The No. 16 North Platte Community College Lady Knights (15-7) split their games on Saturday as they defeated the Iowa Lakes Community College Lady Lakers in a hard fought five set battle (25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-12) and fell to the Coffeyville Community College Lady Ravens (19-25, 28-26, 23-25, 15-25) to finish out the Johnson County Invite with a 1-3 record.

The Lady Knights first game of the day turned into a battle with Iowa Lakes Community College. The Lady Knights drew first blood as they handled the Lady Lakers in a 25-19 first set victory. The Lady Lakers would then win the second set 23-25 to even the match. The Lady Knights responded by winning the third set 25-23. The Lady Knights could not end the match as the Lady Lakers won the fourth set 22-25. The Lady Knights would get their first win of the Johnson County Invite as they knocked off the Lady Lakers in the fifth and final set 15-12.

Sabrina Hallahan led the Lady Knights with 12 kills in the match. Taylor King and Samantha Kennedy were also in double figures with 10. Kennedy led the Lady Knights with four blocks. Joli Hopping paced the Lady Knights with 27 assists and Shannon Liewer did in digs with 25.

The second game of the day was another hard fought battle for the Lady Knights. Coffeyville took a 1-0 set lead as they won the first set 19-25. The Lady Knights would fight back and win the second set 28-26. The Lady Ravens would end the match with victories in the third and fourth set by the score of 23-25 and 15-25.

The Lady Knights were led by Samantha Byrn with 11 kills. Sabrina Hallahan, Sandrina Hallahan, Samantha Kennedy and Kylie Wroot all had nine kills in the match. Shannon Liewer had 17 digs for the match while Joli Hopping had 23 assists and Laura Beckman had 16.

The Lady Knights return home next week on Thursday October 3 for a match against Northeast Community College at 7 p.m. It is the first of a three game home stand and the last three home games of the year for the Lady Knights.

The No. 16 North Platte Community College Lady Knights (14-6) fell on Friday to the Division II nationally ranked No. 3 and No. 5 teams in the nation. The Lady Knights opened up the Johnson County Invite by facing the hosts #3 Johnson County Community College Lady Cavaliers (15-5) and falling in straight sets (16-25, 18-25, 19-25). The competition remained excellent for the Lady Knights as they next faced the #5 Kirkwood Community College Lady Eagles (19-4). The Lady Knights would again fall in straight sets (18-25, 17-25, 16-25).

The Lady Knights started out slow in the first set as the Lady Cavaliers raced out to a 16-25 first set victory. The second set saw the Lady Cavaliers again defeat the Lady Knights by a score of 18-25. The third set was again won by the Lady Cavaliers 19-25 to win the match and to end the Lady Knights four game win streak.

The Lady Knights were led by Sandrina Hallahan who finished with 11 kills for the match followed by Samantha Kennedy and Samantha Byrn with seven kills apiece. Joli Hopping paced the Lady Knights with 19 assists while Sabrina Hallahan and Shannon Liewer each had eight digs for the Lady Knights.

The second match of the day again saw the Lady Knights start out slow as they fell 18-25 in the first set to the Lady Eagles. The Lady Knights could not generate any traction in the second set as they lost 17-25. The Lady Eagles were able to finish out the match with a third set victory 16-25.

Sandrina Hallahan, Samantha Kennedy and Kylie Wroot each had five kills in the second match of the day to lead the Lady Knights. Joli Hopping led the Lady Knights with 13 assists while Laura Beckman had 10. Shannon Liewer led the Lady Knights defense with 23 digs.

“We played some really good competition today,” said head coach Sally Thalken. “We are prepared to rebound tomorrow.”

The Lady Knights continue action in the Johnson County Invite tomorrow morning against Iowa Lakes Community College at 9 a.m. and then face Coffeyville Community College at 11 a.m. to finish out the invite. .

The Lady Knights return home next week on Thursday October 3 for a match against Northeast Community College at 7 p.m. It is the first of a three game home stand and the last three home games of the year for the Lady Knights.

The No. 16 North Platte Community College Lady Knights (14-4) took to the road Thursday afternoon and knocked off the Southeast Community College Lady Storm (8-10) to extend their winning streak to four in four sets (25-27, 25-18, 25-19, 25-23). The win gives the Lady Knights a perfect 3-0 record in the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference and also a perfect 2-0 record in Region IX Division II play.

The Lady Knights dropped the opening set of the afternoon to the Lady Storm in a hard fought 25-27 battle. The Lady Knights would respond with a strong second set to defeat Southeast as Joli Hopping served the winning point for the victory.

The third set saw the Lady Knights jump out to an early lead and hold off the Lady Storm as Hopping again served the winning point and Sabrina Hallahan spiked the ball for the final point of the third set. The Lady Storm would not stop battling and pushed the Lady Knights in the fourth set before the Lady Knights would emerge victorious 25-23.

The Lady Knights travel to Overland Park, Kan. for the Johnson County Invite. The Lady Knights open up play at 3 p.m. against No. 4 Johnson County Community College on Friday September 27. The Lady Knights play again on Friday against No. 7 Kirkwood Community College at 5 p.m. The Lady Knights return to action on Saturday against Iowa Lakes Community College at 9 a.m. and then face Coffeyville Community College at 11 a.m. to finish out the tournament.

The Lady Knights return home next week on Thursday October 3 for a match against Northeast Community College at 7 p.m. It is the first of a three game home stand and the last three home games of the year for the Lady Knights.

The North Platte Community College Lady Knights (13-4) won Tuesday night as they defeated Hastings College JV in four sets (25-17, 25-21, 19-25 25-19). The Lady Knights won the first two sets then dropped the third set before winning the fourth set to end the match.

The Lady Knights raced out to a first set victory as they defeated the Hastings College JV Lady Broncos 25-17. The second set was more of the same as the Lady Knights defeated the Lady Broncos 25-21. The third set saw the Lady Broncos reverse their fortunes as they knocked off the Lady Knights 19-25. The Lady Knights then ended the match by winning the fourth set 25-19.

The Lady Knights were led by Kylie Wroot who put down 12 kills and had four blocks. Joli Hopping led the Lady Knights with 17 assists and Laura Beckman wasn’t far behind with 16 assists. Shannon Liewer led the Knights with 19 digs while Hopping and Jacee Kershaw were also in double figures with 10 digs apiece.

“We played well in the first two sets,” said head coach Sally Thalken. “We lost focus and intensity in the third and it was hard to regain momentum. We worked hard to finish the match out strong.”

On Thursday, the Lady Knights travel for an important game against the Southeast Community College Lady Storm in for both the NCCAC crown and also for seeding purposes in the Region IX Division II Tournament. The game will be broadcast live by ESPN Radio 1410 and can be listened to by clicking here.

The Lady Knights travel to Overland Park, Kan. for the Johnson County Invite. The Lady Knights open up play at 3 p.m. against #4 Johnson County Community College on Friday September 27. The Lady Knights play again on Friday against #7 Kirkwood Community College at 5 p.m. The Lady Knights return to action on Saturday against Iowa Lakes Community College at 9 a.m. and then face Coffeyville Community College at 11 a.m. to finish out the tournament.

The Lady Knights return home next week on Thursday October 3 for a match against Northeast Community College at 7 p.m. It is the first of a three game home stand and the last three home games of the year for the Lady Knights.

The North Platte Community College Lady Knights (12-4) volleyball remains at home for another contest on Tuesday September 24 against the Hastings College Lady Broncos JV team and then travel to Beatrice to face fellow Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference (NCCAC) member and Region IX Division II foe the Southeast Community College (7-6) Lady Storm. The Lady Knights then travel to Overland Park, Kan. Friday and Saturday for the Johnson County Invite.

The Lady Knights return to action Tuesday for the first time sense knocking off the No. 6 Central Community College Lady Raiders in five sets last Thursday night. The Lady Knights host the Lady Broncos at 7:00 p.m. at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium. After this game, the Lady Knights will have three home games remaining this season.

On Thursday, the Lady Knights travel for an important game against the Southeast Community College Lady Storm for both the NCCAC crown and also for seeding purposes in the Region IX Division II Tournament. The game will be broadcast live by ESPN Radio 1410 and can be listened to by clicking here.

The Lady Knights currently lead the NCCAC conference race with a perfect 2-0 record by virtue of wins over McCook Community College and Central Community College. The Knights also currently lead Region IX Division II over other members Central Community College, Southeast Community College and Dawson Community College.

The Lady Knights travel to Overland Park, Kan. for the Johnson County Invite. The Lady Knights open up play at 3 p.m. against No. 4 Johnson County Community College on Friday September 27. The Lady Knights play again on Friday against No. 7 Kirkwood Community College at 5 p.m. The Lady Knights return to action on Saturday against Iowa Lakes Community College at 9 a.m. and then face Coffeyville Community College at 11 a.m. to finish out the tournament.

The Lady Knights return home next week on Thursday October 3 for a match against Northeast Community College at 7 p.m. It is the first of a three game home stand and the last three home games of the year for the Lady Knights.

The North Platte Community College Lady Knights (12-4) volleyball team defeated the No. 6 Central Community College Lady Raiders (14-4) on Thursday night in five sets (15-25, 28-26, 25-22, 19-25, 15-13). The win was a pivotal win for both the Region IX Division number one seed in the post-season tournament and in the race for a Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference crown.

The Lady Raiders started out the night with the first run of the match as they opened up an early 0-4 lead that forced the Lady Knights into an early timeout. The Lady Knights responded by cutting the score to 7-8 but could never get any closer the rest of the way. The closest the Knights would come was at 14-17. The Lady Raiders then scored seven straight points before winning the first set 25-15.

The second set was a reversal of the first set as the Lady Knights were the team to race out to an early 5-1 advantage. The Lady Knights would maintain a little cushion until the Lady Raiders were able to tie the set at 12 apiece forcing a North Platte timeout. The sides would trade points back and forth before Columbus went on a 0-4 run to take a 17-22 lead. The Lady Knights would answer with a 4-0 run of their own. The Lady Raiders and Lady Knights alternated set point opportunities before the Lady Knights strung together three points to win the second set 28-26 on a Sandrina Hallahan kill.

The Lady Knights would capitalize on the momentum they gained at the end of the previous set in the third as they raced out to early leads of 6-1 and 8-2 forcing Columbus to call a timeout. The Lady Knights would stretch their lead throughout the match at scores of 12-6, 15-7, 18-11 and 20-12. The Lady Raiders would then score six straight points to cut the deficit to 21-18. The Lady Knights would then score two straight points which the Lady Raiders answered by scoring three straight of their own. The two teams would side out the rest of the set to give the third set victory to North Platte on a kill by Samantha Byrn at a score of 25-22.

The fourth set started out with the two teams trading points before the Lady Raiders went on a 0-5 run to take a 2-7 lead that forced the Lady Knights into a timeout. Columbus would maintain a four point lead in the early stages of the set before the Lady Knights cut the deficit to one at 14-15 that forced the Lady Raiders into a timeout. The Lady Raiders would maintain a lead the rest of the set to win 19-25 and force a deciding fifth set.

The Lady Raiders would draw first blood in the fifth set as they scored the first four points before the Lady Knights could get on the board. The Lady Knights would score four of the next five points to make the score 4-5. The Lady Raiders were the first to eight as the teams switched sides with Columbus leading 6-8. The Lady Knights would even the score at nine points apiece and then take an 11-9 that forced the Lady Raiders to take a timeout. The Lady Knights would then score two of the next three points to force another Lady Raider timeout. The Lady Raiders scored the next three points to tie the deciding set at 13 and force a Lady Knights timeout. Kylie Wroot put down a kill to give the Lady Knights a set and game point. Samantha Byrn ended the game with a kill to give the Lady Knights a 15-13 fifth set victory.

“The game was nerve wracking, exciting and a lot of fun,” said freshman Samantha Byrn. “The gym was loud and everyone played hard. I had to go over the block to get that last kill.”

The Lady Knights were led by Sabrina Hallahan with 12 kills on the night. Samantha Kennedy had a double-double with 10 kills and 10 blocks. Joli Hopping led the Lady Knights with 25 assists and Shannon Liewer had 35 digs to lead the team.

“We beat a great team tonight,” said head coach Sally Thalken. “Our kids played with a lot of heart tonight. I was very pleased with the way we battled especially in the second set when we battled back to win and in the fifth set when we got down 2-6 and battled back into the game.”

The Lady Knights take the weekend off before hosting Hastings College JV next Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. The Lady Knights then travel to Region IX Division II and NCCAC foe Southeast Community College on Thursday, Sept. 26. for a game at 4 p.m.

The North Platte Community Lady Knights Volleyball team will host the 38^th Annual High School Volleyball Tournament this Saturday, September 21. The teams participating are Paxton, Saint Patrick, SMC, Hershey, Eustis-Farnam, Maxwell and Sutherland.

Games will start at 10 a.m. in McDonald-Belton Gymnasium. First two rounds of games will start on time.  All other games will start approximately 20 minutes after prior contest ends. No passes will be honored for the games. Games are as follows:

The North Platte Community College Lady Knights (11-4) volleyball team defeated the Eastern Wyoming College Lady Lancers on Tuesday night in four sets (25-11, 25-17, 17-25, 25-18).

In the opening set of the match, the Lady Knights came out strong and raced out to a 10-4 lead to force the Lady Lancers to take a timeout. The Lady Knights continued their strong play and increased their lead to 17-7 to force a second Lady Lancers timeout. The timeout didn’t have much effect as the Lady Knights scored the next five points before capturing a 25-11 first set win.

The second set was more of the same as the Lady Knights held on to the momentum as they cruised to a 25-17 victory. The third set saw the Lady Lancers battle back and not go quietly as they won the set 25-17 to wrest momentum from the Lady Knights.

The fourth set was back and forth as neither team could gain a commanding lead until late in the set as the Lady Knights finished the set and the match with a 25-18 set victory.

“I thought we played well,” said freshman Samantha Kennedy. “I thought we recovered well after the third set to win the fourth.”

The Lady Knights were lead in the match by Kennedy who recorded 14 kills. Joli Hopping paced the Knights with 18 assists and four “ace” serves. Laura Beckman chipped in 14 assists. Shannon Liewer led the Lady Knights with 13 digs with Samantha Byrn not far behind with 10 digs and 4 “ace” serves. Sandrina Hallahan led the Lady Knights with four blocks.

“We played very aggressive in the first and second set,” said head coach Sally Thalken. “Eastern Wyoming plays with a lot of pride and caught us on our heels in the third set. They blocked some balls and gave themselves some momentum which we struggled to recover from in the fourth.”

The Lady Knights host the No. 7 Central Community College Lady Raiders at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium at 6 p.m on Thursday. The Lady Raiders are a Region IX Division II opponent as well as a fellow Nebraska Community College Athletic Association (NCCAC) member. Last year the Lady Raiders defeated the Lady Knights in five sets to win the Region IX Division II Tournament. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 1410 and can also be listened to online by clicking here.

The Lady Knights take the weekend off before hosting Hastings College JV next Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. The Lady Knights then travel to Region IX Division II and NCCAC foe Southeast Community College on Thursday, Sept. 26. for a game at 4 p.m.