Eagles Sweep Panthers to Stay Unbeaten in ICCAC Play

Cedar Rapids, IA (Sept. 11, 2025) – The Kirkwood Eagles showed no signs of slowing down Thursday night inside Johnson Hall, sweeping the Ellsworth Panthers 3–0 (25–13, 25–23, 25–5) in their fourth ICCAC matchup of the season.

Offensive Firepower

Sophomore outside hitter Kaci Johnson led the way with an efficient night, pounding down 11 kills on a .455 hitting percentage while also dishing out 11 assists, 8 digs, and 2 service aces. Middle hitter Sydney Brandmeyer added a strong presence at the net with 8 kills at a .368 clip and 9 points total. Freshman Carly Wazac matched her with 8 kills of her own, hitting an impressive .421 and contributing 4 block assists.

Balanced Attack and Defense

Setter Avery Knoop kept the offense humming, handing out 22 assists and adding 6 digs. Madalyn Boyer chipped in with 5 kills, a service ace, and 4 block assists, while Chloe Baez provided 3 kills and a team-best 6 block assists. Off the bench, Josie Bryan made her presence felt with 2 kills in limited action.

Defensively, libero Natalee Hartman anchored the back row with 17 digs, while Abbie Staats added 3 digs and an ace from the service line. Collectively, the Eagles racked up 48 digs and 20 block assists to keep Ellsworth out of rhythm all night.

The Eagles dominated the first set, held off a late Ellsworth push in the second, and then closed the match with a commanding 25–5 third set. Kirkwood finished with 39 kills on a .301 hitting percentage

Next Up

Kirkwood now looks ahead to a road test in Sioux City, where they'll face the Western Iowa Tech Comets next week.