won 25-23.
The second set saw WNCC lead 10-8 only to watch CSI go in front 14-10. WNCC came back to go up 17-16 and then led 21-18. WNCC went up 24-19 on two Julia Moccellin points and won the set 25-20.
The Cougars started set three quickly as Erica Fava served four points for a 5-0 lead. CSI came back to go in front 7-6. WNCC came back to lead 10-7 on two Moccellin points and then led 14-8 after Boggs had three points. Fava added four points for a 19-9 lead and WNCC won 25-12.
Once again, WNCC started strong in the fourth set as Fava had two points for a 3-1 lead. CSI came back to go up 9-5 and later 11-7. The Eagles led 12-10 before four Fava points put the Cougars up 15-12. WNCC led 17-13 on a Mariah Fukumoto point.
CSI cut the lead to 19-17, but a Fava kill and a service ace from Moccellin helped WNCC win the match at 25-18.
Fava had a double-double with 20 kills and 13 points. She also had eight digs and three aces.
Fukumoto had 12 digs with eight points while Boggs had 36 set assists with eight points and five aces.
Also for the Cougars, Ale Meoni had 10 kills with three points; Jenna Curtiz had eight kills, four digs, and three aces; Moccellin had four digs, three points, and seven set assists; Hyleigh Fornstrom had five kills; Laura Milori had four points; and Angel Nahinu had four kills.
The final match was against the host college Salt Lake and the Cougars battled the No. 14 Bruins.
Salt Lake went up 5-3 in the opening set before WNCC went in front 6-5 and 9-8. Salt Lake, however, went on a big service run late to lead 23-15 and won 25-18.
The second set saw Salt Lake lead 8-3 and later 16-12. WNCC cut the lead to one point on several locations, the final time at 21-20 on a Boggs ace, but the Bruins got the final four points for the 25-21 win.
The third set was a tight one in which the Cougars had to win to keep playing. WNCC led 5-2 on three Fava points and two Curtis kills. Salt Lake went back in front 13-10 and led 16-12. Back came WNCC as they cut the lead to 21-20 on a Moccellin point.
Salt Lake went back in front 22-20, but two Boggs points gave the Cougars the lead at 23-22. The set went back and forth until WNCC won the third 26-24 to force fourth set.
WNCC went up 5-2 in the fourth on three Fukumoto points. Salt Lake came back to go up 11-8 and led 21-16. WNCC came back to cut the lead to 22-20 on a Fava ace and later was down 23-21 but Salt Lake capture the final two points for the win.
WNCC had two players with double-doubles. Boggs had 20 digs with 39 set assists, while Fava had 17 kills with 18 digs. Boggs also had eight service points while Fava had six points and two aces.
Fukumoto had a near double-double with 21 digs and nine points.
Also for the Cougars, Meoni had 10 kills with three points; Curtis had 12 kills, six digs, and four points; and Moccellin had five points.
WNCC, 7-6 on the season, will next be in action next weekend when they head to the Pizza Hut Classic in Sterling, Colorado. WNCC will face Iowa Western Community College and Utah State Eastern on Friday followed by Snow College and Colorado Northwestern on Saturday.
The Cougars were supposed to host Eastern Wyoming College on Tuesday, but WNCC head coach Binny Canales said that game has been postponed because EWC is unable to play because of COVID issues with the volleyball team. That game will be rescheduled at a later date.