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Late Change in Seeding Provides Extra Hurdle for Lady Trappers
By DAVID DICKEY
Powell Tribune Sports Editor
At 9:15 a.m. Tuesday morning, Northwest College head coach Jesseca Cross got an unexpected email from Western Wyoming Community College's athletic department, and the news it contained wasn't favorable for the Lady Trappers.
Initial brackets released for the Region IX North Volleyball Tournament in Rock Springs had the Lady Trappers listed as the No. 6 seed for the event, which would have put NWC in a matchup with third-seeded Central Wyoming College.
Instead, Cross was informed via Tuesday's e-mail that the Lady Trappers and Eastern Wyoming College had undergone a change in seeding. The Lady Trappers dropped a spot in the seeding order and now fill the No. 7 spot in the bracket. They will face second-seeded Western Wyoming, the tournament's host team, in the first-round of the event Thursday at 4 p.m. Eastern Wyoming, originally listed as the No. 7 seed, moved into the No. 6 slot by virtue of the late change and now will play Central Wyoming in the opening round.
NWC, Eastern Wyoming and Laramie County Community College were deadlocked in the standings with 2-10 records in Region IX play. By virtue of tie-breaking procedures, LCCC picked up the No.5 seed, and NWC and Eastern got the No. 6 and 7 seeds. Or so she thought.
"We've been preparing to play Central Wyoming," Cross said Tuesday morning and just minutes after being informed of the change. "Now, just one day before we're supposed to leave, we find out that we're playing a different team."
Because of the change, NWC's travel plans were altered as well. Instead of departing Wednesday, the Lady Trappers were forced to leave Thursday (today). They also had just one practice (Wednesday) to put together a game plan and prepare for Western Wyoming.
The news of the change in seeding comes on the heels of Shawna Sutherland's dismissal from the team. Sutherland, a sophomore from Albin and a key player on the front row, violated NWC's athletic code of conduct, according to NWC athletic director Jim Zeigler. No other details were released concerning Sutherland's dismissal.
Cross said the situation was unfortunate, but she remained optimistic the Lady Trappers would find a way to overcome the setback.
"We've had to make changes to our lineup all season," Cross said. "Injuries have forced us to change things around a lot, and the girls have done a good job adapting. When we told them about the situation, they handled it pretty well."
Cross also said early signs indicate the team is determined to pull together and fight through the effects of losing a teammate so late in the season.
To counter the loss of Sutherland, Breanne Robirds, a sophomore from Powell, will move to the middle, and Risako Oda will shift to the back row on the right side. Angela Dausman will play on the front row and on the right side.
The good news for the Lady Trappers is that the break between their final match on Oct. 20 and now has allowed those who have been ailing or suffering from illnesses to return to full strength. During last Saturday's practice, Cross said she had as many players on the court for a practice as she's had since the start of the season.
"When I looked out on the court, it actually looked crowded," Cross said.
Should the Trappers win their first match, they will advance to a second-round matchup at 8 p.m. Thursday (today) against the winner of the Eastern Wyoming-Central Wyoming match. If they lose in the first round, NWC will take on the loser of that same match in a Friday contest at 10 a.m. in the double-elimination tournament.
Casper College enters the three-day Region IX North Tournament as the event's top-seeded team. The Thunderbirds received a first round bye and will play the winner of the Laramie County-Sheridan match. For a complete tournament bracket, visit http://www.wwcc.wy.edu/1.htm .
The Region IX South Tournament also will be conducted this week at Trinidad State College in Trinidad, Colo. The champions from each of the Region IX tournaments will advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association's Division I national championship tournament in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Nov. 15-17.