SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. -  The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team was finally at home for the first time this season on Tuesday and battled No. 5 Northeastern Junior College. In the end, the Plainswomen earned a four-set battle 25-23, 25-15, 19-25, 25-14.
Kyana Gabriel, who led the team with 11 kills, said they competed but just came up short.
“I think we were able to compete with NJC overall. I thought we did a pretty good job,” the red-shirt sophomore said. “But I definitely think we could have done a lot better.”
The game was one where service runs was the key on both sides and NJC had one two many services runs that was the difference in the game.
The big key, though, is how the Cougars hung in there, especially in the third set. Gabriel said it was important to win that third set and they did it with strong serving and timely hitting.
“I think it was really big (to get that third-set win),” Gabriel said. “I think that really built momentum for our team and that just goes to show that competing and giving it our all is really important.”
The Cougars have had a competitive non-conference schedule and Gabriel said they just need to utilize how they played Tuesday night against the No. 5 team in the NJCAA and use that for the rest of the matches coming up. WNCC will next be in action this weekend at home when they face Lamar Community College on Friday at 6 p.m. and then McCook Community College at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
“I think for the rest of the season we should be able to stay more disciplined on every position we are playing. I think with discipline it will help us beat other teams and compete better in the future,” she said. “For us to do better this weekend, we need to come hungry and we just need to keep the energy the entire time instead of letting it drop.”
The first set was back and forth and it was a set that the Cougars could have won. NJC led 15-11 at one point, but a kill by Gabriel and two service points from Emma Hergenreder made it a 1-point game, 15-14. NJC led 22-18 late but WNCC came back with two points from Dani Cruz to make it 23-22, but NJC survived and won 25-23.
The second set was one where NJC had three big service runs. WNCC had the set tied at 5-5 but the Plainswomen’s Kaitlyn Barnes had a 7-point service run for a 17-7 lead. NJC won the second 25-15.
The third set was flip-flopped from the second set as WNCC had plenty of service runs. Eli Braithwaite had four straight points with two aces for a 6-2 lead. Later, Hergenreder had two more service points and Gabriel tallied two points for a 13-4 lead.
NJC came back to take an 18-17 lead. WNCC didn’t fold as Gabriel served two points for a 20-18 lead. NJC made it 20-19, but Anika Davison hammered down a kill and then Alex Gonzalez-Orozco had the final four points to give the Cougars the 25-19 win.
The four set was a battle early. The two teams were knotted at 5-5 early and then led 10-6. WNCC cut the lead to 10-8 on a Gabriel point only to watch NJC come back with four points from Kennedy Kerr for a 15-8 lead. WNCC made it 16-12 on two Gonzalez-Orozco points, but two more big service runs was the difference as NJC won 25-14.
Gabriel led the Cougars with 11 kills, four digs, and six points. Keira Zelada tallied nine kills while Dani Cruz had six kills, two digs, and five points. Nadiyyah Northern finished with four kills.
Gonzalez-Orozco had 17 digs with seven points, while Natalia Nowak had 31 set assists, four digs, two blocks, and three points. Hergenreder tallied 10 digs with three kills, five points and three aces, while Eli Braithwaite had nine points, two aces, and four blocks.