MCC Volleyball splits Saturday matches, goes 3-1 in tourney

A five match win-streak ended Saturday for the McCook Community College volleyball team in the final game of the MCC Labor Day weekend tournament. MCC opened Saturday play with a 3-0 win over Fort Scott CC (Kan.) then dropped a 3-1 decision to Garden City CC.

"You always want to end with a win but Garden City always is a fun match because both teams want to win," said MCC Coach Hayley Kobza. "Tonight, we didn't want to win so we have to lose and learn."

The two teams split the first two sets before Garden City took control of the match winning 25-15, 25-10.

MCC swept its two matches Friday over Frank Phillips College and Dodge City to go 3-1 on the weekend. With the Saturday split the team's record is 7-5.

"We played some great volleyball over the weekend," Kobza said. "Everybody got to get on the court and at the end of the day we have to look at the positives. We just have to work on our mentality."

MCC travels to North Platte Wednesday to start the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference schedule. That game is set for 6 p.m. at the McDonald-Belton Gym. NPCC is 3-10 on the season.

"It's always a packed house up there," Kobza said. "We just have to do the little things, refuse to lose and have the mentality that we know we can win."

On Friday MCC opens play in the North Central Texas College Invitational Tournament in Gainesville, Texas against the host school at 11 a.m., followed with a 3 p.m. match against No. 12 Blinn College. On Saturday MCC plays Hill College at 9 a.m. and Cisco College at 1 p.m.

"Lots of great teams in the south, it's a little different ball game, a little bit faster, big net game," said Kobza. "We just have to come in and do the little things."

The next home match for MCC will be Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. against Central Community College.

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

McCook CC 3, Fort Scott CC 0: MCC topped the Hounds 25-8, 25-16, 25-18 with three MCC players tying for team-high honors with 10 kills.

Freshman Romina Martinez Castro (Cochabamba, Bolivia) had 10 kills, six digs and one solo block. Rowan Tribelhorn (freshman, Yuma, Colo.) had 10 kills and sophomore Fernanda Merancio (Lamar, Colo.) was credited with 10 kills.

Freshman Kenzie Waggoner (Kit Carson, Colo.) had eight kills and an assist block. April Conilogue (freshman, Longmont, Colo.) had three kills. Sophomore Gabby Caskey (Ogallala) had one kill and an assist block.

Kayten Hagan (Amherst) led MCC with 32 assists and added two kills.  

Greta Bolognini (Parkview Christian, Lincoln, Neb.) led MCC with 17 digs and added four assists and three aces. Freshman Lexi Schaefer (Fleming, Colo.) was credited with five digs and three aces. Caylin Barnett (freshman, Southwest) had one ace.

Garden City CC 3,  McCook CC 1: The Broncbusters won the first set 26-24, MCC came back to take the second set 25-21 before Garden City closed out the match 25-15, 25-10.

Martinez Castro had a double-double for MCC with 10 kills, 10 digs and one assist block. Merancio had seven kills, two assist blocks and three digs. Sophomore Jordan Duzenack (Loveland, Colo.) was credited with seven kills, three digs and two assist blocks.

Caskey had five kills, six assist blocks and two solo blocks. Sophomore Gracen Tuttle (Ogallala) had three kills and two assist blocks.

Sophomore Jessie Jerome (Rawlins, Wyo.) had 18 assists, 13 digs, four kills and an ace. Hagan had 10 assists and eight digs. Barnett had 12 digs and an ace.

Bolognini had 28 digs, one kill and one ace.