Story by NPCC Athletic Communication
North Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College volleyball opened Region IX play against No. 5 Northeastern Junior College on Tuesday night. The Knights fell in straight sets, 25-14, 25-16, 25-21 to the visiting Plainswomen.
Freshman Makenna Stephenson closed out the night with seven kills on 20 swings. Sophomore Nya Lual recorded six kills, while libero Zoe Maher led the defense with eight digs.
"I saw some glimpses of what we can do, but we need to be more consistent,” said head coach Alexa McCall. "We made some adjustments during the match, but we need to make them quicker.”
The Plainswomen came out firing and surged out to a 13-5 lead in the opening set. The Knights responded with a 3-0 run, but Northeastern held firm limiting NPCC to just 14 points to take a one set lead.
In the second set, the teams traded points early before North Platte took a brief 9-7 lead following a Northeastern attacking error. The Plainswomen quickly answered with a 5-0 run and never looked back, pulling away late to go up two sets.
The third set featured a tight battle, with the teams tied at 11-11. A solo block by Kiera Heaven Loe sparked a decisive run that sealed the sweep for the Plainswomen.
North Platte (6-10) will host Western Nebraska Community College on Friday at 6 p.m. at the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium in North Platte.