#1 Kirkwood Dominates Sophomore Night with Sweep of Marshalltown
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The nation's top-ranked Kirkwood Women's Volleyball Team made their Sophomore Night one to remember on Tuesday evening inside Johnson Hall. The Eagles swept visiting Marshalltown Community College in straight sets (25–10, 25–14, 25–16) to remain perfect in ICCAC play at 10–0 and improve their overall record to 29–1.
A Balanced and Efficient Offensive Attack
Kirkwood once again displayed the balance and precision that has put them atop the NJCAA Division II national rankings. The Eagles hit an impressive .352 as a team, piling up 41 kills to just 9 errors. Freshman Carly Wazac led the attack with 10 kills on .571 hitting, while Marissa Cahoy and Chloe Baez each added 6 kills apiece. Sydney Brandmeyer contributed another 6 kills, and Josie Bryan added 5 more before giving way to the younger rotation late in the match.
Setter Kaci Johnson, one of seven honored sophomores, ran the offense to perfection with 23 assists, while Avery Knoop added 15 assists and 2 aces of her own. Johnson also tallied a service ace and five digs in her final regular-season home match.
Defensive Stability and Serving Pressure
Defensively, Kirkwood continued to frustrate opponents at the net and from the service line. Emily Naughton had three block assists, while Cahoy and Brandmeyer added two each. Natalee Hartman anchored the back row with 12 digs, and Abbie Staats and Baez each chipped in five. The Eagles' nine service aces came from a variety of contributors, led by Staats (3) and Hartman (2).
Celebrating the Sophomore Class
Before the match, Kirkwood honored its outstanding sophomore class — a group that has been instrumental in elevating the program to national prominence. The seven sophomores recognized were:
Kaci Johnson, Josie Bryan, Emily Naughton, Natalee Hartman, Marissa Cahoy, Chloe Baez, and Alex Tucker. Together, this group has compiled one of the most dominant two-year stretches in program history.
Next Up
The Eagles will now turn their focus to a pivotal road matchup in Fort Dodge against the #9-ranked Iowa Central Tritons. The Thursday night clash will be another major ICCAC test as Kirkwood looks to keep its undefeated conference streak alive and further cement its status as the team to beat heading into postseason play.
