CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Anakaran Chavez finished with a double-double of 16 digs and 18 points as the 18th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College volleyball swept past Laramie County Community College 25-21, 25-16, 25-16.

WNCC moves to 6-0 on the season and the sweep was the Cougars’ fourth straight 3-set win.

Alex Hernandez said they played well in getting the sweep.

“I think overall we played well. We just started off slow in the first set making too many unforced errors and making it a close set,” she said. “But I think we were able to come out more focused after that first set.

The first set was close at the start. WNCC led 16-10 and pushed the lead to 19-11 on two Chavez points. WNCC went up 24-19 on a Jenna Curtis kill and won the first set 25-21 on an Emmalei Mapu kill.

The next two sets were close but key service runs helped the Cougars open the sets. Hernandez said serving was the key in these two sets.

“The keys to winning the second and third set I think was our serving,” she said. “We were able to cut down on our missed serves and let LCCC make the unforced errors. I also think our passing was great tonight.”

The second set saw Hernandez open a 10-point lead at 17-7 when she pounded home a kill and then went back and served seven straight points. WNCC went up double digits when Curtis had a service point for a 20-9 lead.

The Cougars led 24-11 on an Ale Meoni point. LCCC got a sideout and then served four straight points to cut the lead to 24-16. Erica Fava stopped the run with a kill and the set winner.

LCCC took control early in the third set with a 4-1 lead. After a sideout, Chavez went wild at the service line with nine points including two aces, two kills from Hernandez and another one from Fava for a 12-4 lead.

LCCC kept fighting as they sliced the lead to 15-12, but a Hernandez kill and then two service points from Hernandez pushed the lead to 18-12.

WNCC went up 21-15 on a Jayla Brehmer kill and then won the match on three straight Chavez points with the final point coming on a Charli Blackman kill.

Chavez led the Cougars with 16 digs, 18 points and two aces while Hernandez had six kills, three digs, nine points, and two aces.

Fava led the team with nine kills followed by eight from Meoni, and five each from Curtis and Mapu. Brehmer also had three kills. Fava also had seven digs, four points, and a solo block while Meoni had a dig with three points.

Curtis had 10 digs to go with her five kills along with three points and a solo block while Mapu had two solo blocks and two assist blocks to go with her five kills.

Also for the Cougars, Brehmer had three kills, two digs, and an ace serve; Juliana Oliveira had four digs, two points, and a solo block; Shanelle Martinez had 37 set assists with nine digs and six points; Blackman had one kill, and Megan Bewley had a dig.

WNCC will hit the road next week when they face Casper on Tuesday and then the Salt Lake Invite over the weekend when they will face Central Wyoming, Salt Lake Community College, College of Southern Idaho, and Northwest College.

Hernandez said the team needs to pass and serve to get wins next week.

“I think we just need to pass and serve well to get wins next week,” she said. “I think that we’re such a strong team and we just have to keep playing together and believing that we can keep this winning streak going.”