Casper College Volleyball Team honored regionally

Casper College news release by Lisa Icenogle:

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.