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.”