Taryn Stearns earns a kill in a 7-0 run in set two against Otero on Saturday afternoon. (Skylar Evans, North Platte Community College)
North Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College volleyball swept Otero, 25-20, 25-18, 25-21, at the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
Makenna Stephenson led the North Platte offense with 15 kills, while Khloee Wright added 12 kills of her own. Setter Kiley Kearney effectively ran the offense, dishing out 38 assists in the win.
“We did a much better job from the serving line today and I’m happy with how we were able to clean things up,” said head coach Alexa McCall. “This was a good week for us, and we need to keep building momentum.”
A quick dump from Kearney split the Rattler defense to build a 9-5 lead in the opening set. Otero responded with a run to tie it at 9-9, but a Stephenson kill ignited four straight points to regain control. A clutch kill from Ella Rotherham halted a late Rattlers push, helping the Knights secure the opening set.
The second set featured a back-and-forth battle with seven ties, the last coming at 15-15. Stephenson then took over, notching three straight kills to start a decisive 7-0 run that put North Platte ahead 22-15. The Knights closed it out 25-18 to take a commanding 2-0 lead.
Otero came out strong in the third, jumping ahead 8-5, but North Platte quickly countered. Wright’s kill jump-started a 6-0 surge that flipped the momentum. The Rattlers trimmed the deficit to two down the stretch, but the Knights stayed composed. Wright sealed the match with a final kill to complete the sweep.
North Platte (12-14) continues Region IX play on the road with back-to-back road games beginning on Tuesday. First serve against the Runnin’ Lopes of Lamar is set for 7 p.m. in Lamar, Colo.
