Four players, coach claim post-season volleyball honors

Three members of the McCook Community College volleyball team have claimed post-season Region IX South awards, as voted on by Region IX coaches. In addition the post-season awards for the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference were announced with three players and Coach Hayley Kobza winning honors.

Sophomores Cibeles Bothwell, Caylin Barnett and Rowan Triblehorn were all named second-team all-Region IX south with Bothwell also recognized as the libero of the year. Kobza and sophomore Romina Martinez Castro (Cochabamba, Bolivia) was named to the all-NCCAC team along with Barnett and Triblehorn.

Bothwell, (Spring, Texas) becomes the second-straight Lady Indian named the conference's top libero. Three times this season she was selected the south's defensive player of the week and led the south during the regular season with 532 digs. For the 33 matches this year she finished with 551 digs (4.71 digs per set), along with 75 assists and 31 service aces. She follows Greta Bolognini who was the south's top libero in the 2023 season.

Barnett, a six-rotation outside and a Southwest High School grad, finished the season with 300 kills, 402 digs, 52 total blocks, 28 service aces. For her MCC career, she played in 69 matches with 316 kills, 696 digs, 54 blocks, and 51 service aces.

Tribelhorn, middle blocker from Yuma, Colo., led MCC on the season in solo blocks (19) and block assists (100). Her 119 total blocks were fourth most in the Region IX South division. In 34 matches played, she also had 203 kills, 47 digs, 16 assists and 19 service aces. For her career, she played in 52 matches with 262 kills, 153 total blocks and 65 digs.

Eastern Wyoming (26-9), from the north division, claimed the championship bracket during the Region IX tournament while No. 4 Northeastern Junior College (31-5) came back through the consolation bracket to claim the region's other berth in the National Junior College Athletic Conference tournament starting on Nov. 20 in Clarksville, Tenn.

NJC's Mackenzie Chrisman, was named the south's coach of the year for the Plainsmen. Western Nebraska's Lilly Zwart was tabbed player of the year. NJC's Nerea Alvarez Jorge was named setter of the year and Trinidad State's Jaedyn Fuqua was named the south's freshman of the year.

For the NCCAC post-season awards, Coach Hayley Kobza was named the coach of the year for the sixth time in the past seven seasons as the Lady Indians went 6-0 in conference to claim that championship.

Martinez led MCC this season with 302 kills and had 319 digs, 68 blocks and 31 service aces. For her career she played in 69 matches and had 607 kills, 657 digs, 122 blocks and 54 service aces.

2024 Region 9 South - All Region Teams
Player of the Year: Lilly Zwart, Western Nebraska
Libero of the Year: Cibeles Bothwell, McCook
Setter of the Year: Nerea Alvarez Jorge, Northeastern
Freshman of the Year: Jaedyn Fuqua, Trinidad State
Coach of the Year: Mackenzie Chrisman, Northeastern Junior College

First Team All-Region IX South
Lilly Zwart, sophomore, right side hitter, Western Nebraska
Nerea Alvarez Jorge, sophomore, setter, Northeastern JC
Jaedyn Fuqua, freshman, outside, Trinidad State
Nora Marginean, freshman, setter, Western Nebraska
Amya Speller, sophomore, middle, Trinidad State
Rosa Brencic, sophomore, outside, Northeastern JC
Claire Johnson, sophomore, outside, Otero

Second Team All-Region IX South
Samantha Mosley, freshman, opposite, Northeastern JC
Anna Ruter, sophomore, middle Northeastern JC
Cibeles Bothwell, sophomore, libero, McCook CC
Finja Schul, sophomore, middle, Western Nebraska
Caylin Barnett, sophomore, outside, McCook CC
Rowan Tribelhorn, sophomore, middle, McCook CC
Taylor Tyser, sophomore, libero, Western Nebraska