MCC downs North Platte to close out Nebraska conference

NORTH PLATTE – The McCook Community College volleyball team closed out the final Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference game Tuesday with a win at North Platte. The Lady Indians won 25-23, 20-25, 25-16 and 25-11.

MCC finishes 6-0 in the conference, winning 18 of 20 sets. In the past seven years, MCC has gone 39-3 in the NCCAC. The Lady Indians had already clinched the conference championship coming into Tuesday's match. This is MCC's six conference championship in the past seven years.

The NCCAC will fold after the 2024-2025 academic year because North Platte and Southeast Community College are moving up to NJCAA Division 1. That means Region IX's Division 2 (with just three schools) will be dissolved with Central Community College remaining a Division 2 program and moving into Region XI with Northeast Community College (Norfolk) and 10 Iowa schools. MCC will remain in Division 1 but next season with the addition of NPCC and SECC, there will be eight schools in the Region IX's south conference. The north conference of Region IX (seven Wyoming schools) remains unaffected.

On Tuesday, MCC opened the last NCCAC volleyball match with a 25-22 win.

"This was a tough match for us," said MCC Coach Hayley Kobza. "North Platte was doing some great things and we couldn't stop on the outside of the net."

North Platte took a 14-1 lead and later 17-4 in the second set.

"When you are down 1-14 in a set, it really takes a lot of internal motivation from each player to get back in the game," said Kobza.

MCC did get back in the game and cut the deficit to 24-20 but the Knights took the set point to tie the match at one set each. The Lady Indians closed out the match winning the third and fourth sets comfortably.

Caylin Barnett (sophomore, McCook) led MCC with 11 kills, a block and one service ace. Sophomore Emerie Rios (Sterling, Colo.) added seven kills.

Sophomore Romina Martinez Castro (Cochabamba, Bolivia) had six kills, a team-high 16 digs, three assist blocks and an ace. Freshman Ailynn Wright (Sterling, Colo.) had four kills. Charlee Russick (freshman, Berthoud, Colo.) had four kills and freshman Jaedin Johns (Arthur) had a kill.

Rowan Tribelhorn (sophomore, Yuma, Colo.) had six kills, two assist blocks and an ace. Freshman Ella Verts (Marshall, Mo.) had two kills and a block.

Sophomore Cibeles Bothwell (Spring, Texas) led MCC with four service aces along with 14 digs and two assists.

Freshman Abby Thompson (Bison, S.D.) had 15 assists and a pair of digs while freshman Megan Walker (Haxtun, Colo.) had 12 assists, five digs and three aces.

The Knights finish 2-4 in the Nebraska conference and go to 12-23 overall.

MCC goes to 20-9 overall. The Lady Indians will close out the home schedule this weekend hosting the top two Region IX South teams, both ranked nationally. On Friday MCC takes on No. 4 Northeastern Junior College (23-4) at 6 p.m. followed on Saturday with a 2 p.m. match with No. 17 Western Nebraska (23-7).

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

NEBRASKA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FINAL STANDINGS
                       W-L PCT OVERALL
McCook CC      6-0   1.000   20-8
Central CC       4-2    .667    16-15
North Platte     2-4    .333     12-23
Southeast CC   0-6    .000      6-21
NCCAC RESULTS
Sept. 11 – Central CC 3, Southeast CC 0 (at Columbus)
Sept. 13 – McCook CC 3, Southeast CC 0 (at Lincoln)
Sept. 17 – North Platte 3, Southeast CC 1 (at North Platte)
Sept. 18 – McCook CC 3, Central CC 0 (at McCook)
Sept. 19 – Central CC 3, North Platte 0 (at North Platte)
Sept. 24 – McCook CC 3, North Platte 0 (at McCook
Sept. 30 – North Platte 3 Southeast CC 1 (at Lincoln)
Oct. 2 – Central CC 3, Southeast 1 (at Lincoln)
Oct. 8 – McCook CC 3, Central CC 1 (at Columbus)
Oct. 15 – McCook CC 3, Southeast CC 0 (at McCook)
Oct. 17 – Central CC 3, North Platte 0 (at Columbus)
Oct. 22 – McCook CC 3, North Platte 1 (at North Platte)

REGION IX D1 SOUTH
VOLLEYBALL STANDINGS
                             W-L   PCT   OVERALL
Northeastern JC      7-0  1.000    23-4
Western Nebraska   6-1    .857    23-7
McCook CC             3-3    .500    20-8
Trinidad State         3-4    .429    20-8
Lamar                    1-4    .200     6-17
Otero College          0-6   .000     6-25

REGION IX SOUTH SCHEDULE
TUESDAY
     Northeastern JC at Lamar, 6 p.m., MT
WEDNESDAY
     Trinidad State at Otero, 6 p.m., MT
FRIDAY
     Northeastern JC at McCook, 6 p.m. CT
     Western Nebraska at Lamar, 6 p.m. MT
SATURDAY
     Western Nebraska at McCook, 2 p.m. CT
OCT. 29
     Lamar at Otero, 6 p.m., MT
OCT. 30
     Northeastern JC at Western Nebraska, 6 p.m. MT
NOV. 1
     McCook at Trinidad State, 7 p.m. CT
NOV. 2
     McCook at Otero, 10 a.m. CT
     Lamar at Trinidad State, 2 p.m. MT
REGION IX D1 TOURNAMENT
     Nov. 6-8 at Cheyenne, Wyo.