The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team has high expectations for the coming year after placing in the top six at the NJCAA national tournament a year ago.

                WNCC opened the quest to repeat as Region IX champions and that national tournament experience this week with a different type of team from last year with just five returning players.

                Even though they might be young on paper, this year's team is deep in talent.

                "I think we have quite a bit of talent on this team," sophomore Shanelle Martinez, who was a First Team NJCAA All-American a year ago, said. "It is just we are a young team so there is learning that we need to do. But, we have great talent; we just have to mesh together."

                Martinez is the only real starter returning from a year ago as the setter had an outstanding season a year ago when she had 1,399 set assists for a 10.36 sets per game average. Also returning is back-up setter Shae Hardy. Martinez stands 5-9 and comes from San Antonio, Texas, while Hardy is 5-5 and comes from Windsor, Colorado.

                Hardy said the three weeks that they will practice before classes begin August 21 will be crucial in building that bond among the team.

                "It is so important because this is where we bond and have the chemistry to get out there and play. If we didn't do this, we wouldn't get anywhere, honestly," Hardy said. "There is a lot of learning to do for the freshmen, but I believe in them. We all believe in each other and It think we will do really good this year."

                Besides Hardy and Martinez, three other players return from last year's 34-5 season. They include 5-4 libero/defensive specialist Megan Bewley from Scottsbluff. The two hitters that return include 6-1 Charli Blackman from Auckland, New Zealand, and 6-3 Maya Angelova of Kyustendil, Bulgaria.

                The rest of the team is made up of freshmen. Two are former Panhandle players as Gering's Carleigh Pszanka, a 6-0 outside hitter, and Harrison's Tamika Eastman, a 5-10 hitter, make up two of the 10 freshmen.

                Two of the freshmen are from neighboring states with Taylor Tyser, a 5-4 libero/defensive specialist from Laramie, Wyoming, and 5-8 hitter Jaylen Nachtigall from Hot Springs, South Dakota.

                The other freshmen are hitters. They include 5-9 outside hitter Dani Cruz of Guadalajara, Mexico; 5-11 rightside hitter Lilly Zwart of Tasmin, New Zealand; 5-10 hitter Chloe Grady of Kaneohe, Hawaii; 5-6 middle hitter Dessiah Christopher of Naples, Florida; 6-1 middle hitter Finja Schul of Bergisch Gladbach, Germany; and 5-8 hitter/setter Kyana Gabriel of Hilo Hawaii.

                Martinez loves the hitters that she gets to set to.

                "There are a lot of good hitters that are standing out," Martinez said. "They play hard, they work hard, and they are very aggressive. I think the thing we need to work on is our passing, but the hitting is there. The hitting talent is there."

                Both setters said the first week of practice has had its ups and downs, but overall everything is going just well.

                "I think it has been going great," Martinez said. "I think we have a lot of potential, but we have a lot of work to do and it seems like a lot of the girls are willing to work hard. I think it will be an easier season if everyone has their mindset."

                Hardy said everyone is working hard to accomplish that goal of getting back to nationals.

                "I think it (the preseason workouts) has been going really good," she said. "We have been putting in a lot of hard work. We have been working really hard and we are getting there."

                WNCC will open the season for real August 18-19 when they compete in the Reiver Classic in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Cougars' first home game is slated for Tuesday, August 22 against Casper College.

                "The outlook is to win regionals and hopefully to attend the national tournament and make a name for ourselves like we did last year," Martinez said. "Also, the goals are to just have a good healthy season overall."

                Hardy said once this team clicks, they should be fun to watch.

                "I think we are really talented," Hardy said. "We have a great group of hitters. We have me and Shanelle as the setters, and we have a new DS in Megan. We are all going to work so hard to make the chemistry and then we will be ready for the season."