The 4th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team gave the nine sophomores a happy ending to the regular season as the Cougars topped a scrappy Trinidad State College team in four sets 25-17, 24-26, 25-11, 25-10 Friday night at Cougar Palace.

               The win was the Cougars 29th of the season and their 12th straight. The win gave the Cougars an unblemished record at 10-0 in Region IX South play as they enter the Region IX tournament next Wednesday in Casper as the No. 1 seed from the South.

               Erica Fava, one of the nine sophomores, said they didn’t play their best but they found a way to get the win.

               “We didn’t start really good. I think we were thinking about sophomore night and everything that it is our last time playing here, so it was really emotional,” Fava said. “We picked it up and showed them the team we are and what we can do and where we can go.”

               This is also a good match for them as they enter the regional tournament as they were pushed and had to fight when things weren’t going their way against a Trinidad State team that was picking everything up and showing the young talent they have. Trinidad had just four sophomores of their 15-player roster.

               “We just need to warm up better so that we can bring the energy and momentum into the game and just have fun,” Fava said. “We just need to play together as a team.”

               Fava along with the other eight sophomores Jayla Brehmer, Jenna Curtis, Alex Hernandez, Ale Meoni, Angel Nahinu, Juliana Oliveira, Lexi Keoho, and AK Chavez were recognized after the match while the Trinidad State volleyball team stood behind and clapped as each sophomore was announced in good sportsmanship.

               Fava said it was a special and sad night.

               “It was really emotional,” Fava said. “The group of sophomores that we had this year was really special and we are really close to each other. We got through everything together and I am going to cherish every single moment with them. I love them.”

               The match itself was one of mixed turns. The first set was back and forth as WNCC took an 11-7 lead on two Hernandez points and led 16-9 after two Shanelle Martinez points. The Cougars went up 22-14 after two Meoni points and won the set 25-17 on a Nahinu kill.

               The second set started as if WNCC would walk through the set, leading 4-1 after three Martinez points and the 10-5 when Fave had four points with two aces and two kills from Meoni. WNCC led 15-10 and later 17-14 when the tide shifted.

               Trinidad’s Marissa Benavidez stepped to the service line and served seven points including two aces to put the Trojans up 22-17. Charli Blackman got a kill to stop the bleeding and Meoni served three points to bring the Cougar to within 22-21.

               Trinidad got another point before Blackman got a kill. Trinidad got another sideout and went up 24-22. Curtis then got a kill and then had a service point to tie the set at 24-24, but Trinidad got the last two points to win 26-24.

               Trinidad started the third set going up 2-1 and led 3-1. WNCC finally went ahead by two at 7-5 on a Meoni point and then led 10-6 after two Hernandez points. The Cougars widened the margin to 14-8 on a Martinez point and led 16-9 on a Chavez point.

               WNCC led 18-11 when the Cougars got the ball back and Meoni served six straight points including back-to-back kills from Curtis and Fava to get the 25-11 win.

               The fourth set was tight at the start, but WNCC went up 5-2 and then Hernandez went back to the service line and served five points with two aces and two kills from Curtis, including one kill that was a rocket to the other side.

               WNCC went up 13-4 after a Curtis kill and point and went up 20-6 after two Chavez points. Leading 23-7, Trinidad got three late points, but Curtis got another kill and then Brehmer served the final two points for the 25-10 win.

               Curtis led the way with 15 kills along with 10 digs, four points, and two aces. Fava tallied 12 kills with eight digs, five points, and three aces, while Meoni had eight kills, two digs, 13 points, and two solo blocks.

               Also for the Cougars, Hernandez tallied four kills, three digs, 10 points, and two aces; Nahinu had five kills; Charli Blackman had two kills; and Brehmer had a kill with two points.

               Martinez finished with a triple double of 46 set assists, 10 digs, and 11 points; Keoho had three digs; Chavez had 14 digs, nine points, and two aces; Shae hardy had two digs and a set assist; and Maya Angelova had a kill.