MCC's road sweep of Lamar clinches Region No. 2 seed

LAMAR, Colo. – The McCook Community College volleyball team wrapped up the regular season Saturday with a 3-0 sweep over Lamar Community College. MCC won 25-19, 25-15, 25-18.

“This was a great way to end off our regular season,” said MCC Coach Hayley Kobza. “We have two days of practice and we need to be locked in and ready to play on Wednesday.”

Because of a couple upsets on the final day of the regular season, MCC (22-11 and 6-4 in Region IX South) moved up to the second seed in the south standings and will open the post-season tournament Wednesday facing the third seed from the north, Western Wyoming (8-4, 21-12). The tournament will be held in Sterling, Colo. The MCC-Western Wyoming match will open the eight-team tournament starting at 2 p.m. (CT).

Northeastern JC finishes first in the south at 10-0 and are ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA D1 rankings. Western Nebraska lost a 3-2 decision Saturday to Otero and fell to the third seed at 6-4. Trinidad State finished fourth at 5-5.

Saturday upsets also shuffled the seedings in the north as No. 2 seed Casper (10-2) handed No. 16 Laramie County CC its second straight region loss of the weekend (10-2). MCC’s opening round opponent, Western Wyoming, closed out the season with an upset win over Larame County Friday then scored a 3-1 win over Eastern Wyoming Saturday to earn the third seed. Central Wyoming is the fourth seed (7-5, 9-19).

The MCC-Western Wyoming winner will face the winner of the third match: Trinidad State (S4) vs. Casper College (N1).

On the other side of the double-elimination bracket Western Nebraska (S3) faces. Laramie County CC (N2) at 4 p.m. and Central Wyoming (N4) vs. Northeastern JC (S1), 8 p.m.

On Saturday, MCC finished out the regular season with a season sweep over Lamar to send the team to its fifth straight win.

Sophomore Fernanda Merancio (Lamar, Colo.) led the MCC attack with 16 kills. Freshman Kenzie Waggoner (Kit Carson, Colo.) had six kills. Rowan Tribelhorn (freshman, Yuma, Colo.) had three assist blocks and two kills. Freshman Romina Martinez (Cochabamba, Bolivia) had two kills, five digs and an ace.

Sophomore Gabby Caskey (Ogallala) was credited with three kills, two assist blocks and an ace. Freshman April Conilogue (Longmont, Colo.) had two assist blocks and a kill.

Jessie Jerome (sophomore, Rawlins, Wyo.) paced the passing attack with 19 assists and added six kills, eight digs, two aces and two blocks.

Freshman, Kayten Hagan (Kearney) added 14 assists.

On the defensive side, sophomore Greta Bolognini (Bergamo, Italy) led MCC with 15 digs and scored a pair of aces. Caylin Barnett (freshman, McCook) was credited with four digs.

MCC was able to earn the No. 2 seed because of a tie-breaker with Western Nebraska. The two teams finished 6-4 in the south and split their two matches. The Cougars downed MCC 3-2 in the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center on Sept. 19, but MCC went to Scottsbluff Oct. 14 and claimed a 3-1 win and won five sets head-to-head while WNCC won four.

Lamar finishes out the season at 1-9 in the south standings and 8-19 overall.

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

FINAL REGION IX

SOUTH STANDINGS

(Top Four Teams qualify for Region IX Tournament)

W-L PCT. OVERALL

Northeastern JC 10-0 1.000 30-2 (.938)

McCook CC 6-4 .600 22-11 (.667)

Western Nebraska 6-4 .667 16-16 (.500)

Trinidad State JC 5-5 .500 16-17 (.485)

Otero JC 2-8 .200 7-20 (.286)

Lamar CC 1-9 .100 8-19 (.296)

NORTH STANDINGS

(Top Four Teams qualify for Region IX Tournament)

W-L PCT. OVERALL

Casper College 10-2 .833 24-11 (.686)

Laramie Co. CC 10-2 .833 28-6 (.824)

Western Wyoming 8-4 .667 21-12 (.636)

Central Wyoming 7-5 .583 9-19 (.321)

Eastern Wyoming 4-8 .333 10-21 (.323)

Northwest College 2-10 .167 9-22 (.290)

Gillette College 1-11 .083 8-21 (.276)

Region IX South weekend results

FRIDAY

Northeastern JC 3, Otero JC 0

Western Nebraska 3, Trinidad State 2

SATURDAY

McCook 3, Lamar 0

Otero JC 3, Western Nebraska 2

Northeastern JC 3, Trinidad State 2

Region IX North weekend results

FRIDAY

Gillette College 3, Northwest College 0

Casper 3, Eastern Wyoming 1

Western Wyoming 3, Laramie County CC 2

SATURDAY

Central Wyoming 3, Gillette College 1

Caspar College 3, Laramie County CC 0

Western Wyoming 3, Eastern Wyoming 1

Region IX TOURNAMENT

Nov. 1-4 at Sterling, Colo.

WEDNESDAY

Western Wyoming (21-12) vs, McCook CC, (22-11), 2 p.m.

Trinidad State (16-17) vs. Casper College (24-11), 6 p.m.

Western Nebraska (16-16) vs. Laramie County CC (28-6), 4 p.m.

Northeastern JC (30-2) vs. Central Wyoming (9-19), 8 p.m.