MCC falls to No. 13 NJC to end volleyball season

CASPER, Wyo. – The McCook Community College volleyball season came to an end Thursday with a 3-0 loss to No. 13 Northeastern Junior College in the consolation bracket of the Region IX Tournament. NJC won 25-14, 25-14, and 25-22.

 

“This was definitely not what I saw for this team this year and not how I thought we would end the season,” said MCC Coach Hayley Kobza. “This was a very talented group of young ladies, but unfortunately we just couldn’t stay consistent in our games.”

 

MCC had negative hitting percentages in the first two sets Thursday before hitting .231 in the competitive final set and hit .032 for the match. The Lady Indians had 28 kills total with 32 digs and seven blocks.

 

NJC hit .173 for the match with 28 kills, 35 digs, 14 blocks and 11 service aces.

 

Relebohile Phamotse (freshman Maseru, Lesotho) led the MCC attack with 12 kills. Sophomore Shana Muller (Gretz-Armainvilliers, France) had five.

 

Freshman Jade Powell (Sterling, Colo.) had four kills and seven digs. Bobbi Starkebaum (sophomore, Haxtun, Colo.) had three kills and two blocks. Leia Young (sophomore, Amarillo, Texas) had three kills and a block.

 

Freshman Paula Urizar (Guatemala City, Guatemala) led MCC with eight digs, Lilly Lemesany (freshman, Haxtun, Colo.) had five and Kamryn Slaugh (sophomore, Manila Utah) had one dig.

 

MCC finishes the season at 16-17.

 

NJC improves to 27-6 and awaits the loser of tonight’s final match between Western Nebraska and Trinidad State. Western Nebraska, 22-14, is the second seed in the south and opened the tournament with a 3-1 win over Eastern Wyoming. Trinidad State, 14-17, is the fourth seed from the south and upset north top-seed Casper 3-1 in the opening round.

 

The winner of tonight’s Western/Trinidad State match will face the winner of the Northwest College/Central Wyoming match for the tournament championship and the first of two automatic berths in the NJCAA National Tournament. Northwest downed MCC to open the tournament and north four seed Central Wyoming took down NJC 3-1 Thursday.

 

The winner out of the consolation round will gain the second berth in the national tournament. NJC joins Casper, who swept Eastern Wyoming in the other elimination match Thursday. These two teams are still alive in the consolation round and they will join the other two losers from tonight’s late matches to continue Friday and Saturday for that second national tournament bid.

 

This was the final match in MCC uniforms for six seven sophomores: Zoe Mulholland, Anna Richardson (Worland, Wyo.), Allie Rohde (Eddyville, Neb.), Shana Muller, Kamryn Slaugh, Bobbi Starkebaum and Leia Young.

 

“I’m happy to have coached my sophomores and I’m excited to see them in their next chapters of life,” said Kobza.

 

Up-to-date information about MCC volleyball including up-to-date schedule and changes, livestream links for home games, rosters, photos, statistics and more can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com