Volleyball goes 3-0-1 in El Dorado on Saturday
ANDREW TOWNE
Sports editor
The Neosho County Community College volleyball and soccer teams are set for the regular season to begin following weekend scrimmages.
The volleyball team traveled to El Dorado to face four teams from the Kansas Jayhawk Community College West Division.
The Panthers went 3-0-1, knocking off Pratt Community College (26-24, 25-10), Butler Community College (25-12, 25-21) and Garden City Community College (25-23, 25-23). Neosho County also split with Cloud Community College (25-20, 14-25).
"I was really impressed with the number of players that stepped in and did a great job. We are really deep. I know we talked about for the season preview story," Coach Asya Herron said. "Everyone stepped in and did their job. They all played in several different positions."
The coach points to the team's serve receive ability as a key to the success of the team in 2017.
"If we can serve receive, pass and run our serve receive offense effectively, then we will be good. With a lot of new players, serve receive at the college level is a whole new ballgame," Herron said. "It is much, much tougher and much faster paced. If we can figure that out, we'll be very successful."
The volleyball team will open the season today at 6 pm in Miami, Okla. against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.
"We still have plenty of things to work on, but I like the pace we are learning at. My new kids are picking things up quickly, and we saw that convert to a game this weekend," Herron concluded. "NEO has been a great team in the past. We are hoping to go into it and be competitive."
Soccer teams drop pair to Bethany College
The soccer teams fell to Bethany College in Lindsborg on Saturday.
Both games were nearly identical.
Both teams' starters were pitching shutouts until substitutions were being made, then Bethany College took advantage of it.
The women's team struggled with the heat and only made it 30 minutes before Head Coach Rafael Simmons started rotating in new players.
"The level just dropped," he explained. "Apart from that, we looked good."
The Panther women fell 3-0, and all three of Bethany's goals came within a 15 minutes of each other with the starters on bench.
Offensively, the women couldn't find the back of the net.
"We created several opportunities to score," Simmons said. "We just couldn't put it away."
In the men's game, the Panthers fell 1-0.
The game was scoreless through the first 45 minutes.
Once again, just like the women's game, once substitutions were made, the level dropped again.
"The men's team were in a similar situation," Simmons said. "We created opportunities but just couldn't score."
Despite either team finding the back of the net, Simmons remains optimistic about the outlook for the upcoming season.
"I'm excited. Both teams looked pretty good," Simmons concluded. "I think once we get a little bit more fitness – which we are working on (Monday) – we will be dangerous."
The soccer teams were scheduled to open the season Tuesday in Kansas City against MCC-Maple Woods, but due to a scheduling conflict with the hosts, the game has been moved to Thursday, Sept. 7.
The women's team will now open the season at home against Ottawa University on Sunday, Aug. 27 at 4 pm, while the men will open their season on Tuesday, Aug. 29 in Miami, Okla. against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M at 5 pm.
