WNCC volleyball sweeps Otero

WNCC volleyball sweeps Otero
(WNCC)
October 8th, 2023 | WNCC Sports Information

The Western Nebraska Community College captured another Region IX South conference victory with a team effort 25-12, 25, 13, 25-14 win over Otero College Friday evening at Cougar Palace. 

Shae Hardy, who finished with seven service points and eight digs, said the team was trusting each other and had plenty of positive energy. 

“It is important to get that energy going because we are having fun,” Hardy said. “Mistakes are being made but we are brushing them off quickly. Everybody is just laughing, trusting each other, and having fun. It is important to keep the energy up.” 

That is what they did as there was plenty of energy on the court and sidelines and all 14 players saw action on the court and contributed in some fashion. Hardy said that they have worked hard in practice to turn the season around. 

“We definitely cleaned a lot of things up in practice,” she said. “We are working on small little details that make the difference of making back-to-back errors.” 

And that is the key with these two wins. The previous matches the Cougars had too many back-to-back-back errors that let the other teams get on service runs. Friday, Otero’s service runs were held in check. 

The first set saw WNCC trail 2-1, but three service points from Kyana Gabriel and then a 5-point service run by Dani Cruz helped the Cougars to a 14-7 lead. Finja Schul added another three  for a 18-8 lead and WNCC never looked back for the 25-12 first-set win. 

The second set started out a little different as the Cougars trailed by two on a couple occasions. With the score in favor of Otero at 5-3, Schul slammed down a kill and then Cruz reeled off nine straight points for a 13-5 lead. WNCC never looked back as they led 21-8 after tw0 Charli Blackman points and won on a Carleigh Pszanka ace serve. 

The third set was close, too. With the score knotted at 3-3, Blackman had a kill and Megan Bewley had two points for a 6-3 lead. Later, Hardy served four points for an 11-4 lead. WNCC never looked back as they led 23-13 after three more Hardy points. WNCC won 25-14. 

Shanelle Martinez had a double-double in the win with 27 set assists, 10 digs, four kills, four points, two assisted blocks, and an ace serve. 

Cruz finished with 14 points with two aces along with four kills and seven digs. Kyana Gabriel led the team with six kills along with four points, two aces, and two digs. Lilly Zwart tallied five kills with two digs, while Blackman and Schul each had four kills. Schul also had seven points and four digs, while Blackman had three digs, four points, and an ace serve. 

Also for WNCC, Bewley had six digs and three points; Taylor Tyser had three digs; Pszanka had a point with an ace; Dessiah Christopher had two kills along with Maya Angelova. Angelova also had four digs, while Tanika Eastman had a dig.  

WNCC, 13-12, will be back in action next week with three matches beginning with a non-conference contest on the road at Casper College on Tuesday followed by home match-ups with Lamar on Friday and McCook on Saturday afternoon. 

Hardy said they have to keep working hard to have a successful next week. 

“I think we have to go into practice having a good attitude,” she said. “Coming off these two wins will definitely be better. Our focus is to clean up the little things when we go to Casper and then we are back at home and hopefully do the same things we did this weekend.”

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