Tag: KCKCC volleyball

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s busy volleyball team got off to good starts in a pair of Jayhawk Conference matches over the weekend but could only come away with a split.

The Blue Devils won impressively 3-1 at Allen County on Thursday but suffered a 3-1 home loss to league-leading Neosho County Saturday. The loss left the Blue Devils in fourth place in the Jayhawk at 3-2 and 4-3 overall heading into another big week.

After Cowley College for a triangular with Semon Monday at 4 p.m., the Blue Devils are back home Thursday against Labette at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday against Fort Scott at noon. Both home contests are open to spectators and are streamed on the KCKCC Blue Devil website.

“It simply comes down to us controlling our unforced errors,” KCKCC coach Mary Bruno-Ballou said. “We are right on the cusp of being a great team and when we get those things fixed, we can compete with anyone. We are battling a few injuries but still finding way to persevere.”

The Blue Devils rank first nationally in assists and second in kills but they’re also first in service errors and sixth in errors.

The Blue Devils lead the nation in matches played with four more this week.

“Our schedule right now is fast and furious and we are competitive,” Bruno-Ballou said. “We need to fine tune a couple things on our part and get ready for Cowley on Monday.”

The Blue Devils jumped in front 25-17, 25-23 at Allen County, dropped the third set 25-16 but rebounded to close out the match with a 25-19 win. Cassidy Crist, who leads the nation in kills, had 19 and nine digs; sophomore teammate Mia Tomasic 14 kills and 10 digs; and Michelle Dvorak nine kills to lead the way. Sophomore Adriana Velez had 32 assists and 10 digs and freshman Kelcey Hund 17 digs.

KCKCC also took the opening match against Neosho, coming back from match point 23-24 for a 26-24 in a match in which neither team led by more than two points most of the way. However, Neosho swept the next three sets, grabbing early leads in winning 25-16, 25-15, 25-14. The win kept Neosho (4-1) tied with Johnson County for the Jayhawk lead, both at 4-0.

Tomasic had 14 kills and 10 digs, Crist 11 kills and 6 digs, Velez 32 assists and 10 digs; and Hund 17 digs.

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

It’s been a week like no other for Kansas City Kansas Community College volleyball.

On Tuesday, the Blue Devils shook up the Jayhawk Conference with an impressive 3-0 whitewashing of No. 21 ranked Cloud County in Concordia. On Wednesday, sophomore Cassidy Crist was named NJCAA Division II National Offensive Player of the Week. And on Thursday, the best of all, a 3-2 upset of No. 2 ranked Coffeyville that will jolt the NJCAA national poll to its very core.

“Very exciting; very happy, super proud of an excellent week,” said 10-year KCKCC coach Mary Bruno-Ballou, who couldn’t remember the last time she had a win over one of the nation’s perennial powers. “Maybe 2014. I’m not sure.”

The Blue Devils jumped in front 25-20 in the opening set and nearly came from nine points back in the second set before falling 26-24, “a great comeback to tie the game,” Bruno-Ballou said. The Blue Devils went back in front 2-1, winning the third set 25-19, but let a 7-point lead get away in the fourth set, losing 25-21.

The Red Ravens took a 5-1 lead in the fifth and final set before the Blue Devils stepped on the gas with a 14-4 run and 15-9 win.

“We got excellent serving in that run including a great run by freshman Kelsey Hund,” Bruno-Ballou said.

Crist, who leads the nation in kills, had 21 and Mia Tomasic 15.

“Both were outstanding and our setter, Adriana Velez, had an outstanding all-around performance,” Bruno-Ballou said. “This team is playing hard, playing resilient and finding ways to win.”

The outstanding play comes despite the fact the Blue Devils by local rule were not allowed to have 6-on-6 practices.

“So we’ve really only had three weeks of game play while just about every other school has been playing since August,” Bruno-Ballou said.

Her only disappointments Thursday were unforced hitting, serving and receiving errors that allowed Coffeyville to get in position to win sets two and four.

“We’re playing at a great level and earning a lot of points,” Bruno-Ballou said. “If we can just control those unforced errors, we can take this season to a new level.”

There will be no rest, however. The Blue Devils open their home season Monday against their oldest and bitterest rival, Johnson County, the favorite in the Jayhawk Conference and ranked No. 11 nationally. Monday’s match will be streamed on the KCKCC Blue Devil website.

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Sophomore Cassidy Crist is the NJCAA Offensive Volleyball Player of the Week, an honor that came as no surprise to Kansas City Kansas Community College coach Mary Bruno-Ballou.

“Her statistics thus far are ridiculous,” Bruno-Ballou said. “For most players, 2 to 2½ kills a set is a good game. She’s averaging 5.2 kills a set. Our hitting average is about 2.00, hers is 3.66. And she’s second on our team in digs with 30. Being Player of the Week is a huge honor and accomplishment to her work ethic and mental toughness. We love having her in our program.”

Crist learned of her Player of the Week award at practice Wednesday.

“A total surprise. I didn’t even know what it was,” she said. Crist is also the Jayhawk Conference Player of the Week.

The Blue Devils are off to a 2-1 start this season, the lone loss coming at the hands of No. 14 ranked Lincoln Land in the opening triangular of the season. The highlight came Tuesday, a 3-0 upset at Cloud County, which entered the game ranked 21st nationally.

“That was a pretty fun win, especially since we didn’t have our starting middle and had others playing the position,” Crist said.

Bruno-Ballou said Crist’s ability as an outside hitter to track down out of the system or junk balls sets her apart from the average player.

“Outside hitters are the outlet,” she said. “They don’t get the perfect set but she’s turning out of system balls into kills. And as a six-rotation athlete, she does not come off the court.”

Idled for more than a year because of the COVID Pandemic, Crist rebounded quickly.

“It’s hard to not play in over a year and bounce back but she has that ability to find her passion and fully commit to it,” Bruno-Ballou said.

A 6-0 sophomore who played at DeSoto High School, Crist was targeted early after Bruno-Ballou saw her play on the club circuit.

“I loved her athleticism and the way she played for the true love of the game,” Bruno-Ballou said.

Although there were other options, the decision was easy for Crist.

“I was pretty focused all the way,” she said. “It’s a good school, I like the coaches a lot. They work us hard but it’s a lot of fun. And I live in Shawnee so I can live at home.”

Her recruitment came with total family support. Her mother, Lynn, aided in the recruiting process; her father, Mike, put together highlight videos. There are also two younger sisters, Ally and Lydia, a volleyball player at St. James Academy.

Crist, who is looking at childhood education as a possible career, is hopeful of continuing her volleyball at a four-year college but because of the pandemic, she has an option only current players have – an additional year at KCKCC, something she will consider.