Oct. 11, 2006

No. 1 Western Nebraska dodged a bullet Tuesday night in Scottsbluff.

The NJC volleyball team pushed the top-ranked Lady Cougars to the brink of an upset. The match was tied at two games apiece and ten points apiece in the fifth game when Western Nebraska called a timeout to calm the late-match momentum the Plainswomen were building.

"During the timeout we talked about staying aggressive doing the things that had gotten us to that point," Head Coach Marci Henry said. "At that point we knew it was a game to five so we just had to keep pushing."

But the nation's top junior college volleyball team made plays in the clutch, outscoring NJC 5-3 to end Game Five and squelch the valiant NJC road effort.

Western Nebraska opened the match by winning the first game, 30-23. NJC climbed back into the thick of things with an emotional, 35-33 win in Game Two. The NJC win broke Western Nebraska's 57-game win streak.

"It was huge to win that second game on their home floor and break their streak," Henry said. "Mentally it was big for us the way we kept our composure."

Western Nebraska took the third game, 30-23, and appeared to be close to delivering the knock-out punch. But the Plainswomen fought back to take Game Four, 30-26. The win set up the ensuing drama in the deciding fifth game.

The Plainswomen were two points away from overcoming a hostile Western Nebraska crowd and a controversial call that stripped NJC of a point in the crucial Game Five.

With NJC leading 9-7, the top judge overruled a call by the line judge on a cross-court kill attempt. Instead of a 10-7 lead for NJC, the score went to 9-8. That left the door open for one more rally by Western Nebraska.

"You can't expect the calls to go your way on the road," Assistant Coach Robby Haley said. "But when the ball hits a line judge who's standing a foot and a half out of bounds, the ball is usually out."

Henry said the call was "unfortunate," but that it did not decide the game or the match.

"You win by two or you lose by two so that point didn't make the difference," she said. "I was pleased that we kept our composure after that call and tried to control what we could control."

Henry's group came away from Scottsbluff Tuesday night with confidence and motivation for the home rematch on Oct. 25.

"I'm excited about the rematch," Henry said. "It will be good to play them on our home floor. We want to be the team that gives them their second loss."

The Plainswomen fell to 28-6 on the season as they continue a five-game road swing.

Addi Radke and Thais Hollerbach recorded 17 and 13 kills, respectively, while Tamy Leipelt added 11.

Hollerbach led the defensive effort with 21 digs and Radke checked in with 15. Brittany Palmer and Jenny Andresen helped stave off the relentless Western Nebraska attack with a combined 24 digs.