MCC wraps up NCCAC title with sweep of Southeast

The McCook Community College volleyball team wrapped up Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference play Monday with a straight-set win over Southeast Community College. MCC won 25-20, 25-11, 15-14.

"This was a good win for us, we just have to focus on the small things that we can fix overnight," said MCC Coach Hayley Kobza.

MCC closes out NCCAC play at 5-1. Central Community College is 4-1 with a match left against Southeast. MCC split its two matches against Central but the Lady Indians won five of the eight sets in head-to-head play to hold the advantage in that tie-breaker.

Southeast goes to 0-5 in the Nebraska conference and 6-22 overall.

MCC improves to 19-11, and turns its attention on the Region IX South standings. The Lady Indians have three Region IX South games to end the season including the first two at home.

Kobza said if her team takes care of business, they have a chance to move up to the No. 2 seed in the south standings. Only the top four teams in the south move on to the Region IX tournament and will open post-season play against the top four teams in the north.

"The big thing for us right now is communication. We have to communicate at all times no matter who we are playing, and we have to focus in on our serving and hitting the ball where it needs to be served," said Kobza.

On Monday, Greta Bolognini (sophomore, Bergamo, Italy) added to her nation-leading dig total with 16 more against the Bobcats, to give her 604 on the season. Freshman Caylin Barnett (McCook) had seven digs.

Sophomore Fernanda Merancio (Lamar, Colo.) led the MCC attack with 11 kills to go along with four digs. Her 355 kills on the season are ninth best among NJCAA D1 players Freshman Romina Martinez (Cochabamba, Bolivia) had five kills, seven digs and one solo block. Jordan Duzenack (sophomore, Loveland, Colo.) had five kills and three assist blocks. Freshman Rowan Tribelhorn (Yuma, Colo.) had three kills.

Sophomore middle Gabby Caskey (Ogallala) had five assist blocks and one solo to go along with three kills and an ace. With her six total blocks Monday she has 127 on the season – second most among all D1 players in the nation.  Freshman April Conilogue (Longmont, Colo.) had five kills from the middle.

Sophomore Jessie Jerome (Rawlins, Wyo.) led MCC with 17 assists to go along with five kills, two assist blocks and an ace. Kayten Hagan (freshman, Kearney) had 14 assists, six digs and three aces.

On Friday, MCC hosts Otero Junior College (6-18) at 6 p.m.

On Saturday MCC will host Trinidad State (15-14) at 2 p.m. Sophomores will be recognized prior to the game. Also, members of the 1980 volleyball team will be honored as part of Alumni Weekend.

Northeastern Junior College ranks 2 in this week's NJCAA D1 Top 20 poll and leads the Region IX South standings at 7-0, Western Nebraska is second at 5-2, Trinidad is third at 4-2, MCC fourth at 3-4, Lamar fifth at 1-6 and Otero sixth at 0-6.

MCC will close out the Region IX South schedule Oct. 28 at Lamar. The Region IX D1 tournament begins Nov. 1.