Sterling, CO – The No. 16 North Platte Community College Lady Knights (12-4) traveled to Sterling, Colo. over the weekend and posted a perfect 4-0 record at the Pizza Hut Invitation including two five set battles. On Friday the Lady Knights were pushed to the limit as they won two five set battles. North Platte first knocked off Laramie County Community College,22-25, 25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 18-16 in the opening game before taking down Northeast Community College,20-25, 25-16, 25-23, 17-25, 15-9. On Saturday the Lady Knights cruised to a three set win over Trinidad State Junior College,25-20, 25-22, 26-24 and a four set win over Otero Junior College,18-25, 25-12, 25-18, 25-16.

In the opening game of the Invitational, North Platte was led by a trio of sophomores and a freshman in kills. The sophomores in double-figure kills were Taylor King with 16, Samantha Kennedy with 15 and Samantha Byrn with 14. Kennedy also had seven blocks. Freshman Valerie Most also recorded 12. Another sophomore, Joli Hopping recorded 51 sets for the Lady Knights. Sophomore Erika Goodwin had 30 digs, while Byrn had 20, Most had 15 and Hopping had 12 to earn the victory.

The second game was another tightly contested match that saw North Platte again earn victory in five sets. The Lady Knights were led by Most who recorded 15 kills and Kennedy who had nine. Hopping again paced North Platte with 44 assists while Byrn led the way in digs with 21. Goodwin recorded 21 digs, King had 17 and Hopping had 16 to round out the Lady Knights in double-figure digs.

On Saturday, the Lady Knights secured the perfect record at the Pizza Hut Invitation with wins over Trinidad State and Otero. Against Trinidad State Samantha Kennedy led the way with 12 kills while Samantha Byrn was not far behind with 11. Joli Hopping had 29 assists while Erika Goodwin recorded 20 digs. Byrn (14) and Taylor King (13) were also in double-figure digs.

In the final game of the Invitational, three Lady Knights notched double-digit kills. Kennedy led the way with 10, while King and Valerie Most each had 10. For the fourth straight game, Hopping led the way with 40 assists while Goodwin had 25 digs. Aryn Meisinger had 14 digs along with King while Byrn recorded 11.,

The Lady Knights return to action on Tuesday, September 16 as they travel to Torrington, Wyo. to face Eastern Wyoming College at 7 p.m., a team they have defeated twice already this season. North Platte returns home on Thursday, September 18 to face Region IX Division II foe and the #3 in Division II Central Community College at 6 p.m.