Indian spikers are rattling Region IX race
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The McCook Community College Lady Indian volleyball team beat Otero Junior College Thursday in five sets to advance to today’s stage of the Region IX double-elimination tournament.
Thursday’s win over the Rattlers came 26-24, 28-26, 25-27, 19-25, 15-11.
“I just kept telling the girls it doesn’t matter – win or lose – we walk off this court saying we gave everything we had,” MCC coach Hayley Kobza said. We did just that in four of the five sets,”
Freshman Faith Simpson (Wauneta-Palisade) led MCC with 18 kills and seven assist blocks. Freshman Mallory Brown (Colorado Springs) had nine kills, five assist blocks and two aces.
A trio of sophomores had a big game at the net. Ryan Maddera (Greeley, Colo.) had seven kills and eight assist blocks, Hannah Emerson (Greeley, Colo.) had eight kills and eight assist blocks and Ty Johnson (Conroe Texas) had eight kills and nine assist blocks.
“This was by far the best blocking game this team has ever had,” Kobza observed.
When the Lady Indians lost to Otero at La Junta, Colo. on Sept. 28, it came one night after allowing Trinidad State its only Region IX win of the season (in five sets). That Otero match also marked the beginning of seven straight matches where the Indians played into a fifth set – and a string where MCC lost four of those five, fifth-set matches.
“They clearly like to keep me on my toes,” Kobza said.
Otero (once No. 19 in the JUCO ratings) finished the year at 24-7.
MCC records 21 wins for the second straight season and enters Friday play 21-13.
The Lady Indians will play Laramie County Community College. Friday’s game will be at 1 p.m. (CST).
The winner of that game would continue at 1 p.m. Saturday with a second game at 5 p.m. -- for a berth in the national tournament.
Laramie had its 15-match win streaked snapped Thursday by Northeastern Junior College 27-25, 25-15, 24-26, 20-25, 11-15.
NJC (24-6) goes in to play Western Nebraska (28-7) at 5 p.m. for the first of two Region IX berths in the NJCCA National Tournament.
The other spot goes to one of the four teams remaining in the loser’s bracket.
In addition to the MCC- Laramie County game, the other two teams still alive are Western Wyoming (15-17) and Northwest College (15-13).
Those teams play at the conclusion of the MCC-LCCC game.