To get to the NJCAA National Tournament, Casper College had to play some of its best volleyball of the season.

The Thunderbirds' play at the tournament was a different story.

The No. 14 seed T-Birds lost 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-9) to No. 3 seed Arkansas-Fort Smith in the first round on Thursday morning in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

"We didn't show up again," Casper coach Angel Sharman said. "I don't know what it is. We come here and act like it's not a big deal."

Casper started the match slow and didn't recover. The team missed important serves and passing errors plagued the T-Birds throughout.

Casper was led by outside hitter Konefesi Vaisigano with six kills, and middle hitters Cami Miller and Vanessa Muir each had three kills. Other stats were not available.

The T-Birds play No. 11 Salt Lake (Utah) in the losers' bracket at 9 a.m. this morning. Salt Lake lost 3-2 to No. 6 Missouri State-West Plains. Casper played the Bruins in its first match of the season and Sharman said the T-Birds "got crushed." The best Casper can finish now is ninth in the nation.

Sharman said she isn't sure how her team will respond today.

"The team that I thought was going to show up didn't," Sharman said. "I don't know what the outlook is going to be because I don't know what the team will be like."

Arkansas-Fort Smith went on to beat Missouri State-West Plains later on Thursday and will play No. 2 Western Nebraska in the national semifinals tonight.

NJCAA National Tournament

Thursday-Saturday

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Thursday's Games

Match 1: No. 14 Arkansas Fort Smith 3, No. 3 Casper 0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-9)

M2: No. 6 Missouri State-West Plains 3, No. 11 Salt Lake (Utah) 2 (24-26, 23-25, 25-19, 25-23, 15-8)

M3: No. 7 Miami Dade (Fla.) 3, No. 10 North Idaho 0 (25-19, 26-24, 25-18)

M4: No. 2 Western Nebraska 3, No. 15 Northwest-Shoals (Ala.) 0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-14)

M5: No. 1 Iowa Western 3, No. 16 Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.) 0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-7)

M6: No. 8 Hillsborough (Fla.) 4, No. 9 Frank Phillips (Texas) 1 (25-18, 25-22, 30-32, 25-17)

M7: No. 5 San Jacinto (Texas) 3, No. 12 Hutchinson (Kan.) 0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-21)

M8: No. 4 Blinn (Texas) 3, No. 13 Temple (Texas) 0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-8)

M9: Arkansas-Fort Smith 3, Missouri State-West Plains 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-22)

M10: Western Nebraska 3, Miami Dade 0 (20-25, 15-25, 17-25)

M11: Iowa Western 3, Hillsborough 0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-18)

M12: Blinn 3, San Jacinto 2 (25-20, 21-25, 14-25, 25-22, 12-15)

Today's Games

M13: Casper vs. Salt Lake, 9 a.m.

M14: Loser M3 vs. Loser M4, 9 a.m.

M15: Loser M5 vs. Loser M6, 11 a.m.

M16: Loser M7 vs. Loser M8, 11 a.m.

M17: Loser M9 vs. Loser M10, 1:30 p.m.

M18: Loser M11 vs. Loser M12, 1:30 p.m.

M19: Winner M13 vs. Winner M14, 3:30 p.m.

M20: Winner M15 vs. Winner M16, 3:30 p.m.

M21: Winner M9 vs. Winner M10, 5:30 p.m.

M22: Winner M11 vs. Winner M12, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday's Games

M23: Winner M19 vs. Winner M20, 11 a.m. (Ninth place match)

M24: Loser M17 vs. Loser M18, 11 a.m. (Seventh place match)

M25: Winner M17 vs. Winner M18, 1:30 p.m. (Fifth place match)

M26: Loser M21 vs. Loser M22, 3:30 p.m. (Third place match)

M27: Winner M21 vs. Winner M22 (Championship)