Down two sets, 'Riders rally to reach 29-0 and RPAC final

Southwest's Atleigh Nelms sends a ball over the block attempts of Cambridge sophomores Joslyn Holtze (8) and Elisabeth Kubik (10) during Monday night's RPAC East title match at Southwest High in Bartley. The Roughriders took two tough losses but rallied to win those next three sets for their 29th consecutive win this season. They'll aim for a school-record 30 wins (30-0) at McCook's Graff Events Center tonight in the RPAC championship match against West No. 1 Maywood-Hayes Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m. following the third-place match between Cambridge (19-9 record) and Hitchcock County. Watch for more in today's Gazette.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

BARTLEY — The sight of possible tears was actually NOT that bad for Southwest coach Kim Barnett Monday night.

Better now than in Lincoln was clearly the Southwest reaction after rival Cambridge won Monday’s first two RPAC tourney sets, 25-23 and 25-22.

Freshman setter Aspen Billeter was facing a possible defeat with her teammates in their 30th varsity match together.

“Remember, she hadn’t been part of anything like this before,” Barnett said. “I saw some tears in her eyes.”

Instead, Southwest fans saw Billeter spill out 52 assists and four teammates hit double-digit kill totals.

The result: 25-20, 25-12, and 15-12 Southwest victories.

Plus a chance to reach their school-record 30 wins tonight as in 30-0.

Southwest now takes on Maywood-Hayes Center at the Graff Events Center for a possible “repeat” RPAC championship.

“We want that repeat,” Barnett confirmed.

All Southwest leaders from this victory:

Aspen Billeter 52 assists, 1 kill, 18 digs, 2 aces, 3 blocks

Kyra Nelms 19 kills, 2 aces, 3 digs

Anikka Nelms 10 kills, 4 blocks 2 digs

Atleigh Nelms 16 kills, 21 digs, 2 aces

Payton Truksa 10 kills, 10 digs, 1 block, 1 ace

Anastasia Gallegos 2 kills, 1 block, 15 digs

Allison VanPelt 20 digs, 4 aces.

Meanwhile, the Cambridge Trojans are still building momentum for another post-season run starting next week.

Remember, the Trojans played Overton in last fall’s Class D-1 state championship match at Lincoln’s Devaney Center.

The Trojans showed again why they could threaten just about anyone — considering they were playing D-1’s No. 1-ranked team in power points all season long.

“We broke down a bit after really playing well together,” Carpenter said. “But we’ll be back.”

Senior Erin Johnson clobbered a match-high 18 kills while continuing her strong return from one torn MCL.

Junior setter Mallory Springer “was all over the court”, Carpenter said. She joined Johnson as returning starters from that D-1 state finalist team one year ago.

Maywood-Hayes Center has also been a strong RPAC tourney and state-qualifying team in recent seasons. The Wolves took down Hitchcock County, 3-1, for that RPAC West title.