by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information
Kansas City Kansas Community College rebounded from a five-set loss Thursday with a 3-0 thumping of Coffeyville Saturday.
Down two sets to one, Cloud County came back for a 3-2 win Thursday before the Blue Devils blitzed Coffeyville in three sets.
The Blue Devils (7-5) are right back in action Tuesday at No. 7 ranked Johnson County at 6 p.m. and then return home to play host to Allen County Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and No. 6 Highland Saturday at 11 a.m.
The win over Coffeyville gave the Blue Devils a sweep of the long-time Jayhawk power. After winning 3-2 at Coffeyville earlier, KCKCC make quick work of the second meeting, winning 25-20, 25-25, 25-14.
“After the loss to Cloud, the group decided they didn’t want to feel like that again and hit another level,” KCKCC coach Mary Bruno-Ballou said. “We had heart, executed our game play well and played excellent volleyball as a group. An absolute team win; proud of them and the success they’ve had as a group.”
Cassidy Crist led the Blue Devils with 17 kills in the swift 3-game match. Nicole Hughes and Mia Tomasic added seven and Michelle Dvorak six. Adriana Velez had 33 assists while Kelcey Hund had 14 digs, Velez 10 and Crist 8.
After dropping the opening set to Cloud 25-18, the Blue Devils bounced back with 25-24 and 25-22 wins only to drop the final two sets 25-22, 15-8. Four Blue Devils had 10 or more kills and five had double digits in digs.
Crist led in kills with 17 followed by Dvorak with 12 and Hughes and Tomasic with 10 each. Hund led in digs with 17 with Velez adding 15, Crist and Tomasic 13 each and Abigail Marcouillier 10. Velez had 47 of KCKCC’s 51 assists.
Johnson County and Neosho County share the Jayhawk Conference lead at 7-1 followed by Highland, 6-1; Fort Scott, 7-4; KCKCC, 6-4; Cloud County, 6-5; Coffeyville, 3-4; Allen County, 5-7; Cowley College, 4-7; Labette, 1-9; and Hesston, 0-9.