Cowley Volleyball wins 24th straight

Cowley volleyball team has a home match Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Being pushed to five games for the first time since the opening weekend of the season, the No. 1-ranked Cowley College volleyball team outlasted a pair of ranked opponents and went 4-0 at the Central Nebraska Tournament played Friday and Saturday in Platte, NE.
The victories extend Cowley’s winning streak to 24 matches in a row.


On Friday, Cowley fell behind 10th-ranked North Platte two games to one. With its backs against the wall, the Lady Tigers pounded North Platte 25-10 to force a fifth and final game. In game five, the teams traded points before Cowley was able to finish strong and earn the 15-12 win.
Cowley again fell behind in its next match against No. 6-ranked Iowa Lakes as they lost game one by a score of 18-25. The Lady Tigers would win the next two games 25-22, 25-23 before Iowa Lakes won game four 25-22.
The final game was back and forth before Cowley pulled out a 15-13 win.
“We knew we would see good competition at the tournament, which is good because we need to be pushed,” Cowley head coach Jenifer Bahner said. “Even though we went five games, they were good lessons for us. We learned we could push through and win in five games if needed.”
On Saturday, Cowley had little trouble getting past No. 15-ranked Central Nebraska 25-19, 25-18, 25-21. The Lady Tigers rallied from a 19-21 deficit in game three by closing the match with six straight points.
The Lady Tigers would face a familiar foe in the final match of the tournament as they faced off against conference opponent Neosho County.
After winning game one vs. the Lady Panthers 25-15, Neosho County came back to win the second game by a score of 25-22. Cowley regrouped to win the next two games by scores of 25-15, 25-15 as they capped a perfect weekend at the tournament.
“I think we are doing a lot of great things but we still have room for improvement,” Bahner said.
Sophomore Roslandy Acosta had a solid all around weekend as she finished with 63 kills, 95 assists, 44 digs and 12 blocks.
“She was able to contribute in the front row, back row, pretty much everywhere,” Bahner said. “It was good to see her step up to the competition this weekend, I challenge her to do this more consistently. Whether it is Iowa Lakes or Independence, I want to see her rise to the occasion.”
Emily Barto and Lindsey Chandler also played well and finished with 38 and 30 kills, respectively.
“Those two are doing a lot for us offensively,” Bahner said. “They are doing a great job with their blocking and hitting.”
Sophomore Elena Berroteran came up big while playing libero for the Lady Tigers. Berroteran finished with 68 digs in the four matches.
“She provided such stability for us in the back court and did a great job of taking charge,” Bahner said.
Cowley (24-2) will return to action at 6 p.m. Tuesday when they host a Seminole State College squad, which is 25-5 on the season. The Trojans are receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Division I volleyball poll and have won 12 of their last 13 matches.
“They appear to be a pretty strong team on paper, so it should be fun to have a competitive home match,” Bahner said. “We need to keep our competitive edge and keep improving.”