Lady Indians get first win in Friday split

The McCook Community College volleyball team picked up its first win of the season Friday splitting two matches in the MCC Labor Day weekend Tournament. MCC fell 3-1 to Hutchinson Community College in the early game then came back to sweep Cloud County Community College in the final game.

“I still think we have a long way to continue to improve, and it really comes down to the mental part of the game,” aid MCC Coach Hayley Kobza. “We have the skills, we just need to learn to utilize them and when to utilize them

She said prior to the Cloud County match the coaches talked to players about when they are given the opportunity to be on the court they better make sure they show up.

“We had a player come out and do that in that second match and that’s exciting,” said Kobza.

Freshman Peightan Swanson (freshman, Severance, Colo.) stepped up against Cloud County and was one of three MCC players with nine kills.

MCC goes to 1-5 on the season and will take on Amarillo College Saturday in the final game of the Labor Day Weekend Tournament. That match is set for 1 p.m. The Badgers swept Hutchinson and Cloud County Friday to improve to 6-1 on the season.

Up-to-date information about MCC volleyball including livestream links, schedule, statistics, rosters, photos and more can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com 

Hutchinson CC 3, McCook CC 1: Blue Dragons took the match 25-16, 23-25, 25-18, 25-17.

Sophomore transfer Paulina Fister (Tuszyn, Poland) led the MCC attack with 14 kills with two assist blocks and one service ace. Charlee Russick (sophomore Berthoud, Colo.) had 10 kills and one solo block.

From the middle, freshman Bobbi Starkebaum (Haxtun, Colo.) had 11 kills, one solo block and one assist block. Freshman Leia Young (Amarillo, Texas) added seven kills and four assist blocks.

Freshmen setters Zoe Mulholland (Lander, Wyo.) and Landree McNair (Chase County High School) were both credited with 19 set assists. Freshman Brooke Nelson (Berthoud, Colo.) had one service ace.

Sophomore Audrey Holm (Paxton, Colo.) had two assist blocks and freshman Anna Richardson (Worland, Wyo.) had two kills and an assist block.

Hutchinson CC entered the match 1-2 on the season.

McCook CC 3, Cloud County 0: The Lady Indians swept the T Birds 25-19, 25-21 and 25-21. After getting down 16-8 in the third set, MCC rallied to score 17 of the final 23 points of the set.

Three players each had nine kills in the sweep including Peightan Swanson, Charlee Russick and Paulina Fister. Swanson also had a solo block and two assist blocks. Russick added eight digs while Fister added a solo block, an assist block and two service aces.

Leia Young (Amarillo, Texas) tallied seven kills from the middle and had one service ace. Bobbi Starkebaum was credited with two kills and one assist block.

Brooke Nelson led MCC with 12 digs) had one service ace.

Zoe Mulholland led the Lady Indians with 14 set assists while Landree McNair added 13 along with a team-high four service aces and an assist block.

Cloud County falls to 3-5 on the season.