Month: September 2019

Best performance propels Lady Blue Devils to 3-0 road win

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Any volleyball win in the Jayhawk Conference is big; winning on the road is even bigger.

Kansas City Kansas Community College got one Wednesday, taking a 3-0 decision at Neosho County in Chanute.

“Our best all-around performance of the year and it came at a perfect time,” KCKCC coach Mary Bruno-Ballou said.

With four of their final five Jayhawk contests at home, the win put the Blue Devils in position to move up in the conference standings starting next Wednesday when they play host to Cowley College at 6:30 p.m.

Defending national champion and No. 2 ranked Coffeyville leads the league at 3-0 followed by Johnson County and Fort Scott, both 4-1; Cowley, 3-1; Highland, 3-2; Cloud County, 2-2; and KCKCC, 2-3.

The Blue Devils (11-7) stretched their winning streak to three in a row at Neosho, taking a see-saw 25-23 win in the opening set and then leading all the way in 25-15, 25-21 closing wins.

“A great conference win,” Bruno-Ballou said. “We played exceptionally well as a group; good consistent volleyball. And a fantastic and energetic bench made a world of difference.”

The Blue Devils got several outstanding performances.

“Our middle blockers were outstanding,” Bruno-Ballou said. “Malaysia StClair had nine kills and four blocks; Michelle Dvorak eight kills and two blocks. Tara Mattingly on the outside had 10 kills and two blocks and Allayah Stillwell five blocks from the right side. And our back row play was phenomenal. We ran a 5-1 offense and Gracie Golay had 35 assists.”

Library in the Park to be Sept. 28

The fifth annual Library in the Park festival will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at Big Eleven Lake, 11th and State Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas.

The festival is free and includes activities for all ages.

This year’s special guest is Christine Taylor-Butler, an award winning author of children’s fiction and nonfiction. Free copies of her book, “The Lost Tribes,” will be given away, while supplies last.

She will sign copies of her books and conduct two science experiments with children.

There will be performances from local groups Drum Safari, The Cubanisms, and The Freedom Affair. Drum Safari will also host three drum circles during the event.

Other activities will include Blind Date with a Movie, Music Sampling, Book Fortune Teller, the Yearbook Project, bubbles, face-painting, a photo booth, and lawn games.

Attendees will also get to visit the Mobile Library to sign up for a card and check out items.

Library in the Park will include a return of the taco competition with local taquerias Carniceria la Luz, San Antonio’s, Daisy’s Mexican Food, and Eduardo’s Pueblito.

Attendees will get a chance to sample tacos from all four locations and vote on which taco is the best. The tacos will be provided by KCKPL at no cost to attendees.

For more information on Library in the Park and a full schedule of events, visit libraryinthepark.org.