CHEYENNE, Wyo. – No. 18 Laramie County Community College defeated the Casper College Thunderbirds 3-2 Wednesday evening in the first day of the Region IX Volleyball Tournament at Storey Gym.
Kylie Martin (Gypsum, Colorado) had 17 kills and 11 digs posted a double-double for the Golden Eagles. Avery Nelson (Colorado Springs, Colorado) tied a career-high with 21 kills in the match.
Kyle Meltzer (Fort Collins, Colorado) recorded a team-high 20 digs. Kasandra Sturges (Parker, Colorado) led the Golden Eagles in assists with 28 and added nine digs. Freshman setter Gwen Sheldon (Loveland, Colorado) chipped in 27 assists, eight digs and three aces.
"We had a great offensive match as a team but played really poorly on the defensive end, especially at the net," said head coach Austin Albers. "Casper played a great match and really exposed our block the entire match. For us to be a tournament contender this week, that has to be our biggest adjustment for tomorrow. We have to be better defensively at the net to simplify things in our backcourt."
LCCC will play the 6 p.m. match tomorrow against #2 seed from the South, Northeastern Junior College (NJC).