Northwest College volleyball coach Scott Keister splits the regular season into a few “mini seasons.” According to the coach, last weekend was the end of the first season: non-conference.

The Trappers wrapped up non-league play with a sweep of their home tournament, winning four matches and only dropping one set the entire weekend. They now enter Region IX play with a 10-5 record — twice as many wins as in 2019.

NWC played sound volleyball in its first two matches, although Keister admitted he was upset his girls gave up a set against Williston State on Friday. Still, the Trappers won handily over Williston State 3-1 (25-21, 25-12, 22-25, 25-11) and 3-0 over Colorado Northwestern the day before (25-15, 25-19, 27-25). 

Though Northwest cruised to wins in its first two matches, the team was even more dominant in its next two. 

In two matches against Dawson Community College, the Trappers won 3-0 twice, winning four sets by double digits. Northwest posted a stellar .347 hitting percentage in the second match, its best mark of the weekend. 

Three of the Trappers’ typical starters — Kiah Johnson, Sabree Adams and Mollee Krum — were unable to play in the final two matches, making NWC’s dominance even more impressive.

“They played incredibly that last match,” Keister said of his squad. “We handled those matches and controlled them the whole time. That really said a lot about our bench and how deep we are.”

Prior to suffering a season-ending knee injury in NWC’s win over Williston State, Johnson “was starting to rip it up,” Keister said. But the coach said the team’s depth will help overcome this significant loss as league play approaches.

Winners of their last five matches, the Trappers enter region play with serious momentum. But they aren’t letting the recent hot streak lead to complacency.

Some of the team’s goals include winning every match at home and hitting the 15-win mark by the end of the season. Keister acknowledged the depth of Region IX North, which is home to several prestigious programs, but the coach is still confident his team can achieve these things if it continues to grow. 

“We talk about being 1% better every day,” Keister said. “If we could do that 100 days in a row, you’re a lot better after that 100 days. We’ve got to push on the gas a little harder now.”

Northwest kicks off league play Friday when it hosts Eastern Wyoming College at 7 p.m. As the program continues to make strides, Keister is thrilled to see a community buzz surrounding his program — something it hasn’t seen in a few years.

“It looks like we’re on the path at least,” Keister said. “We’re excited to get some of that excitement back into Cabre Gym.”