Knights get first Region IX win against Rattlers

La Junta, Colo. – North Platte Community College volleyball earned its first Region IX win of the season in a five-set match (23-25, 27-25, 21-25, 25-22, 15-11) against Otero Junior College on Friday.

Freshman Makenna Stephenson delivered an impressive performance with 26 kills and 11 digs. Khloee Wright had 15 kills and 19 digs, while Nya Lual contributed 15 kills to round out a dominant offensive showing.

"We passed well in serve receive which gave us options offensively," said head coach Alexa McCall. "We struggled to play consistently as a team, but we were still able to battle and come out with a win."

Zoe Maher set the tone early in set one with an ace on opening point, but Otero quickly responded with a run to take control for most of the set. North Platte battled back to tie the score multiple times, including late in the set to even it at 22-22. However, Otero held onto momentum and closed out the set to take a 1-0 lead.

Set two was a tightly contested battle, featuring 15 ties. Late in the set Ella Rotherham delivered a crucial kill in extra points, followed by a big North Platte block to clinch the set and even the match at 1-1.

North Platte opened set three with a few short runs, but Otero answered with an 8-0 surge, building a 19-13 lead. Despite a late 5-0 run by the Knights, the Rattlers held on to win and took a 2-1 set lead.

The fourth set was another tight battle, with both teams trading points down the stretch. This time, it was North Platte who came through in the clutch, finishing strong to force a decisive fifth set.

The final set began as another back-and-forth contest until a Rattlers error sparked a 5-0 Knights run. The Knights rode that run to secure the set and match victory.

North Platte (7-11) will travel to Trinidad, Colo. to take on the Trojans of Trinidad State on Saturday at 2 p.m Central Time.