Story by NPCC Athletic Communications
Columbus, Neb. – Knights volleyball fell in a tightly contested four set match to Central Community College in the Region IX Championship on Saturday.
Jaelyn Dicke led the way with 14 kills, 13 digs and two assisted blocks. Sydney Spillane totaled 10 kills while finishing the match with a .381 hitting percentage. EmiLee Walnofer posted 29 digs to accompany her five aces, while Aubrey Grant served up 42 set assists in the match.
Central jumped out to an 8-5 lead until a 5-1 run extended the margin midway through the set. Back-to-back kills from Grant and Ella Rotherham halted the run, until the Raiders settled back into their rhythm. The Raiders never relinquished their lead down the stretch to take set one, 25-14.
Looking to even the match, the Knights leapt out to a 7-4 lead on a kill from Nya Lual. A 10-2 rally midway through the set extended the Knights lead to 20-11, forcing Central to take a timeout. North Platte did not let the Raiders climb back into the set as they evened the match with a 25-14 set win.
An 8-2 rally helped the Raiders pull out to a 19-11 lead in the third set. North Platte countered the run with a 7-1 rally to pull back within two on an ace by Grant. Knights and Raiders traded points until a late 3-1 run sealed the set for Central.
Knights took an early lead in the fourth set on back-to-back kills from Zoe Maher and Grant. A 4-0 run pushed the Raiders back out front, 9-7. The set remained tight until a 4-0 run gave the Raiders a 20-16 lead. North Platte would not go down quietly knotting the game up at 23-23, but Central scored the final two points to close out the match.
The 2024 season comes to an end with the Knights posting a 14-24 overall record.