by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
College volleyball games don’t get much closer than Kansas City Kansas Community College’s duel with Fort Scott Wednesday.
Not until the final set was any set decided by more than two points. KCKCC opened with a 25-23 win, fell behind 29-27, 25-23 and then pulled even in a 28-26 thriller before Fort Scott prevailed 15-11 in the decisive fifth set.
“We really battled hard as a group but we had some unforced errors down the stretch that were very costly,” KCKCC coach Mary Bruno-Ballou said. “It was a game we really wanted because it was so pivotal in the conference standings.”
At 2-6 in the Jayhawk and 15-12 overall, the Blue Devils are one of five teams with two wins bidding for three playoff berths.
The top four playoff spots have been wrapped up by four of the top five ranked teams in the nation. No. 1 ranked Coffeyville (28-2) is 6-0, No. 3 Johnson County (22-3) is 7-0, No. 4 Highland (29-2) is 5-1 and No. 5 Cowley (25-5) is 6-1 heading into the final two weeks of the season.
Neosho County at 4-4 has also locked up a playoff berth but it’s wide open for the remaining playoff berths between Hesston (2-4), Labette (2-4), Fort Scott (2-5), KCKCC (2-6) and Cloud County (2-6).
KCKCC closes its home season next Wednesday with Sophomore Night against Highland at 6:30 p.m. The Blue Devils then finish Jayhawk play at Hesston Oct. 24.