Month: October 2016

2014 KCKCC volleyball team to receive rings Wednesday night

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s home volleyball game against Allen County Wednesday night will have a special “ring” to it.

Members of the 2014 Lady Blue Devil team will receive rings in recognition of one of the best seasons in KCKCC history. The rings will be presented between the second and third sets of the KCKCC-Allen County Jayhawk Conference match that tips off at 6:30 p.m.

Drawing the host team in the NJCAA Division II national tournament in Glendale, Ariz., the 2014 Blue Devils lost in the opening round to a Glendale team that would go on to win the national championship. Meanwhile, the seventh-seeded Blue Devils rebounded with three straight wins to win the consolation bracket and finish ninth overall, the second highest finish in college history behind the 2012 team which finished sixth in the NJCAA national tournament with a 32-8 record.

In addition, KCKCC won the 2014 District N championship and finished second in the Jayhawk Conference, the highest conference finish ever to earn head coach Mary Bruno Jayhawk Co-Coach of the Year. Record-wise, the Blue Devils finished 32-10 playing arguably one of the nation’s toughest schedules – eight of the 15 teams in the national tournament including three of the four teams in the championship semifinals along with five Division I powers including No. 1 Iowa Western.

“It proved we could play with the very best,” Bruno said.

Six Lady Blue Devils earned post-season honors including KCKCC’s first ever first team All-American in Blair Russell and the first second team All-American in Lily Thornburg. They were joined on the All-District N and All-Jayhawk Conference first team by Andrea Aparaicio and Kailee Dudley and Jasdel Gonzalez and Janelie Irizarry on the All-District second team.

The Blue Devils (14-9) will be trying to snap a four-match losing streak against Allen County after being swept in the Johnson County Volleyball Challenge Friday and Saturday. Three of the losses were to teams ranked sixth or higher in the national rankings. No. 4 Kirkwood (Iowa) edged the Blue Devils 25-21, 25-22, 25-20 in the tourney opener Friday and No. 6 Central Nebraska rallied for a 3-2 win, taking a 25-15, 25-17, 15-9 decision after KCKCC had won the first two sets, 25-19, 25-23.

In Saturday play, KCKCC took a 25-20 opening win over North Platte only to drop the next three sets 25-22, 26-24, 26-24. Iowa Western, the No. 2 ranked team in Division I, then showed its might with a 25-9, 25-10, 25-16 sweep.

BPU to meet Tuesday night

The Board of Public Utilities will meet on Tuesday this week instead of on Wednesday.

The meeting date was changed for this meeting to accommodate schedules of board members.

A work session will begin at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the BPU administrative offices, 540 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. On the agenda are a board update, general manager update and proposed staffing for 2017.

The regular meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the BPU offices, 540 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. On the agenda for the regular meeting are a visitors’ time, August financial report, board comments, general manager comments, and a closed executive session.

The meetings are open to the public.

Four crashes reported over weekend

Four crashes were reported over the weekend in Wyandotte County.

Injury reported in Edwardsville crash

A Chevrolet Silverado was traveling northbound on I-435 in the city limits of Edwardsville, Kan., about 5:23 a.m. Saturday when the truck went off the right side of the road for unknown reasons, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol trooper’s report.

The truck struck the bridge rail and came to rest just north of Metropolitan Avenue, the report stated.

The driver of the truck, a 22-year-old man from Kansas City, Kan., was injured and taken to the hospital, the report stated. According to the trooper’s report, he was not wearing a seat belt.

Motorcycle strikes guardrail on I-670

A Suzuki motorcycle struck a guardrail on I-670 westbound at the I-70 split in Kansas City, Kan., at 9:54 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

A reason was not given why the motorcycle drove off the roadway, according to the trooper’s report.

The motorcyclist, a 30-year-old man from Olathe, Kan., was injured and taken to a hospital, the trooper’s report stated. He was not wearing a helmet or eye protection, the report stated.

Motorcycle crash reported on I-635

A motorcyclist was southbound on I-635 just south of Parallel Parkway at 5:28 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, when his motorcycle began to wobble and then fell over, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper’s report.

The 42-year-old Kansas City, Mo., motorcyclist was injured and taken to a hospital, the trooper’s report stated. He was wearing a helmet.

Injury reported on I-70 exit ramp

An Oldsmobile Alero was traveling on the exit ramp on eastbound I-70 near I-435 at 3:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, when the driver was injured, according to a Kansas Turnpike Authority trooper’s report.

The driver told troopers she looked around to see if any other vehicles were around her and went off the roadway. She attempted to steer back onto the roadway, overcorrected and spun off into the south ditch, striking a bridge pillar, according to the trooper’s report.

The driver, a 25-year-old woman from Kansas City, Kan., was injured and taken to a hospital, according to the trooper’s report.