Story by NPCC Athletic Communications
North Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College delivered a dominant performance at home on Tuesday, sweeping York University JV in straight sets (25-12, 25-16, 25-17).
Makenna Stephenson led the Knights offensively with nine kills and added four digs on defense. Zoe Maher made a major impact from the service line, recording five aces, and anchored the defense with a team-high nine digs.
"Tonight was a great team win,” said head coach Alexa McCall. “We will take this momentum and use it as motivation throughout the week.”
North Platte opened strong in the first set, jumping out to a commanding 17-5 lead. The Panthers responded with a 5-0 run to slow the Knights’ momentum, but a clutch kill from Jenna Claflin halted the comeback, and the Knights cruised to a first-set victory.
The second set featured a back-and-forth battle as North Platte trailed 16-14 at the midpoint of the set. Khloee Wright answered with a powerful cross-court kill, sparking an explosive 11-0 rally that gave the Knights a two-set advantage.
North Platte once again came out strong in the third, starting with a 5-1 run. Though the Panthers rallied late, the Knights remained composed and closed out the match to complete the sweep.
North Platte (4-8) will return to tournament play at the Central Wyoming Invitational in Riverton, Wyo. on Friday. The Knights open the day with Central Wyoming at 10 a.m., before taking on the Pronghorns of Gillette College at 2 p.m.