The Casper College and Central Wyoming College volleyball teams both had one goal in mind: earn a trip to the NJCAA national tournament that begins November 19 in Clarksville, Tennessee.

                That dream made the Northwest Plains B bracket championship match one that kept both teams' fans on the edge of their seats as Casper won a heart-pounding five-setter 25-22, 18-25, 25-18, 18-25, 15-13 win over the Rustlers.

                Casper joins Northeastern Junior College, who won the Northwest Plains A Bracket championship Friday by downing Casper in three sets.

                Central Wyoming earned a trip to the championship game by sweeping Laramie County Community College earlier Saturday 25-21, 25-21, 25-17.

                Saturday's championship was one for the stat keepers as there were a combined 111 kills, 16 ace serves, 162 total digs, and 36 blocks.

                Central Wyoming had three players finish with double-figure kills as Presley Ryan had 17 kills followed by Rachel Workman with 15 and Laina Whitney with 11. Casper was led by Peyton Carruth with 18 followed by Emme Mullinax with 14.

                Casper had three players with double figure kills with Makenna Lorenzen tallying 21 followed by Penina Leota with 17 and Carruth with 14. Central Wyoming was led by Hallie Reeer with 25, Workman with 21, and Cameron Denison with 13.

                After the tournament, the North and South All-Region teams along with the All-tournament team was announced.

                The All-tournament team included two Cougar players in Dani Cruz and Alex Gonzalez-Orozco. The other members of the All-tournament team included Casper's Peyton Carruth, Mina Kostic, and Penina Leota; Central Wyoming's Nora Rasmussen and Laina Whitney; Laramie County Community College's Adriana Deming and Sila Yildiz; NJC's Kaitlyn Barnes, Stella Carrer, and Samantha Mosley; and North Platte Community College's Nya Lual and Kiley Kearney. NJC's Natalie Moore was named the tournament's MVP.

                The South All-region team saw three WNCC players make either the first or second team. NJC dominated the all-region teams with four players and sweeping the special awards.

                The South First Team included WNCC's Kyana Gabriel and Alex Gonzalez-Orozco; NJC's Kiera Loe-Outrey, Stella Carrer, and Evie Gavette; Trinidad's Sofiia Khrystenko, and North Platte's Makenna Stephenson.

                The South Second team included WNCC's Dani Cruz along with NJC's Samantha Mosley; North Platte's Kiley Kearney and Nya Lual; McCook's Leia Young and Charlee Russick; and Trinidad's Allie Bishop.

                The South special awards included all NJC players and coaches. Kiera Loe-Outrey was named the Player of the Year, Evie Gavette earned Libero of the Year, Stella Carrer was named the Setter of the Year, Kiera Loe-Outrey was awarded the Freshman of the Year, and Mackenzie Nelson was named the Coach of the Year.

                The North All-Region awards saw a lot of Casper players, including the T-Birds sweeping the special awards.

                The special award winners for Casper included Peyton Carruth earning the Player of the Year as well as the Freshman of the Year, Makenna Lorenzen named the Libero of the Year, Penina Leota named the Setter of the Year, and Angel Sharman tabbed North Coach of the Year.

                The individual First Team All-region members included Casper's Peyton Carruth, Penina Leota, Aubrey Hackett, and Makenna Lorenzen; Central Wyoming's Presley Ryan and Rachel Workman, and LCCC's Sila Yildiz.

                The North All-region Second Team  included Central Wyoming's Hallie Reeder-Johnson, LCCC's Addison Schreurs, Savannah Cummings, and Beatrice Nani, Eastern Wyoming College's Vladana Ristic and Una Stepic, and Gillette's Kenzie King.