Coffeyville next; all three Blue Devil fall teams reach playoffs for first time
by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
The Kansas City Kansas Community College volleyball team is headed to the NJCAA DII Region VI playoffs.
A 3-1 win over Hesston Wednesday night coupled with Allen County’s five-set 3-2 loss at Fort Scott vaulted the Lady Blue Devils into the regional playoffs Saturday, Nov. 9. It is the first time KCKCC has had all three of its fall sports teams – volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer – advance to the playoffs in the same season.
The Blue Devils 3-1 win over Hesston vaulted KCKCC into a tie with Allen County for the final Jayhawk Conference playoff berth at 4-6 with the Blue Devils advancing by virtue of a 3-1 win over Allen Sept. 18.
KCKCC will open district play as the No. 8 seed at Coffeyville Nov. 9 against the defending national champions and No 2 ranked team in NJCAA Division II. No. 3 ranked Fort Scott will play host to the other four-team district which will determine the Jayhawk Conference’s two representatives in the NJCAA DII national tournament.
KCKCC’s meeting with Coffeyville will be the third this season and while the Blue Devils were beaten 3-0 each time, four of the six sets have been by a total of 10 points – three 25-23 and one 25-21 decisions.
“We have played two very close games already and have the pieces and ability to beat Coffeyville,” KCKCC coach Mary Bruno-Ballou said. “We need to make sure on our side of the net we are not making the unforced errors that made our game with Hesston and others so close. But we’ve battled and fought to put ourselves in position to get to the nationals.”
Just a year ago, the underdog Blue Devils stunned No. 3 ranked Highland 3-2 at Highland in the first playoff round.
Eight Blue Devil sophomores played their final home game in withstanding a determined challenge by Hesston, which was 14-17 overall but only 1-9 in the Jayhawk. A 25-22 winner in the opening set, the Blue Devils dropped the second 25-23 before pulling away late for 25-19 and 25-23 decisions.
“In a must game, we came through led by sophomore Amilex Lopez with a match high 19 kills, the sophomore leadership of Gracie Golay and Allayah Stillwell and the defensive prowess of Natalia Vega Aponte,” Bruno-Ballou said. “Lopex was amazing. She injured her ankle earlier and just now is getting her vertical back.”
Down by as many as four points in the opening set, two kills each by freshman Cassidy Crist and Lopez broke a 20-20 tie in the 25-22 win. The Blue Devils trailed 19-14 in the second set before a 7-1 run pushed them into a 21-20 lead. They still led 23-22 before the Larks scored the final three points in the 25-23 win.
KCKCC opened a 10-3 lead in the third set but had to hold off a Hesston rally that closed to 21-18 before two returns by Crist, one by Lopez and block by Crist and Stillwell closed out the 25-19 win. The Blue Devils trailed 23-20 in a see-saw fourth set that was tied 10 times. After a kill by Stillwell, the Larks uncharacteristically committed three straight unforced errors before Gracie Golay’s chip shot completed the rally 25-23.
Sophomores honored following the win were Tara Mattingly, Gracie Golay, Malaysia StClair, Lauren Leavendusky, Allayah Stillwell, Natalia Vega Aponte and Amilex Lopez.
“It was great to honor our sophomores for all the hard work and dedication they’ve given to our program the last two years,” Bruno-Ballou said.
