Your future, our focus
By FRED MILLER
Powell Tribune Staff Writer
The Northwest College Lady Trappers volleyball team finished 2-4 at last weekend's Wyoming Community College Athletic Conference tournament, and both their wins were on the second day of play.
With that in mind, college athletic director Jim Zeigler had some strong words of praise for the players.
"I'm impressed by how much tougher they've gotten when their backs are against the wall," Zeigler said.
The tournament was at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne. The women lost their first matchup, versus Western Wyoming College at 11 a.m. Northwest won the first game 30- 28, but lost the next three 30-15, 30-24 and 30-18.
Next, versus Casper College, the women lost 30-24, 30-27 and 30-24, 24-30. Against Sheridan College, they lost 30-11, 32-30 and 30-18.
"Overall on Friday we did not play very well at all," NWC head coach Jesseca Cross said.
The women made some of the same simple mistakes they have made before and are trying to overcome, she said. The Lady Trappers lost Saturday's first matchup, at 9 a.m. versus Central Wyoming College, 30-18, 30-28 and 30-19. However, Northwest's players were confident and they put their rivals on defense, Cross said.
"We took (Central) out of their game," she said.
In the afternoon, the women played back-to-back matches against Eastern Wyoming College and Laramie County Community College and won both. Against EWC, Northwest won 30-15, lost 25-30, won 30-24, lost 28-30 and came back for a final 15-7 victory. Zeigler noted that EWC's coach is in the community college coaching hall of fame.
"From my perspective lookin in, I think that's a great compliment" to the Lady Trappers, Zeigler said.
Finally, against LCCC, Northwest won 30-25, lost 28-30 and 19- 30, and won 30-26 and 15-8.
"They have fought like champions, they really have," Cross said.
Zeigler said Northwest's volleyball players, on average, are smaller in stature than players from some other colleges. Other teams tend to become frustrated when smaller players beat them, he said.
"I like being the darkhorse or the underdog," Cross said. "It's the best place to be because nobody pays you any mind."
She also gave her players credit for dealing with a series of roster changes. Freshman Risako Oda broke her ankle recently, and sophomore Breanne Robirds moved from the back row to the front to take Oda's place. Robirds is a versatile player, Cross said.
Freshman Chelsea Voigt will not play this week because of another injury, Cross said, and freshmen Angela Schuman and Kim Suter are splitting the rotation on playing setter. Schuman also plays middle hitter.
Formerly, Schuman had been a reserve, Cross said, and she is glad her players are versatile enough they can take other players' places.
Starting (today) Thursday, Sept. 6, the women were scheduled to play a three-day tournament in Thatcher, Ariz.