The 10th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team have been idle for a week and the Cougars will be chomping at the bit to get back into the competition mode when they get ready for the Highway 26 battle with Eastern Wyoming College Tuesday night in Torrington, Wyoming.
The contest will have plenty of festivities with first serve slated for 7 p.m. at the Verl Petsch Activities Center. EWC will be kicking off their 75th anniversary campaign with a tailgate party that evening as well
The 75th anniversary celebration will kick off with a tailgate party from 5-6:30 p.m. in the CTEC parking lot north of activities center. A free meal will be provided until sold out and everyone is invited to attend the first home volleyball game of the Lancer season, free of charge.
It should be a battle as well as EWC has a new coach in George Hamilton, who knows WNCC head coach Binny Canales from when the two coached at junior colleges in Texas.
The Cougars enter the season at 4-1 and the last time they were on the court was last Tuesday when they defeated Casper College in four sets at Cougar Palace.
The Lancers started the season 3-1 before going 1-4 last week. Their only win was a four-set win over Lamar Community College. The Lancers are 4-5 on the season.
The last time the Lancers defeated the Cougars was just a couple years ago, January 22, 2021, when they opened the season at the WNCC Crossover tournament at Cougar Palace. The Lancers won that afternoon 26-28, 25-17, 25-20, 25-22. WNCC holds the all-time record against EWC 76-55-1.
The two teams met in a friendly scrimmage before the season and Charli Blackman said they have to enter this match with the right mindset.
"We played them in a friendly scrimmage during the pre-season, we went 2-1, but we tried new line ups and different tactics," the sophomore hitter said. "It'll be an interesting game as al the teams this year are completely different and I believe we can come out on top if we stick to what we know and what we have practiced."
If with all the hype EWC is putting into the game with it being the start of their 75th college anniversary celebration, Blackman said they just have to go in and worry about themselves and not about all the hype of festivities that is surrounding the game.
"It will definitely be daunting going into their home gym with such a strong atmosphere against us, but going in and just playing our game is what will get us through it," Blackman said. "Playing for each other has been our tam motto for this year and we all have that mindset each game which will make it easier against their large crowd."
WNCC, who dropped from six to 10 in the NJCAA volleyball polls that were released Monday, are led by three players that have knocked down over 40 kills in the first four matches. Lilly Zwart leads the team with 67 followed by Dani Cruz with 50 and Charli Blackman with 43.
Shanelle Martinez leads the team from the setting position as well as the service line. The sophomore is averaging 9.3 sets a set while having recorded 62 digs and served 11 aces.
Taylor Tyser, who was named Region IX Defensive Player of the Week, leads the team in digs 79 digs or at 4.16 digs per game. Second is Martinez with 62 followed by Cruz with 36 and then Megan Bewley with 31.
The Lancers, who have played nine matches so far this season, are led by Ana Djurovic with 110 kills. She also ahs 143 digs, 16 blocks, and has served 28 aces.
Neeley Rutledge has hammered down 83 kills with 144 digs, while Siale Unufe has 63 kills. Sydney Anderson and Julie "Belle" Dolan each have 58 kills.
Knowing that EWC is improved from a year ago, Blackman said they have to just go in with the mindset that they believe in themselves to get the win.
"I believe that w have to keep going on our winning streak and continue to play for each other," she said. "Taking the pressure off us is a big thing since having such a young team so keeping each other prepared and hyped up will be the most important thing for us."
After Tuesday, the Cougars will head to face four teams at the Salt Lake tourney including No. 2 Miami Dade, No. 14 Salt Lake Community College, and the College of Southern Idaho, who received votes this week. The other team they play is Lee College.
Blackman said the EWC match will be a tune-up for Salt Lake on Friday and Saturday.
"I think that our focus for this week is to try new things and be adaptive," she said. "I think we can do really well tomorrow (Tuesday) night as preparation for the Salt Lake Tournament this weekend, going in to this game level headed and focused.
"The focus for Salt Lake is to come out on top for the weekend. However, we do play some really tough teams so it will be interesting towards our outcome. We have been preparing for this tournament so I believe that we are ready for whatever comes our way. We have incredible players on our team and such a great environment and atmosphere that I think that will be our biggest strength going into this."