The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team advanced to the Elite Eight with a sweep of Monroe College in the first match of the day at the NJCAA National Volleyball Tournament in Casper, Wyoming.
The Cougars, in picking up their 35th win of the season, topped the Mustangs 25-23, 25-18, 27-25. WNCC advances to face Polk State College, who swept Seward County Community College 25-18, 25-12, 25-20 at 5:30 p.m. Thursday night with the winner advancing to Friday's semifinal.
Lara Picht, who tallied 16 kills in the win, said they played alright for a first game, but they need to pick it up in the next matches.
"I thought we played well, but I wouldn't say it was one of our best games," Picht said. "There is room for improvement especially with our energy that has to come up more tonight. But, overall, we played pretty good."
Nerves also played a factor in the Cougars' win.
"At the beginning everyone was kind of nervous, especially the freshmen," Picht said. "They were excited and nervous a little bit, but it got better every set and at the end I think everyone played pretty good."
The Cougars and the Mustangs were back and forth in all three games. In the opener, Monroe held a 12-9 lead and led 20-18 late in the game. WNCC, behind a kill from Brooke Kaawa changed the momentum. Genesis Benitez came back with two two service points to put WNCC up 21-20. Both teams were deadlocked at 23-23 before Picht hammered down a kill and Kaylee Spreier served the final point for the win.
The second game was tight at the beginning with Monroe holding a 6-5 lead. Things changed as Bia Berti had four points for a 14-9 lead. Monroe came back to get to within one at 15-14, but the Cougars came back to get the win as Berti served the final three points.
WNCC built a 15-13 lead in the third on two Picht points only to watch Monroe come back to grab a 22-20 lead. Spreier came back to tie the game at 22 on a point. The Mustangs came withing a point of sending the match to a fourth at 24-22 but WNCC came through with a kill from Barbara Briceno to tie the game..
Monroe went up 25-24 only to watch Picht hammer home a kill and then serve the final two points for the win.
Picht led the Cougars with 16 kills followed by 23 from Briceno, eight from Spreier, seven from Kaawa, and two each from Berti and Kadara Mitchell. Berti also tallied six digs and 43 set assists, while Benitez had 13 digs. Briceno had nine digs while Kaawa tallied five and Picht three