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MCC net squad improving, still seeking first match win
A relatively young McCook Community College women's volleyball team is trying to find a groove early in the 2013 season.
And trying very hard to record the first match win of the year.
The Lady Indians hosted four other two-year junior college squads in the MCC Invitational Friday and Saturday, Aug. 30-31, at the MCC Events Center. While the hosts lost all four of its matches, the McCook women were competitive in pushing three of its matches to five sets.
MCC opened play Friday evening with a five-set loss to Region IX foe Eastern Wyoming College. The Wyoming squad won the match, 25-9, 25-21, 25-27, 21-25, 15-12. McCook then dropped a straight-set decision to Garden City (Kan.) C.C. 26-24, 25-18, 25-22 late Friday night.
The Lady Indians came back strong early Saturday against Southeast C.C. of Beatrice. Southeast claimed a five-set win by scores of 25-22, 25-23, 14-25, 12-25, 15-11.
McCook then faced another Region IX opponent in Lamar (Colo.) C.C. in the final match of the tournament Saturday afternoon. The teams split the first two sets, then MCC took control midway through the third set. McCook led 19-10 after a point by Molly Hannon (freshman from Brady). But Lamar battled back to tie the score at 20-20. Germany native Vanessa Bartilla, a sophomore, scored five straight points for MCC to help give the hosts a 25-20 set win.
McCook got off to another strong start in game four, building a 20-10 lead. But Lamar came back again and grabbed a 22-21 lead. The Colorado squad kept its momentum to take a 25-22 win and set up the deciding fifth set.
The final game was close throughout, but Lamar held on for a 15-13 win.
The Lady Indians have started the season with nine straight losses. Head coach Natalie Alred said her team is improving, and she was encouraged by the trio of five-set battles.
"I'm pleased with the way they played, but it would be nice if we could get that (first) win," Alred said.
The MCC coach also said her team has to learn to finish games, especially when they have a huge lead and let Lamar come back in both the third and fourth sets.
"We've just got to finish," Alred said.
Alred said a critical point came in game four, with MCC holding the big lead and the officials called Bartilla on a net violation.
"She wasn't in the net," Alred said. "But we should overcome those things, and we didn't. That's not why we lost. But momentum was definitely on our side, and that really changed the whole game four. Like I said, we have to learn to overcome that. We're really young. The kids came in and played hard."
The Lady Indians have seven freshmen on the roster. The MCC coach said as many as four or five of those first-year college players are on the floor at the same time for the Lady Indians.
McCOOK will travel to Columbus to compete in the Central Classic at Central Community College. MCC will face four matches Friday and Saturday, Sept. 6-7, at the Raider Fieldhouse on the Central C.C. campus north of Columbus.
MCC will open with the tournament hosts Friday at 1 p.m., followed by Southeast C.C. at 5 p.m. Saturday's foes include Northeast C.C. (Norfolk) at 9 a.m. and Marshalltown (Iowa) C.C. at 11 a.m.