NWC Receives Votes but Fails to Crack Top 20
By RANDAL HOROBIK
Tribune Sports Editor
The final regular season NJCAA volleyball poll showed little change from the two before it for the Northwest College Trappers. Despite improving to a 20-8 overall record, including a three-game sweep of Central Wyoming, the Trappers failed to garner enough votes to crack the top 20.
Four other Region IX teams can be found in the rankings, however. Leading that pack is third-ranked Western Nebraska. Casper College (27-8) remained steady at No. 12. Laramie County Community College (28-9) and Northeastern Junior College (24-11) each held fast in the bottom two rungs of the NJCAA ratings ladder.
Laramie County will bring its No. 19 ranking to Cabre Gym on Friday night for a 7 p.m. head-to-head showdown with the Trappers. Laramie captured a five-game decision at home in the two schools' previous encounter this season. The Trappers wrap up the regular season at 3 p.m. on Saturday against Eastern Wyoming.
Pairings for the Region IX North tournament, hosted by Central Wyoming, will be released early next week.
The final regular-season NJCAA volleyball rankings:
1. North Idaho (26-4)
2. Blinn (25-3)
3. Western Nebraska (35-2)
4. Salt Lake (23-5)
5. Iowa Western (36-4)
6. College of Southern Idaho (25-6)
7. Miami Dade (24-4)
8. Missouri State University-West Plains (24-4)
9. Eastern Arizona (20-1)
10. San Jacinto-Central (28-7)
11. New Mexico Military Institute (32-6)
12. Casper (27-8)
13. Hutchinson (23-7)
14. Seward County (24-9)
15. Hillsborough (25-7)
16. Florida State-Jacksonville (28-4)
17. Frank Phillips (24-10),
18. Pasco-Hernando (26-8)
19. Laramie County (28- 9)
20. Northeastern (24-11)
Also receiving votes (listed alphabetically):
Central Wyoming (23-12
Indian Hills-Ottumwa (12-9)
Jefferson (18-9)
Laredo (12-10)
Lee (16-11
Northwest College (20-8)
Panola (21-6)
Paris (19-11)
Redlands (16-16)
Seminole (20-14)
Wharton County (16-11)
Yavapai (25-14)