Posted: Aug 19, 2021

MCC to field young, energetic volleyball squad

The McCook Community College volleyball team opens the season Friday with a young squad that includes nine freshman and five sophomores. When you factor in the fact that at this time last year, the five sophomores were still five months away from their first taste of collegiate competition, the experience level of the 2021 fall team is light but optimism is high.

"We are young team with great sophomore leaders," said MCC Coach Hayley Kobza, in her sixth season leading the volleyball program.

"But I feel like that balances out because our sophomores give a lot of energy to our freshmen. On top of that our freshmen are also really good positive energy givers," Kobza said.

Earlier this spring, MCC finished the regular season 15-10 and gained the third seed in the Region IX South Division where they went 5-5. The team won their first two matches in the tournament over Western Wyoming and Central Wyoming before falling to Western Nebraska and Laramie County Community College to finish the year at 17-12.

"I think this season you can expect high energy and scrappiness," Kobza said. "I feel like this team going to be a team that might not be perfect when it comes down to the mechanics but they are going to play their hearts out."

Six MCC volleyball players were selected for post season awards last season but five of them were sophomores. The lone freshman was Jordan Jerome (Rawlins, Wyo.), who was named to the all-Region IX South team. As an outside hitter, she brings the most attacking experience into the fall season having appeared in in 29 matches earlier this spring, with 179 kills, 215 digs, 27 service aces and led MCC with 65 total blocks on the season.

Joining her on the outside are a pair of freshman in Thaynara Isabela, 5-10, Brazil, and Victoria Thomas, 5-8, Houston, Texas.

Over on the right side, sophomore Amerika Jones, 6-0, Honolulu, Hawaii, shifts the middle where she played in 18 matches and had 36 kills, 15 digs, four solo blocks and 26 block assists. Freshmen Anna Williams, 5-10, Peyton, Colo. also joins the right-side attack.

Sophomore Janie Sommer, 6-0, Maxwell, split time in the 6-2 offense this past spring as setter playing in 28 matches and was credited with 445 assists, 144 digs, 34 kills, 13 serving aces, and 26 blocks. She will also play right-side hitter this fall. Jaycee Widener, a 5-10, freshman from Wellfleet, who was recruited as an outside hitter, converted to setting early in fall camp and will also hit from the right side. Adeline McIntire, 5-9, freshman setter from Paola, Kan., is expected to redshirt this season.

Three new faces will be vying for time at the middle blocking spot. Mia Pena, a 5-11, sophomore transfer, Greeley, Colo., appeared in 20 matches for Northwestern Colorado Junior College, and had 84 kills, as a freshman and was second on the team with 16 total blocks. Also competing in the middle will be freshmen Jisell Chumacero, 5-10, Eaton, Colo., and Makayla Brown, 5-8, freshman, Colorado Springs, who was also recruited as an outside hitter. Sophomore Suzy Cordova, Fort Collins, Colo., will not play this fall as a medical redshirt but will serve as student assistant.

At the libero spot, sophomore Kaylee Palmieri, 5-7, Gibbon, Neb. took the court in 22 matches this spring and had 36 digs, three assists and four service aces. Also competing for the spot are freshman Amanda Pizzol, 5-9, Brazil, and freshman McKenna Crews, 5-6, Loveland, Colo.

"Our biggest strengths are that we are very equal across the board at every position," Kobza said. "Like at every position if you ranked them, there would be very little difference between the top two positions and between the top three at some spots."

Kobza said the team's biggest goal -- and really the only one -- is to be a mentally strong team.

"I feel like the mental part of the game is so important in volleyball because if we're all good and neutral between the ears, and living in the moment, then we're not worrying about the last play or the next play. If we focus on what is happening right in front of us, then we can be a great team."

As part of that mental preparation, the team has spent early August focused on mental conditioning, which includes journaling, reading, watching videos, and team dialogue about those activities.

The season begins with a pair of weekend tournaments on the road at Cheyenne, Wyo. Friday and Saturday and at Norfolk Aug 27-28 before the home opener at 7 p.m. Sept. 2 against Southeast Community College and a 15-team, Labor Day Weekend tournament at the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center.

"We're excited to host that big weekend tournament with 15 teams coming in and playing here, staying here, eating hear and contributing to our local economy," Kobza said.

The 15 teams will come from six states including Texas, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa. MCC will play Laramie County and Independence on Sept. 3 and Garden City and Hutchinson on Sept. 4.

Also new on the schedule is a home-and-home series with the University of Nebraska-Kearney JV team.