The first home matches of the season saw the No. 20 Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team split a pair of contests in the WyoBraska Invite hosted by WNCC and Eastern Wyoming College.
WNCC opened the invite with a 25-16, 15-16, 25-12 win over Colorado Northwestern Community College in a contest that saw all 17 players play in the contest.
WNCC couldn't make it a clean sweep on Friday as No. 13 Central Wyoming College put up an astonishing defense, thwarting many Cougar power hits in registering the 25-16, 25-22, 20-25, 25-19 win over the Cougars.
In other scores at WNCC, the first match of the day saw Casper sweep past Lake Region State College 25-19, 25-18, 25-8. Other matches at WNCC saw Central Wyoming sweep Lake Region State 25-13, 25-17, 25-15, and Casper take out Colorado Northwestern 25-18, 25-15, 25-15.
On Torrington's side of the bracket at Eastern Wyoming College, Northeastern Junior College swept Barton Community College 25-23, 25-15, 25-23, EWC topped Barton 25-18, 25-14, 12-25, 25-18; McCook Community College needed five sets to get by Western Wyoming Community College 25-22, 14-25, 26-24, 16-25, 15-13; followed by NJC sweeping Western Wyoming 25-17, 25-16, 25-16. EWC wrapped up the date falling to McCook in four sets 25-22, 25-23, 10-25, 25-22.
Today's schedule at WNCC has McCook facing Lake Region at 9 a.m. followed by WNCC facing Casper at 11:30 a.m. Western Wyoming will then face Lake Region at 2 p.m. followed by McCook battling Casper at 4:30 p.m. and the Cougars will wrap up the invite against Western Wyoming at 7 p.m.
Games at EWC on Saturday will have Colorado Northwestern facing Barton at 9 a.m., NJC meeting Central Wyoming at 11:30 a.m., EWC meeting Colorado Northwestern at 2 p.m., Barton and Central Wyoming tangling at 4:30 p.m., and then EWC facing NJC at 7 p.m.
In WNCC's win over Colorado Northwestern, the Cougars used strong serving in the first set as Jenna Curtis served the final three points for the set one win 25-16.
The second set saw Mariah Fukumoto serve five straight for a 10-2 lead and WNCC never looked back as Juliana Oliveira had the final kill for the 25-16 win.
The third set saw Hyleigh Fornstrom get eight service points in the set as the Cougars led 24-11 off of a Fornstrom ace. Erica Fava finished off the Spartans with a kill for the 25-12 win.
In the win against Colorado Northwestern, Ale Meoni and Fava each had 11 kills. Fava also had eight digs and five points, while Meoni had four points. Fornstrom finished with five kills, seven points, and two digs, while Juliana Oliveira had four kills. Laura Milori and Jayla Brehmer each had three kills.
Also for the Cougars, Macey Boggs had 23 set assists, five digs, and seven points, while Julia Moccellin had 14 set assists.
Holleigh Jaime finished with four points and two digs, and Fukumoto 11 digs and 10 points.
Against Central Wyoming, the 13th-ranked Rustlers ran out to a 14-7 lead and then doubled up the Cougars at 24-12 before Curtis served three points to bring it to 24-16, but Central won 25-16.
The second was close as the two ranked teams battled tooth and nail. WNCC led 20-18 late on a Curtis kill, but Central came back on two Ava Rasmussen points and won 25-22.
With their backs against the wall, WNCC battled back in set three. The Cougars led 12-7 on two Boggs points and pushed the lead to 17-12 on a Meoni kill and then Meoni had two service points. Central sliced the lead to one at 20-19, but Meoni stopped the run and then Fava had three points for a 24-19 lead. Meoni won the set for the Cougars with a kill at 25-20.
WNCC opened the fourth set leading 5-2 on three Fukumoto points. Central took a 11-10 lead on three Kaylee Nielson points and led 14-11 on two Rasmussen points.
The score was tied at 17 before the Rustlers went ahead 20-17 before WNCC sliced the lead to one, 20-19, on a Fava kill and then a Fornstrom ace. Central came back with a setter dump for a kill and then Nielson served the final four points for the win.
Boggs and Fava had double-doubles. Boggs had 15 digs, 30 set assists, and three points, while Fava had 14 kills, 11 digs, and three points.
Meoni had 12 kills with three digs and three points, while Curtis had 11 kills with three digs and three points.
Also for the Cougars, Fornstrom had five kills and six points; Oliveira had five kills; Moccellin had 12 set assists and seven digs; Fukumoto had 20 digs, four set assists, and five points.