by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College’s nationally ranked volleyball team tuned up for arguably its biggest tests of the season Wednesday with a 3-0 sweep of Hesston.
The 25-19, 25-17, 25-22 win over Hesston boosted the No. 13 ranked Lady Blue Devils’ record to 12-2 heading into Friday and Saturday’s KCKCC invitational tournament. A nine-team tournament, it will feature teams from four states including four nationally ranked teams and Johnson County, which was ranked No. 3 in the preseason rankings.
Tournament play will begin at 11 a.m. Friday and resume Saturday at 9 a.m. Each of the two teams will play twice each day and all matches will be best of five.
The Lady Blue Devils will begin play Friday at 3 p.m. against Southeast Nebraska and then face off against Johnson County at 7 p.m. in a rematch in which KCKCC took a 3-2 win at JCCC earlier. On Saturday, the Blue Devils will take on two nationally ranked teams, facing No. 17 (Division I) Indian Hills at 1 p.m. and No. 11 Coffeyville at 5 p.m.
In addition to the KCKCC-JCCC collision, Friday’s schedule will include battle between No. 10 Cowley College and Indian Hills at 5 p.m. The tourney schedule:
Friday
Court No. 1 – Coffeyville vs. Southeast Nebraska, 11 a.m.; Iowa Lakes vs. Indian Hills, 1 p.m.; KCKCC vs. Southeast Nebraska, 3 p.m.; Cowley vs. Indian Hills, 5 p.m.; KCKCC vs. Johnson County, 7 p.m.
Court No. 2 – Wentworth vs. Longview, 11 a.m.; Longview, vs. Cowley, 1 p.m.; Coffeyville vs. Wentworth, 3 p.m.; Johnson County vs. Iowa Lakes, 5 p.m.
Saturday
Court No. 1 – Longview vs. Iowa Lakes, 9 a.m.; Southeast Nebraska vs. Wentworth, 11 a.m.;
KCKCC vs. Indian Hills, 1 p.m.; Cowley vs. Southeast Nebraska, 3 p.m.; KCKCC vs. Coffeyville, 5 p.m.
Court No. 2 – Johnson County vs. Indian Hills, 9 a.m.; Iowa Lakes vs. Cowley, 11 a.m.; Johnson County vs. Wentworth, 1 p.m.; Longview vs. Coffeyville, 3 p.m.