North Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College volleyball earned a four-set win over Otero Junior College but fell to Northeast Community College in straight sets on Saturday.
Jaelyn Dicke tallied 23 kills and 27 digs, while Aubrey Grant served up 57 assists and four aces across two matches.
North Platte 3 Otero 1
The Rattlers struck first before a 6-0 run pushed the Knights out front. North Platte never trailed for the remainder of the first set, as they extended their lead to 22-8 on back-to-back kills by Dicke. North Platte held the Rattlers to just three more points as they closed out the set on a Nya Laul block.
Otero bounced back in the second set as they took an early 4-1 lead. North Platte chipped away at the margin to knot the set at eight on an ace by EmiLee Walnofer. A 3-0 rally created some breathing room for the Rattlers late in the set, until North Platte narrowed the margin to 17-16. Otero fought off the Knights late rally to even the match at one set apiece.
North Platte fired back to open the third set by jumping out to an 11-5 lead. Knights continued to add to their lead as the margin stretched to 16-6. A Rattlers timeout attempted to break the momentum, but the Knights held strong to close out the set, 25-18.
Knights dominated the fourth set, building an 11-5 advantage on an ace by Grant. Rattlers narrowed the margin to three midway through the set, but the Knights were unfazed by the rally. North Platte shook off the dust and used a 3-1 run to pull away once again, before a kill by Dicke closed out the match.
Northeast 3 North Platte 0
Northeast used a 7-0 run midway through the set to take a 20-9 lead. Hawks continued their dominance in the frame to seal the 25-11 opening set win.
A kill by Kathryn Folkers gave the Knights a 4-2 advantage early in the second set. Northeast used a 7-2 run to switch the momentum, forcing the Knights to call their first timeout. North Platte pulled back within one on an ace by Zoe Maher, but the Hawks responded to stretch their lead to 20-13. Northeast never surrendered their lead down the stretch to take a two-set lead.
North Platte matched the Hawks point-for-point for most of the third set. Deadlocked at 15-15, the Hawks used a 5-1 run to generate some breathing room. North Platte attempted to surge back in the final moments, but the Hawks put the finishing touches on their sweep.
Knights (11-21) return to Region IX action against Central Community College on Oct. 17. First serve is set for 6 p.m. in Columbus.
