Sept. 2, 2005

Ashley Murphy rose off the ground and met the ball in mid-flight, slamming it down onto a helpless North Platte middle hitter, smacking the ball off her face and out of bounds. Murphy was showing off the power game.

That was the running theme of the night in the Northeastern Junior College volleyball team's home opener Wednesday night. The Plainswomen dominated North Platte 30-16, 30-25, 30-21 to improve their record to 4-2 on the year.

Outside hitter Janie Elkins led the Plainswomen with nine kills. Murphy and Ashley Kauffman each had eight.

"Offensively, Ashley Murphy and Janie Elkins did a super job," said Northeastern coach Marci Henry. "Our height really slows down North Platte's attack. That made it a lot easier in transition."

Murphy, a 6-foot-4 sophomore middle hitter, may have been the most impressive. She dominated at the net.

But she dismissed her dominance by taking into account the physical stature of her opponent.

"They weren't that big of a team," Murphy said. "For blocking, if they were bigger it would have been harder."

With Murphy, 6-foot-4 freshman Isabela Lachowski and 6-foot-4 sophomore Jimilia McNeal patrolling the net, North Platte had trouble getting anything going.

The tallest player on the Knight's roster is 6 foot freshman Emily Hudson.

The Plainswomen took control early in the first game. After opening to a 7-7 tie, Northeastern went on a 7-1 run to pull away.

North Platte stunned Northeastern early, holding a lead for most of the second game. The Plainswomen recovered, however, and managed to eke out a win.

In the third game, Murphy's serving spurred the Plainswomen. She rolled off eight straight points to widen Northeastern's lead and ensure the win.

Lindsey Wilson again played libero - defensive specialist - a position she moved to after spending most of the preseason at outside hitter. The move has worked wonders for the Plainswomen, allowing them to use one of their most consistent players to fill a team need and alleviating some of the crowd forming at outside hitter, where Elkins, McNeal, Kauffman and Shelby Heggie are competing for playing time.

Wilson likes the move.

"I like it, I like it a lot, actually," she said. "My strong suit seems to be passing."

The Plainswomen are off until next weekend when they head for a tournament in Columbus, Neb.