November 18, 2021
KCC VOLLEYBALL EYES 5TH PLACE AT NATIONALS
The girls from Marion, Solon and Cedar Falls gave the girls from Bulgaria, Italy and Hungary a good match Thursday night at the NJCAA Division II volleyball tournament, but the Iowans could not top the international crew that represents Cowley County Community College.
Cowley County raised its perfect record to 40-0 with a 25-18, 25-17, 25-18 victory over the Kirkwood Eagles in the quarterfinals at the Alliant Energy Power House in downtown Cedar Rapids.
Kirkwood (27-13) will face Sauk Valley in a consolation match Friday at 2:30 p.m., with the Eagles needing two more victories to place fifth.
The semifinals in the winner's bracket will be played Friday at 6:30 p.m., with No. 1 Cowley facing No. 4 Johnson County and No. 2 Iowa Central meeting No. 3 Parkland College.
Cowley also had two players from Brazil on its roster, but they did not play against Kirkwood. The Tigers have 10 players from the United States.
Emily Strauss and Kamara Dickerson led Kirkwood with nine kills against. Katie Kopriva had six kills. Rachael Nelson finished with 28 assists. Danielle Stock helped block four shots.
Kirkwood topped McHenry County College, 3-2, in an exciting match in the first round Thursday. Kirkwood won the first set 25-17, but McHenry captured the next two sets 25-16, 25-16 to grab a 2-1 lead. The Eagles rallied for a 25-23 victory in the fourth set, then scored the last four points of the match in the fifth set to snap an 11-11 tie and win the contest 15-11.
Strauss amassed 17 kills against McHenry. Jada Golden-Smith had 10 kills and Dickerson finished with nine. Nelson collected 40 assists. Golden-Smith helped block 10 shots.
