MCC Volleyball wins in five sets at Central CC

COLUMBUS – The McCook Community College volleyball team picked up a second-straight mid-week conference road win Wednesday night, taking down Central Community College 3-2. MCC dropped the first two sets 19-25, 21-25, then came back to win the final three sets 25-18, 25-18, 15-9.

"We are still working on not needing those 'warm up' sets, but despite that, this group of ladies just do not give up," said MCC Coach Hayley Kobza.

The win lifts MCC two games up in the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference standings with a 4-0 mark, Central and North Platte are tied at 2-2. MCC has two home conference games remaining against those two teams later this month.

"Kaylee Palmieri stepped it up in the third set and I really feel like that got our team on our roll," said MCC Coach Hayley Kobza of her sophomore defensive specialist from Gibbon.

On the attack, freshman Thaynara Isabela (São Paulo, Brazil) paced the MCC offense with 17 kills, four assists, one solo block and one assist block. Sophomore Jordan Jerome (Rawlins, Wyo.) totaled 15 kills, one solo block and two assist blocks.

Victoria Thomas (freshman, Houston, Texas) had eight kills. Mia Pena (sophomore transfer, Greeley, Colo.) was credited with seven kills, one assist block and one ace. Makayla Brown (freshman, Colorado Springs) had four assist blocks.

Sophomore Janie Sommer (Maxwell) distributed 41 assists, had nine kills, five digs, three assist blocks and one ace. Amanda Pizzol (freshman, São Paulo, Brazil) had seven digs on the night and freshman McKenna Crews, (Loveland, Colo.) had eight digs, three assists and two aces.

"Janie Sommer I feel like just continues to do great things too," Kobza said.

MCC improves to 16-9 on the season and Central CC falls to 9-15.

On Friday, MCC travels to Scottsbluff for a triangular against two top Top 20 teams starting with a 4 p.m. match with the host Cougars, ranked 16^th in the latest NJCAA Top 20 poll (16-10) followed at 6 p.m. against second ranked Iowa Western Community College (18-1).

Following a road trip to eastern Colorado next Thursday and Friday against Otero and Trinidad, MCC will return home for six straight matches to close out the season starting Oct. 20 against Northeastern Junior College starting at 7 p.m. MCC will also host North Platte Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.

Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference Standings

                           W – L         PCT.             OVERALL

McCook               4 – 0          1.000                 16-9

Central CC          2 – 2            .500                  9-15

North Platte        2 – 2            .500                  11-11

Southeast CC      0 – 4            .000                  7-19

NCCAC RESULTS

Sept. 2 – McCook 3, Southeast 0 (at McCook)

Sept. 7 – McCook 3, North Platte 2 (at North Platte)

Sept. 8 – Central CC 3, Southeast 1 (at Beatrice)

Sept. 15 – North Platte 3, Central CC 0 (at North Platte)

Sept. 29 – North Platte 3, Southeast 0 (at North Platte)

Oct. 5 – McCook 3, Southeast 1 (at Beatrice)

               Central CC 3 North Platte 0 (at Columbus)

Oct. 6 – McCook 3, Central CC (at Columbus)

NCCAC REMAINING SCHEDULE

Oct. 12 – North Platte at Southeast (Beatrice) 6 p.m.

Oct. 20 – Southeast at Central CC (Columbus) 7 p.m.

Oct. 22 – North Platte at McCook, 7 p.m.

Oct. 23 – Central CC at McCook 4 p.m.