Story by Brent Cobb - McCook Community College News/Sports Information
The good news is that after 474 days since their last home match, the McCook Community College volleyball team will return to the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center Friday and will do so in a big way, hosting an 18-team, 36-game, two-day tournament, drawing teams from Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska – including four teams ranked in the top 12 nationally.
The bad news is that fans will not be able to attend this weekend’s games because of the large numbers of teams and athletes in attendance and continuing concern over COVID-19 health protocol. All games will be available to fans livestreamed through Tribe Watch on the McCook Community College Athletics Page under the Fan Zone link:
https://mccindians.com/sports/2016/11/10/tw.aspx?tab=tribewatch
The Lady Indians are off to a 3-1 start heading into this weekend’s massive MCC Invitational which includes all six Region IX South Division teams (MCC, Otero, Northeastern, Lamar, Western Nebraska and Trinidad) as well the three other teams in the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference (North Platte, Southeast and Central), two teams in the Region IX North Division (Casper, Eastern Wyoming), six Kansas Region XI teams (Seward County, Dodge City, Colby, Garden City, Barton, and Butler) and Frank Phillips College in Texas.
THE TOURNAMENT BEGINS on all three courts Friday, Feb 5 at 10 a.m. with games followed at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m. It continues Saturday starting at 8 a.m. with games starting every even-numbered hour.
MCC will take on Colby Community College (1-1) in one of the 10 a.m. games Friday, then play Frank Phillips College (0-1) at 6 p.m. On Saturday, MCC plays Barton County (6-1) at noon and then takes on No. 12 Eastern Wyoming (6-1) at 6 p.m. -- a team MCC beat in Scottsbluff 3-2 on Jan. 23.
North Platte (1-3) will also open Friday play with a 10 a.m. game against No. 8 Northeastern (5-2) then play a noon game against Dodge City (1-1). On Saturday the Knights play Lamar (0-7) at 2 p.m. and finish up with Colby (1-1) at 6 p.m.
All 18 teams are schedule to play four games each and are matched up with opponents that are not scheduled to face each other in regular-season play.
THE FIELD INCLUDES four teams ranked in the top 12 in the latest NJCAA rankings and three of the 16 teams that competed in the Division I National tournament a year ago, including national runner up Seward County (31-3) a team that lost in a fifth set tie-breaker (17-19) against unbeaten Navarro (31-0). Otero (25-10) and Northeastern Junior College (25-12) both represented Region IX in the national tournament. The field also includes four other teams who last season posted at least 24 wins in MCC (25-12), Western Nebraska (28-9) Colby (24-7) and Barton County (24-12).
The current rankings include fifth-ranked Western Nebraska (6-1), eighth-ranked Northeastern JC (5-2), No. 10 Seward County (3-3), and No. 12 Eastern Wyoming (6-1).
Here is the complete schedule for the MCC Invitational Tournament Friday and Saturday:
FRIDAY
10 a.m. games – Colby vs. McCook; North Platte vs. Northeastern JC; Garden City vs. Lamar.
Noon games – Southeast CC vs. Seward County; North Platte vs. Dodge City; Central CC vs. Barton County.
2 p.m. games – Western Nebraska vs. Frank Phillips; Trinidad vs. Butler; Otero JC vs. Eastern Wyoming.
4 p.m. games – Southeast CC vs. Colby; Dodge City vs. Casper; Central CC vs. Lamar.
6 p.m. games – Frank Phillips vs. McCook; Butler vs. Northeastern JC; Barton County vs. Eastern Wyoming.
8 p.m. games – Western Nebraska vs Seward County; Trinidad vs. Casper; Otero JC vs. Garden City.
SATURDAY
8 a.m. games – Lamar vs. Frank Phillips; Central CC vs. Butler; Casper vs. Southeast CC.
10 a.m. games – Garden City vs. Frank Phillips; Central CC vs. Trinidad; Otero JC vs. Dodge City.
Noon games – Colby vs. Western Nebraska; McCook vs. Barton County; Northeastern JC vs. Casper.
2 p.m. games – North Platte vs. Lamar; Butler vs. Eastern Wyoming; Otero JC vs. Seward County.
4 p.m. games – Garden City vs. Western Nebraska; Barton County vs. Trinidad; Southeast CC vs. Dodge City.
6 p.m. games – North Platte vs. Colby; McCook vs. Eastern Wyoming; Northeastern JC vs. Seward.