Casper College Volleyball Team honored regionally

After winning the Region IX North Championship, the Casper College Lady Thunderbird Volleyball Team competed in the Region IX Championships, where they won the Region IX Northwest Plains District B Championship. With the win, the T-Birds will now head to the 2025 NJCAA National Volleyball Tournament for the second time in three years.

The T-Birds went into the Region IX Tournament ranked No. 14 in the nation. The team beat Trinidad State College in their first match 25-13, 25-22, 25-20. The team then advanced to the second round to face the host team, Western Nebraska Community College, winning in five sets: 25-15, 22-25, 25-9, 8-25, 15-10.

The team lost to the fourth-ranked team in the nation, Northeastern Junior College, in the third match, 25-27, 9-25, 18-25. The loss sent the team into the B bracket, where they beat Central Wyoming College in five sets, 25-22, 18-25, 25-18, 18-25, 15-13 to become the District B Champions.

Freshman Peyton Carruth, a 5’8” outside hitter from Kelly Walsh High School, was named Region IX Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Freshman Penina Leota, a 5’10” setter from Layton, Utah, was named Setter of the Year. Sophomore Makenna Lorenzen, a 5’4” defensive setter from KWHS, was named Libero of the Year.

Carruth, Leota, Lorenzen, and Aubrey Hackett, a 6’2” freshman middle hitter from Layton, were named to the First Team All-Region IX.

Finally, Carruth, Leota, and sophomore Mina Kostic, a 6’2” middle hitter from Belgrade, Serbia, were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Lady Thunderbirds will travel to Clarksville, Tennessee, for the national tournament. The tournament will run Nov. 19-22 at the Dunn Center on the Austin Peay State University campus.

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