by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
It’s back to the Jayhawk Conference wars for Kansas City Community College’s volleyball team.
Beaten by three national powers in the KCKCC Invitational Tournament over the weekend, the Lady Blue Devils (13-6) resume conference action tonight at Independence.
Indian Hills, the No. 17 ranked team in Division I, blanked the Blue Devils 3-0 on the way to a 4-0 tournament sweep Saturday and Coffeyville, No. 11 in Division II, rallied for a 3-1 win in the tournament’s final match.
KCKCC opened tournament play Friday by defeating Southeast Nebraska 25-15, 25-19, 25-16 but couldn’t make a 2-1 lead stand up, losing in five sets to Johnson County Friday night. The Blue Devils twice led, winning the first set 28-18 and the third set 25-15 after JCCC had won the second 25-19. Ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll, the Lady Cavaliers then pulled away in the final two sets, winning 25-11 and 15-9.
Indian Hills boosted its Division I record to 13-3 with 25-15, 25-25-15, 25-12 wins over KCKCC but Coffeyville (22-1) had to rally from a 25-21 opening loss to the Blue Devils, winning the next three 25-18, 25-17, 25-22. The other two Jayhawk teams in the tournament, No. 10 Cowley College and Johnson County, each finished 3-1 with their losses to Indian Hills. In addition to KCKCC, Johnson County defeated Iowa Lakes and Wentworth; Cowley defeated Longview, Iowa Lkes and Southeast Nebraska.
KCKCC will return to tournament action this weekend, playing in the Johnson County Invitation Friday at 2 and 6 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.