MCC Volleyball sweeps Otero to close out regular season

LA JUNTA, Colo. -- The McCook Community College volleyball team swept past Otero College Saturday to close out the regular season. MCC won 25-22, 25-15, 27-25.

Otero's season ends at 6-28 and 0-10 in the south. The Rattlers do not qualify for the Region IX Tournament.

"It was a great way to finish the season, now we have to focus on the next goal and that is to compete at regionals," said MCC Coach Hayley Kobza.

Sophomore Emerie Rios (Sterling, Colo.) led the attack with 11 kills and an assist block. Freshman Charlee Russick (Berthoud, Colo.) had nine kills, three assist blocks and six digs, Caylin Barnett (sophomore, Southwest High School) was credited with seven kills, one assist block and four digs.

Rowan Tribelhorn (sophomore Yuma, Colo.) had five kills and three assist blocks. Sophomore Romina Martinez Castro (Cochabamba, Bolivia) had three kills, three blocks and two digs.

Freshman Abby Thompson (Bison, S.D.) had 19 assists, eight digs and two service aces. Megan Walker (freshman, Haxtun, Colo.) had nine assists, two digs and two aces. Sophomore Cibeles Bothwell (Spring, Texas) had seven digs and two assists.

Ella Verts (freshman, Marshall, Mo.) had four assist blocks and one kill. Freshman Audrey Holm (Paxton) had one ace.

MCC wraps up the season 21-11 and goes 4-6 in the Region IX South division to finish fourth in the standings. The Lady Indians will play to the north's top seed, Eastern Wyoming Wednesday in the first round of the Region IX Tournament at Cheyenne, Wyo.

"We will be playing the number one team in the north, so for the next two days we are going to focus on getting our minds right for regionals," said Kobza.

Only the top four teams in each division advance to the Region IX tournament, hosted by Laramie County Community College. Complete seedings, game times and schedules for the tournament will be announced Monday.