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Rhodes rocks first college volleyball run

Former Bayfield Volleyball setter, Suzie Rhodes.

Five games going in, five games going out.

And five more such full pulls in between for Laramie County Community College, helped majorly by a massive contribution from former Bayfield Volleyball setter Suzie Rhodes.

The true freshman regular not only orchestrated much of the Golden Eagles' volleyball success - a 26-15 overall record - on court, she helped LCCC come within two victories of qualifying for the Nov. 19-21, 2015, NJCAA Division I National Championship Tournament not far from her new home base of Cheyenne, Wyoming, inside the Casper Events Center.

Laramie County's fall came to a close in Rock Springs, Wyo., with a 26-28, 18-25, 25-20, 25-20, 11-15 elimination courtesy Western Wyoming CC in the Region IX-North Tournament's third-place match, following an earlier 24-26, 19-25, 14-25 loss to circuit powerhouse Northwest (Powell, Wyo.) College.

The Trappers then earned the trip to the 16-team National by winning first place in three (28-26, 25-19, 25-21) over Western. The Golden Eagles' loss to WWCC-inside the hosting Mustangs' Rushmore Gymnasium - was LCCC's seventh five-gamer this season; the season had initially gotten underway with a five-game defeat of Butler County (El Dorado, Kan.) CC at the Lamar, Colo., CC Invitational.

Rhodes had a reported 112 assists in the Golden Eagles' five IX-North Tournament tilts, including 30 in a win versus Sheridan (Wyo.) College to set up the aforementioned test against Western in the semifinal ... where she then distributed 33 as Laramie County went down fighting.

During regular-season Wyoming Community College Athletic Conference (aka the IX-North), LCCC finished fourth with a 6-6 mark, but Rhodes & Co. went 15-9 against Region IX-including its six Division I South Division and three D-II members - as a whole to make for an excellent effort overall.

"She led us in double-doubles this season with eight and was our number-one setter on the depth chart," reported head coach Austin Albers. "Suzie was selected to the Region IX All-Tournament Team this year."

For the season, Rhodes had 12 kills at a .290 clip, while totaling 842 assists at 5.93 per game, 233 digs at 1.64 per and 41 service aces at 0.29 per. She even had one solo block and assisted on three others.

WCCAC REGULAR-SEASON STANDINGS: 1. Northwest College, 2. Casper College, 3. Western Wyoming CC, 4. LARAMIE COUNTY CC, 5. Sheridan College, 6. Central Wyoming (Riverton) College, 7. Eastern Wyoming (Torrington) College. (Note: No volleyball at Gillette College.)