Knights bested in Wyoming triangular

Cheyenne, Wyo. –The North Platte Community College volleyball team dropped both of its games Friday evening during a triangular hosted by Laramie County Community College. 

Trinidad 

The Knights took on the Trinidad State College Trojans first and fell 3-1 in four sets. Trinidad took the lead right out of the gate and held onto it all the way through set one. The Knights stayed close for the first half, trailing by just a point or two, and once even tied the game. 

The Trojans went on a six-point run after that – widening the gap 20-11. The Knights briefly slowed them there, but it wasn't enough to halt them completely, and the Trojans closed out the frame 25-15. 

The second set saw four tie scores before the Trojans pulled ahead for good at the 7-6 mark. Trinidad stayed just out of reach from then on and ultimately secured a 25-21 win. 

It was North Platte that maintained the upper hand in the third set. NPCC jumped out to an early lead and got caught in a tie twice before a run put them ahead by four points. Trinidad tied the game again 13-13 but the Knights refused to let go and powered on to a 25-22 victory. 

The Trojans returned with a vengeance in the fourth set, grabbing the lead at the start then quickly creating a nine-point deficit. The Knights attempted to mount a comeback but fell behind 18-8. Unable to close the gap, they fell 25-13. 

Jaelyn Dicke delivered 15 kills in the match, while teammate Vanessa Wood had 11. Aubrey Grant doled out 14 assists, and Elsie Ottun had a dozen more. EmiLee Walnofer recorded a total of 19 digs. 

LCCC 

North Platte faced the Golden Eagles from LCCC next and again fell 3-1. 

The first set started out close with six ties and seven lead changes. The Golden Eagles used an eight-point run at the end of the frame to snag the win 25-17. 

The back-and-forth action continued in the second set with the teams tying the score three times and also changing leads three times. Neither side was able to pull away substantially until the end when LCCC went on a five-point run and won with an ace 25-17. 

North Platte turned things around in set three. After tying 2-2, the Knights charged ahead, distancing themselves 20-10. They kept the momentum going and finished out the frame 25-19 with a kill by Dicke. 

Out for revenge, the Golden Eagles latched onto a 4-0 lead and used it to propel their way through the rest of the fourth set, eventually putting 15 points between them and the Knights. LCCC would take the win 25-8. 

Dicke tallied 12 kills and 12 digs in that matchup. Wood registered 10 kills and 17 digs. Grant contributed 17 assists, and Ottun racked up another 14. Walnofer also stepped in with 13 digs. 

The Knights are now 12-18 overall. 

"There were times we really competed and took both teams out of system, but we didn't respond in either game after winning sets," said NPCC Volleyball Head Coach Alexa McCall. "Being in these situations, we have to learn and then apply." 

North Platte will remain on the road for the next match. The Knights are scheduled to play Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo. at 3 p.m. (CDT) Saturday.