NWC ends long road trip with loss

The Northwest College Trappers lost in four sets to Central Wyoming on Tuesday evening to complete a volleyball road swing that lasted nearly a month. For head coach Shaun Pohlman, it’s a break that comes at just the right time.

“It’ll be what we need,” Pohlman said of the six-game home stand the Trappers will begin on Friday night to conclude the regular season. Northwest College has played just two of its 23 matches at home.

On Tuesday, the Trappers got ready for that home stand with a four-set loss to a Central Wyoming team that has been garnering national attention for much of the last month. The Riverton school is one of several unranked teams receiving votes for a place in the national polls.

Central got off to a fast start, winning the first game by a 25-11 margin. The Trappers kept the second set close, but still fell by a 25-22 score before flipping things around and grabbing a 25-22 win in the third game. From there, Central was able to recover some of its early form, closing out the contest with a 25-15 win in game four.

Flavia Oliveira had a monster night at the net for Northwest College, finishing with 19 kills. Cailey Washington added seven while Katie Burnett finished with six kills. Leah Schaal had 39 of Northwest’s 41 assists on the night.

Burnett also had a big night along the Trappers’ back row as she produced a team-best 14 digs. Schaal also broke into double figures with 10 digs.

The loss drops Northwest to a 10-13 overall mark. The Trappers are 3-6 in Region IX North play.

The Trappers host rival Sheridan College this Friday. The Trappers also play Dawson and the Rocky Mountain College JV on Saturday. Friday’s game will be preceded by a Trapper Tailgate event, starting at 6 p.m. The event will provide fans a chance to purchase a good meal and talk with Coach Pohlman and members of the Trappers prior to the start of the game.

First serve in Friday’s game against Sheridan is slated for 7 p.m.