Northeastern Prepares for Postseason

Oct. 29, 2018, Sterling, Colo.— With the regular season behind them, the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) Plainswomen can focus their attention on the Region IX Volleyball Tournament, set for Oct. 31-Nov. 3 in Cheyenne, Wyo.

   NJC closed out the regular season on a high note Wed., Oct. 24 at home with a sweep over Eastern Wyoming College. NJC heads into the Region IX Tournament with a 22-6 overall record and the second seed out of Region IX South with a 7-3 mark.

  Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) won the Region IX South championship with a 9-1 record and is 24-8 overall, dethroning NJC, the defending champs.

 The Plainswomen have been hampered with injuries to key players the past few weeks and hope to be on the mend heading into the Region IX Tournament. 

  Sophomore All-American outside hitter Sara Antic of Serbia has experienced a stress fracture and a grade one sprain of her MCL in her knee and was on the shelf for the regular season finale against EWC.

  Antic, who has 245 kills in 21 matches this season, appears ready to take the court for next week's tournament. 

  Throughout the season, several other Plainswomen players have sustained injuries, but despite some ups and downs, the NJC squad still posted 22 victories.

  Though everyone is not yet 100% healed with some nagging injuries, it's full steam ahead into the Region IX Tournament for the Plainswomen.

  "We have overcome a lot of adversity this year," observed NJC Coach Jessica Squier. "There were a lot of things that went wrong this year and there were a lot of times our players could have folded.

  "But they persevered and did a good job of working together as a team. Through those ups and downs, the girls recognized what our goals are and have worked hard to make this a successful season.

  "We could have had 25 wins, but the six losses that we did have we learned from. We did a good job pushing through everything and now we're ready for the tournament.

  "Are we 100% healed heading into the tournament? Maybe, not. But the girls have done a good job of rehab, but most of it will be our mindset going in."

   NJC has featured plenty of firepower at the net with 1,183 total kills, led by sophomore outside hitter Kacey Jaeger of Ogallala, Neb., with 307.

 Antic's 245 kills are second on the team; freshman Julia Gutierrez Mas of Barcelona, Spain has 156; sophomore Ashlyn Martinez of LaSalle 129; freshman Taylor Burns of Aurora 122 and sophomore All-American setter Sofija Pajevic of Serbia 106.

    Pajevic has 935 assists on the season to set up the NJC attack. On the defensive side of the net Gutierrez Mas is the leader in digs with 289; freshman MacKenzie Wells of Fruita 242; Pajevic 227; Antic 217; Jaeger 215; freshman Kinley Coe of Colorado Springs 147; freshman Cierra Williams of Centennial 114 and Martinez 80. 

  Pajevic leads in total blocks with 54. Gutierrez Mas leads in aces with 44, Pajevic 35 and Antic 23.

  As is the case every year, Squier has asked several freshmen step up and that has certainly been repeated this season. Gutierrez Mas and Burns have been instrumental in NJC's successful attack, and when Antic was sidelined for a couple of weeks freshman Ravyn Burns of Aurora, Taylor's twin sister, has answered the call.

  Prior to an Oct. 13 home sweep over Otero on Oct. 13, Ravyn had only three kills but now has 37.

 "I think our freshmen have risen above that freshman shock," Squier said. "They are not so overwhelmed with everything that goes along with volleyball, life and school.

  "They have done a phenomenal job of stepping up when we asked them and, with their willingness, has helped us gain the second seed. Knowing that we have that on our bench going into the tournament and next year is a blessing to us."

  To have a successful attack, Squier points out that ball control will be the key to NJC's success heading into the Region IX Tournament.

  "We have put a big time emphasis on ball control," she stressed. "I think that is what has really helped us the entire year.

  "We have slacked on it a little bit but that's because our practices haven't been focused on ball control so we are going to change that in the next few days so we can go into the tournament with more confidence."

  This year's Region IX Tournament has a new format with teams from the North and South competing. For the last 14 years, NJC competed in the Region IX South Tournament with just WNCC, Otero, Trinidad State, Lamar and McCook, Neb. and lost each year in the championship match to Western Nebraska.

  Western has advanced to the NCAA National Tournament all 14 years, denying NJC to a trip to the Big Show.

  The new Region IX Tournament format this year allows the top two teams to qualify for Nationals, as six squads each from the North and South will merge to determine the outcome.

  Only EWC will not qualify for the tournament because there are seven teams in Region IX North (six in Region IX South) and the Lady Lancers finished last in that division.

  Prior to 2004, NJC competed in the Region IX West Tournament. The Plainswomen won the championship in 2002 in Lamar and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament for the fifth time in the history of the program.

  NJC posted a 1-2 mark in the Nationals, which were held in West Plains, Mo.

  In 2003 NJC lost in the semi-finals of the Region IX West Tournament, denying the Plainswomen a return trip to the Nationals.

  The last time all teams from the North and South combined to compete in the Region IX Tournament was in 1998 at NJC, the first year of existence for the Bank of Colorado Event Center.

  That year NJC went 4-0 in pool play but 1-2 in cross-bracket action to suffer elimination. EWC was the tourney champion.

    Squier is a former Plainswomen volleyball star in 2006-07 after playing her high school career at Julesburg where she was instrumental in back-to-back state titles with the Lady Lions. 

  During her two years at NJC, the Plainswomen posted a 76-25 mark. Both years NJC lost to WNCC in the Region IX South title match, coming in that 14-year stretch.

  She took over as head coach for the Plainswomen in 2012 and helped set up the format for this year's Region IX Tournament where the top two teams qualify for the Nationals.

  "All of the Region IX coaches were instrumental in setting up the new format," Squier said. "We all worked really hard together getting it organized and making sure we get the best teams forward to the National Tournament.

 "The biggest goal is to make sure our region gets respect nationally, so I'm extremely happy with the format and hope we can keep doing it this year."

  WNCC is ranked 18th in the nation going into the tournament while NJC is 23rd and Otero 24th. Laramie County, Wyo. Community College is the number one team out of Region IX North with a 25-7 overall mark and is ranked 22nd.

  The Plainswomen lost to Laramie County in four games in the Pizza Hut Invitational Sept. 14 at NJC and are 2-0 against Otero but 0-2 against Western Nebraska.

  NJC will open the double elimination tournament Wed., Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. against either Trinidad State College or Western Wyoming. NJC is 2-0 against Trinidad State and swept Western Wyoming in the Pizza Hut Invitational.

  The top two teams advance to the NJCAA National Tournament Nov. 15-17 in Hutchinson, Kan.

  "I think we are an entirely different team than we were earlier in the season," Squier said. "We will go into the tournament taking it one set at a time and one match at a time, and we will respect each opponent no matter who we play.

  "Every team deserves the same amount of respect because this is the college level and there is a lot at stake and we must make sure we focus on our task ahead."