MCC Volleyball falls in four sets to No. 5 Western Nebraska

The McCook Community College volleyball team lost a four-set match Wednesday to No. 5 Western Nebraska at the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center.

MCC came out and won the first set 25-23.

"I thought we started on the right track but then got complacent how we were playing and stopped playing defense," said MCC Coach Hayley Kobza.

Western Nebraska won the next three sets 25-13, 25-15 and 25-19.

"At the very beginning of the match I told them – and what we worked on all week – was that defense was what was going to get us in this match make us competitive," said Kobza. "We just didn't maintain that defensive level in the next three sets like we did to start."

Western Nebraska improves to 25-3 overall and 6-0 in the 10-game south sub-region schedule.

Freshman Jordan Duzenack (Loveland, Colo.) led MCC with nine kills to go along with one assist block, one ace and two digs. Fernanda Merancio (freshman, Lamar, Colo.) had eight kills, one solo block and two digs.

Victoria Thomas (sophomore, Houston, Texas) had six kills, one assist block two aces and 11 digs. Freshman Gracen Tuttle (Ogallala) was credited with four kills and three assist blocks. Gabby Caskey (freshman, Ogallala) had three kills, three assist blocks and three digs.

Freshman Jessie Jerome (Rawlins, Wyo.) had 27 assists, eight digs, one ace, two kills and three assist blocks.

McKenna Crews (sophomore, Loveland, Colo.) had 11 digs and freshman Greta Bolognini (Bergamo Italy) had six digs.

MCC falls to 17-9 and 3-3 in the south division of Region IX in third place. Northeastern Junior College is second in the standings at 5-1. On Saturday, MCC will play NJC, (15-10 overall). The Plainswomen swept MCC at Sterling, Colo., on Sept. 23, but a win would put MCC back in contention for a second-place finish and a first- round bye in the post-season.

The top two teams in the south sub-region will receive first-round byes in the Region IX tournament which begins Nov. 2 at Caspar, Wyo. The first-round matchups and seeds will be determined by sub-region standings with the south teams facing the teams in the north sub-region.

For all the up-to-date information on MCC volleyball this season including, schedules, statistics, rosters and photos, please visit the official website of MCC Athletics at mccindians.com

REGION IX SOUTH STANDINGS

                                    W-L     PCT.          OVERALL

Western Nebraska      6-0       1.000               25-3

Northeastern JC         5-1         .800               15-10

McCook CC                3-3         .500               17-9

Otero JC                    2-3         .400               8-20

Trinidad State JC        1-4         .200               6-17

Lamar CC                  0-6         .000               1-17

Remaining Region IX Games For MCC

OCT. 14 – Northeastern Junior College at MCC, 2 p.m.

OCT. 20 – MCC at Trinidad State, 7 p.m.

OCT. 21 – MCC at Otero Junior College, 6 p.m.

OCT. 28 – Lamar at McCook (Sophomore Night), 7 p.m.