Cougar notes: Scottsbluff’s Bewley signs with WNCC volleyball

                Scottsbluff’s Megan Bewley was juggling between playing tennis or volleyball in college. In the end, she picked volleyball and signed to play at Western Nebraska Community College on Tuesday.

                Bewley becomes the first Scottsbluff volleyball player to sign with WNCC in over 10 years. The last Bearcat to sign and play for the Cougars was Jodi Huddleston, who signed with the Cougars in January 2010. That fall, Huddleston helped the Cougars to the NJCAA national title.

                Bewley said she has attended camps at WNCC and just felt at home with the Cougars.

                “I went on a visit to their school and I really loved the environment. I just really love volleyball and this was my opportunity to continue my career so I just jumped on it,” Bewley said. “This means a lot to me. I didn’t think I would be able to do this so just being able to have the opportunity is really cool and I hope I can continue it for as long as I can.”

                Playing volleyball just felt like the right fit for the Scottsbluff defensive specialist that has been an all-around player for the Bearcats. She said she wants to grow as a player at WNCC and help them continue their winning ways.

                “I think I can learn a lot from this program and get some good wins,” she said. “I know they have been a winning program so I hope I can help them to that and be a part of something successful.”

                Scottsbluff coach Leslie Foral said she described Bewley has a Mighty Mouse because is not the most vocal person on the court but plays her heart when she hits the floor.

                “It is kind of funny because during the banquet, I coined her has Mighty Mouse. Obviously, you can tell that she doesn’t have the loudest voice, but she does a lot of the things that go unrecognized that doesn’t show up on the scoreboard,” Foral said. “She is a tough, tough player. I played her as an outside hitter, as a setter, as a libero. She is willing to jump in and do whatever. She puts her body on the line a lot and I am excited to go up and watch her hope she can contribute.”

                At Scottsbluff, she was one of those players that did play a variety of positions and did it with plenty of toughness.

                Last fall Bewley finished with 26 kills, six aces, a 97.7 serving percentage, 63 digs and 77 set assists For her career, she played in 143 sets and finished with 44 kills, 57 aces, a 92.2 serving percentage, 366 digs, and 471 set assists.

                WNCC head coach Binny Canales sees her as someone that will help them on the defensive end as a libero or a defensive specialist.

                “She has been coming to camps forever and she can set, she can hit, and she can do all the skills,” he said. “We see her from being a DS/libero to helping with our passing and defending. She has a great volleyball IQ and I think it will help.”

                Bewley said the biggest thing for her in coming to WNCC is that it is an easy transition into college.

                “It has been really nice (going to college close to home),” she said. “I have been going to WNCC’s volleyball camps as a little kid and I have known the coaches for a long time. I just feel comfortable there so it will be an easier transition into the next level.”

                Right now Bewley is busy playing her other sport of tennis. She said it was somewhat difficult to pick volleyball over tennis, but in the end she couldn’t resist not playing the indoor sport.

                “I did consider tennis and I really love tennis, but I think I love volleyball more,” she added.

                The hardest part for Bewley in leaving Scottsbluff is the opportunities that she had to participate in many activities as well as switching her colors from red and white to blue and gold.

                “It is going to be really hard because all I have is red and white right know,” Bewley said. “But, Scottsbluff has meant the world to me. I came from a really small elementary school, and I came to Scottsbluff and just jumped into it. They just welcomed me and I fit in ever since. I just love being in all the activities from HOSA to sports. There are so many opportunities and I think they helped me grow as a person.”

                Bewley is majoring in nursing with hopes of getting her pre-nursing credits out of the way and then move on to get a degree in nursing.

WNCC's Douglas earns NJCAA First Team All-American

                Western Nebraska Community College sophomore Ale’Jah Douglas was named a NJCAA Division I First Team All-American on Monday and it was an honor that shows the work that Douglas as put in while helping the Cougars to back-to-back national tournaments and a third-place finish at nationals just a couple weeks ago.

                Douglas said the honor means a lot to her.

                “It means a lot,” Douglas, who helped the Cougars to two national tournament trips in the past two years and a 5-2 record at nationals, said. “I have put in a lot of work to be in the position that I am in and will continue to do so.”

                WNCC head coach Chad Gibney said Douglas has been an important role in the Cougars success the last two seasons.

                “I am so proud of Ale’Jah,” Gibney said. “To watch someone trust the process and work how she has worked; it is amazing to see her get rewarded.”

                Gibney said she not only was the team’s leading scorer, but she was also one of the players that led the team in assists and a vital team player.

                “She was always about our team. We had an incredible run and I am truly proud of the group we had this year,” Gibney said. “She has been invaluable to the success of the program and has a bright future ahead of her.”

                Douglas said that she has grown so much as a player in her two years at WNCC. Douglas is a graduate of Northwest High School in Omaha and signed in November to continue her basketball playing at Clemson University. She will have three years of basketball eligibility at Clemson.

                “My game has improved a lot over the two years of being here at WNCC whether it is me getting a better understanding of the game as a whole, feel of playing at a different pace, or simply being able to strictly focus on being a point guard.”

                What Douglas accomplished at WNCC was score 1,015 points in her career, which she did when she scored 31 points against Tyler Junior College at the national tournament on March 20. She is only one of four players to notch 1,000 points in her career including the last two First Team all-Americans from WNCC with Merle Wiehl in 2019 and TK Morehouse in 2020.

She was also named to the NJCAA All-tournament team in helping the Cougars to a Final Four appearance and a third-place finish at nationals. She was also on the Region IX all-region team and the Region IX all-tournament team.

                Last year as a freshman, Douglas was a NJCAA honorable mention all-American.

                Douglas said she owes the award to all the people back home that believed in her and never gave up on her abilities. She also said her teammates and coaches at WNCC were a big help in her development as a player.

                “I definitely have to give it to myself first and foremost being that I am the one who ahs the discipline to put in the extra work every day,” she said. “My people in my circle back home who believed in me and supported me when I struggled to do so myself. Lastly, my teammates over the past two years and coaches who have trusted me and allowed me to be myself and pushed me out of my comfort zone to evolve as a person and player.”

                Douglas was just one of two Region IX players to make the all-American. The other was Casper’s Joseana Vaz, who was an honorable mention selection.

                Douglas is joined on the first team by several other talented players. Douglas is just one of four sophomores on the first team while there are six freshmen.

                The First Team includes Jashanti Simmons of Georgia Highlands, Nadecka Laccen of Tyler, Last-Tear Poa of Northwest Florida State, Myia Yelder of Three Rivers, Mya Willliams of Hutchinson, Sakyia White of Jones, Alliance Ndiba of Arizona Western, Cordasia Harris of Bishop State, and Rapuluchi Ngorka of Eastern Florida.

                The Second Team is comprised of Shanequa Henry of Eastern Oklahoma State, Promise Taylor of Grayson, Kiera Hill of Walters State, Dais’Ja Trotter of Rend Lake, Nya Valentine of Shelton State, Alexia Dizeko of South Georgia Tech, Destiny Brown of Southern Nevada, Telisha Brown of Blinn, Abby Barr of Highland, and Ivane Tensaie of North Dakota State College of Science.

                The Third Team includes Seairra Hughes of Central Arizona, Indya Green of Moberly Area, Maisa Marcal of Independence, Bella Green of Midland, Jayla Murray of Florida Southwestern, Jeniah Thompson of John A. Logan, Lovietta Walker of Angelina, Daijah Smith of Wabash Valley, Precious Cowan of New Mexico, and Jordan McLaughlin of Chipola.

                The honorable mention list includes Casper’s Vaz along with Ma’Kaila Lewis of Bossier Parish, JaMari Frederick of Spartanburg Methodist, Olivia Medford of Monroe College, Patricia Sherrill of Harford, Ambah Kowcun of North Dakota State College of Science, Marshay Kellum of Malcolm X, Asjah Harrell of Cleveland State, Tersea Da Silva of Arizona Western, Meloney Thames of Jones, Faith Simpson of Coffeyville, Emilia Nworie of Southern Idaho, Kinlee Toomer of Utah State Eastern, Taliah Wesley of Andrew, Fanta Gassama of South Georgia Tech, Makiyah McCollister of Trinity Valley, Jordyn Carter of Temple, Ta’Shonna Wright-Gaskins of Chipola, Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu of Gulf Coast, and Briana Knabe of Murray State.