The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team moved to 16-2 on the season after sweeping both opponents on the second day of the WyoBraska Invite on Friday.

            The fifth-ranked Cougars opened the day when they swept Casper College 25-18, 25-10, 25-11 behind strong serving that included 16 ace serves.

            The Cougars wrapped up the day when they totaled 10 ace serves in a sweep over Western Wyoming Community College 25-16, 25-14, 25-22.

            WNCC will wrap up the WyoBraska Invite on Saturday with two big matches when they face defending national champion Iowa Western Community College at 1 p.m. and then No. 16 Central Wyoming College at 5 p.m.

            In the match against Casper, WNCC trailed 12-10 in the first set, but they finally warmed up with strong serving.

            Serving, especially in sets two and three were the key. Anakaren Chavez tallied six aces during a 10-point run in the third set. Alex Hernandez had four aces with 12 points. Chavez finished with 14 points in the contest.

            After the first set, WNCC held a slim 11-6 lead when Fava served five straight for a 16-6 lead. After a side out, Hernandez had six straight points for a 23-7 lead behind two kills from Jenna Curtis and one from Maya Angelova.

            Casper had a mini comeback as Tyla Reese Mane had two service points to cut the lead to 23-10. Curtis stopped the run with a kill and then Shae Hardy served the final point for the 25-10 win.

            The third set started out close as Casper trailed just 3-2 after a point. WNCC turned the set around after a sideout. Chavez stepped to the service line and served two straight aces. After two more points from Chavez with kills from Ale Meoni and Erica Fava, Chavez served up four aces in the next service points for a 14-2 lead.

            Casper cut the lead to 15-8 after three points from Quinci Mooren and later trailed 16-9. Hernandez hammered down a kill and then the sophomore middle hitter from El Paso, Texas, served six points with two aces. That service run was aided by two kills from Emmalei Mapu and a kill from Charli Blackman for a 23-9 lead. WNCC then got kills from Blackman and the match winner from Jayla Brehmer for the 25-11 win.

            WNCC had a couple of plates with double-doubles. Chavez had 11 digs, 14 points and six aces while Shanelle Martinez had 10 digs, 21 set assists, two kills, and six points.

            Hernandez had 12 points with four aces and three digs, while Fava had eight kills, five digs, five points, and two aces. Curtis had five kills, seven digs, four points, and two aces.

            Also for WNCC, Lexi Keoho had five digs; Hardy had four set assists; Blackman had three kills and two digs; Brehmer had a dig and a kill; Anna Jasinsky had two digs; Mapu had three kills and a solo block; and Angelova had a kill.

            WNCC's second game on Friday against Western Wyoming Community College saw the Cougars control the first two sets winning 25-16, 25-14. The third set saw the Cougars have a big lead of about eight points until Western Wyoming came storming back to tie the set at 22-22. The Cougars got a sideout and then got the final two points for the 25-22 win.

            Martinez had a double-double in the win with 10 points, 36 set assists, nine digs, two aces, and two kills. Fava led the way with 13 kills along with six digs and two points, while Chavez had 10 digs and four points.

            Curtis had a productive night with six kills, seven digs, four points, and two aces, while Meoni has a consistent showing with seven kills, seven points, four aces, and five digs.

            Also for the Cougars, Hernandez had two kills and two points; Oliveira had two kills and two points; Blackman had two kills, two points, and three digs; Hardy had three set assists; and Mapu had seven kills and a solo block.

            In other scores in the WyoBraska Invite at Scottsbluff, Iowa Western swept Casper 25-22, 25-17, 25-22; Northeastern Junior College swept Western Wyoming 25-13, 25-16, 25-9; and Iowa Western swept NJC 25-23, 26-24, 25-23.

            Action at Torrington, Wyoming, saw the EWC Lancers go 1-1 on the day as they captured their first victory of the season with a 26-28, 25-14, 25-11, 22-25, 15-11 win over Colorado Northwestern. The Lancers then lost to Dodge City 25-20, 25-21, 25-15. Other scores at Torrington included Central Wyoming College defeating Lake Region State 25-12, 25-10, 25-15; Central Wyoming defeating Dodge City 25-19, 22-25, 25-17, 25-21; Northwest topping Colorado Northwestern 25-9, 25-16, 25-20; and Northwest bettering Lake Region State 16-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-20.