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.

North Platte – The No. 15 North Platte Community College Lady Knights (8-4) volleyball team defended their home court Wednesday night as they defeated their rival the McCook Community College Lady Indians (4-11) in four sets 25-16, 25-20, 18-25, 25-21. The Lady Knights cruised to an opening set win before winning the second, dropping the third and winning the fourth set to end the match.,

North Platte was led by sophomore Samantha Byrn who finished with 13 kills to go along with two aces and two blocks. Sophomore Samantha Kennedy led the Lady Knights with six blocks to go along with her 11 kills. Sophomore Taylor King also was in double-digits in the kills column finishing with 10. Sophomore Joli Hopping paced the Lady Knights with 30 assists while freshman Gabrielle Nickel recorded 14. Sophomore Erica Goodwin recorded 34 digs while Byrn had 19, freshman Aryn Mesinger had 14 and Hopping had 12.

The Lady Knights return to action this Friday, September 12 and Saturday, September 13 as they travel to Sterling, Colo. to compete in the Pizza Hut Invitation. North Platte opens up play with Laramie County Community College on Friday at 1 p.m. The Lady Knights return to the court later that night at 5:00 p.m. as they take on Northeast Community College. On Saturday, the Lady Knights open with Trinidad State Junior College at 10:00 p.m. before concluding the Invitational at 2:00 p.m. with Otero Junior College.

North Platte – The No. 15 North Platte Community College Lady Knights volleyball team dropped two games this week. On Tuesday the Lady Knights traveled to Hastings where they were defeated by the Hastings College JV in four sets 20-25, 15-25, 25-14, 17-25. North Platte then hosted the No. 16 (DI) Northeastern Junior College Plainswomen at the ribbon cutting of the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium re-model on Thursday. The Lady Knights fell in straight sets to the Plainswomen 19-25, 20-25, 22-25.,

Against Hastings College JV the Knights fell in four sets. Sophomore Samantha Kennedy led the way with 12 kills and three blocks as she was the only Lady Knight in double-figures. Freshman Valerie Most was second with six kills. Joli Hopping was the lone Lady Knight with more than one assist as she recorded 13. Erica Goodwin and Aryn Mesinger both were in double-figures in digs at 12 and 10 respectively.

In their first home game since the opening weekend of the Subway Invite, North Platte was defeated in straight sets by a team they defeated in four sets at the Subway Invite. Kennedy again led the Knights in kills with nine, while sophomores Taylor King and Samantha Byrn each chipped in five. Hopping recorded 11 assists on the evening while freshman Gabrielle Nickel recorded nine. Goodwin and Mesinger were again in double-figures with 19 and 13 digs.

The Lady Knights return to action next week as they host rival McCook Community College (3-7) at 7 p.m. at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium before taking to the road for the Pizza Hut Invitational in Sterling, Colo. at Northeastern Junior College.,

McCook – The No. 15 North Platte Community College Lady Knights volleyball team went 5-0 at the McCook Tournament over two days. The Lady Knights travelled down to McCook on Friday afternoon where they defeated Dodge City Community College in four sets 27-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-18, Southeast Community College in four sets 25-22, 25-14, 17-25, 25-21 and Lamar Community Collge in straight sets 25-13, 25-12, 25-19. North Platte then returned on Saturday where they knocked off Eastern Wyoming College in four sets 25-13, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20 before defeating the host McCook Community College in straight sets 25-16, 25-15, 25-18.

In the opening game of the tournament the Lady Knights were led by freshman Valerie Most and sophomore Samantha Kennedy who finished with 16 kills and 15 kills respectively in their four set victory. Both Most and Kennedy had three blocks. Sophomore Samantha Byrn was also in double-figures with 10 kills. Joli Hopping paced North Platte with 26 assists while Gabbie Nickel had 16. Erika Goodwin had 21 digs while Aryn Meisinger had 12 and Byrn had 11.

Against Southeast Kennedy was the lone Lady Knight in double-figures in kills with 12 to go along with six blocks as they won in four sets. Hopping again led the way in assists with 18 while Nickel had 14. Goodwin had 24 digs while Byrn had 15 and Meisinger had 12.

In the third and final game of the first day, the Lady Knights won in straight sets and were again led by Kennedy (11 kills) and Most (10 kills). Kennedy, sophomore Kylie Wroot and sophomore Abby Kurtzer all had four blocks. Hopping contributed 17 assists and Nickel chipped in 14. Goodwin was the lone Lady Knight in double-figures for digs with 17.

On Saturday, the Lady Knights defeated Eastern Wyoming for the second time already this year in four sets. Kennedy and sophomore Taylor King both had 10 kills for North Platte. Nickel led the way for the Lady Knights with 22 assists and Hopping had 20. Goodwin had 27 digs while Byrn had 21 and Meisinger had 12.

In the final game of the tournament, North Platte knocked off their rival and the host McCook in straight sets. Kennedy and Byrn led the strong showing with 12 kills apiece while Hopping had 27 assists and Goodwin had 23 digs. Meisinger and Byrn each had 11 digs.

“We had a good weekend going 5-0,” said head coach Sally Thalken. “Next week will be very tough with Hastings College JV and Northeastern Junior College. I hope we step up to the challenge.”

The Lady Knights return to action on Tuesday September 2 as they travel to Hastings to take on the Hastings College JV at 7 p.m. North Platte then returns home on Thursday September 4 to host No. 16 (D1) Northeastern Junior College in newly remodeled McDonald-Belton Gymnasium at 7 p.m.

North Platte – The No. 15 North Platte Community College Lady Knights started off their 2014 season by earning a split in the opening weekend of the their season and the 2014 Subway Invite.

In the opening game of the year, the Lady Knights defeated the Eastern Wyoming Lady Lancers in straight sets 25-15, 25-16, 25-18. North Platte then dropped their first game of the season to the Sheridan College Lade Generals in a hard fought five match battle 25-23, 17-25, 25-21, 15-25, 14-16. On Saturday the Lady Knights returned to the court where they were defeated by the Casper College Lady Thunderbirds in four sets 25-19, 14-25, 22-25, 20-25. North Platte then earned the split on the weekend by defeated the No. 16 ranked team in Division I, the Northeastern Junior College Lady Plainsmen, in four sets 25-22, 19-25, 25-19, 25-21.

Against the Lady Lancers the Lady Knights were led by freshman Valerie Most who finished with eight kills while sophomore Samantha Kennedy ended with six kills and recorded seven kills to lead North Platte. Sophomore Erika Goodwin was the leader in digs with 15 while sophomore Joli Hopping recorded 19 assists to pace the Lady Knights.

In the second game of the night, North Platte lost a hard fought five set battle to the Lady Generals. Kennedy led the way for the Lady Knights as she recorded 13 kills six blocks. Most was not far behind as she finished with nine kills. Goodwin again led the way with 19 digs while Hopping (12), Samantha Byrn (10) and Gabbie Nickel (10) all finished in double-figure digs. Hopping paced North Platte with 25 assists while Nickel chipped in 14.

On Saturday against Casper no Lady Knight was in double-figures for kills as Valerie Most led the way with nine followed closes by Samantha Kennedy with eight. Erika Goodwin (29) and Samantha Byrn (15) paced North Platte with double-figure digs. Joli Hopping had 23 assists while Gabrielle Nickel chipped in 10.

In the final game of the Subway Invite, the Lady Knights knocked off the nationally ranked Lady Plainsmen behind 16 kills from Kennedy and 12 from Most. Kennedy also paced the Lady Knights with five blocks. Hopping again was in double-figures in assists with 26 as was Nickel with 18. Four Lady Knights were in double-figures in digs led by Goodwin with 25 followed closely by Byrn (22), Hopping (19) and Aryn Mesinger (13).

The Lady Knights return to action next week as they travel to McCook for the McCook Invite on Friday August 29 and Saturday August 30.

North Platte – The North Platte Community College Lady Knights volleyball team announced their schedule for the 2014 season on Monday. The Knights open up their season on August 22 and 23 as they host their annual Subway Invite at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium. The schedule for the tournament will be announced later. The schedule includes seven homes game after the opening tournament.

The Lady Knights schedule also includes four tournaments at McCook Community College in McCook, Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan. and Central Community College in Columbus. The Lady Knights look to improve on their 22-15 record and Region IX Division II Tournament Runner-Up Finish.

“We are excited for the schedule we have put together,” said head coach Sally Thalken. “It will test our team and give us plenty of opportunities to play great competition and improve.”

October 23 will see the Lady Knights close the regular season with Sophomore Night against Eastern Wyoming College before heading to Columbus for the Region IX Division II Tournament on October 31 and November 1. The Division II Tournament Champion will then host the District G Playoff with the Division II National Tournament being played in Toledo, Ohio.