Fall athletes showcased superior skills
As the fall sports season was coming to a close, I started thinking what an unbelievable season it had been for the Cardinals.
After a relatively slow start losing five out of their first eight games in the College of Southern Idaho (CSI) and Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) tournaments, the volleyball team caught fire in a hurry winning 18 of their remaining 21 regular season games.
Outsmarting their opponents with strategic ball placement on offense and playing scrappy on defense, NIC defeated then fourth-ranked Miami Dade College, 12th-ranked Barton Community College, third-ranked CSI, fifth-ranked Salt Lake Community College, and eighth-ranked CSI again. The Lady Cardinals improved their national ranking from outside the top 20 on Sep. 7 to fifth on Oct. 19.
NIC finished with a 25-10 record overall and an 8-2 record in conference play ahead of volleyball powerhouses CSI and SLCC. They proved they enjoyed playing on campus finishing with a perfect 7-0 record on Rolly Williams Court during the regular season.
To cap it off, they finished ninth at nationals in West Plains, Mo. with an impressive 3-1 record.
With a new head coach and no returning starters from last year’s team that finished fifth in the nation, the season was that much more impressive.
Janele Vogt and Yang Yang were among the top middle blockers in the SWAC, outside hitters Mariah Smith and Sabrina Ewing had excellent sophomore seasons and freshman setter Sierra Pancho stepped up big for her team to guide the offense. Head coach Kandice Kelly took home Region 18 Coach of the Year honors also.
The women’s soccer team did not disappoint either. They posted a 14-2-1 record and rattled off 11 consecutive wins in the middle of the season. The Lady Cardinals played 13 straight games without a loss and like coach Kelly’s volleyball team went undefeated at home with a 6-0-1 record.
The eighth-ranked NIC team allowed only 11 goals all season thanks to their stellar defense and goalkeeping by sophomores Lauren Gibson and Allysa Howell.
Although the Lady Cardinals lost in the district semifinals to 10th-ranked Butler Community College in Hutchinson, Kan., their season as a whole cannot be overlooked and they proved they could compete with any other team in the nation.
Rachel Westby, the 22nd-ranked women’s golfer in the country among NJCAA women golfers, had another outstanding fall season setting a 36-hole school record. But she was not the only golfer that set herself apart from the crowd. Sophomore Makena Schevenius and freshman Arlee Coleman proved they can play with the best of them and will be athletes to watch when the spring season arrives.
On the men’s side, Dylan Morrison solidified himself as a top golfer in the region, winning the Columbia Basin College Invitational in Richland, Wash., and leading the NIC men’s team to a victory in the NIC Invite at the Avondale Golf Club in Hayden. The rest of the freshman class looks promising and it will be interesting to see who comes out of the gates fast in the spring time when the team tees it up again.
If you’re looking to stay out of the cold weather this winter, you may be interested in visiting Christianson Gymnasium to watch the defending national champion women’s basketball team make a run at another title.
Or, perhaps you’d want to see the undefeated men’s basketball team and Antoine Hosley toss-up an alley-oop pass to Michael Middlebrooks.
You could also see Pat Whitcomb’s wrestling team dominate opponents on the mats, looking for another national championship to add to its trophy case.
Whatever you choose, odds are you will not be disappointed after watching the successful fall season unfold.
