by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College has made the biggest leap in NJCAA volleyball history.
Unranked in the NJCAA Division II pre-season poll, the unbeaten Lady Blue Devils vaulted all the way to No. 3 in the second poll of the season.
The unprecedented leap came as a result of a 3-2 win at previously No. 3 Johnson County last Wednesday and a 3-0 blanking of No. 5 Des Moines Area in a sweep of the Battle of the Dells tournament in Wisconsin Dells Aug. 27-28.
The unbeaten Blue Devils (8-0) further cemented their hold on the new ranking Wednesday with a come-from-behind 3-1 win at Highland and now take on two more ranked teams Friday and Saturday in the Pasco Hernandez tournament in Port Richey, Fla., Other teams in the field include No. 9 ranked Catawba Valley, one of only three unbeaten teams left in the nation at 12-0; the host team, No. 17 Pasco Hernando (3-3); South Florida State and Cape Fear.
Winner of six in a row, Highland raced to a 25-17 win in the opening set Wednesday in front of a big vocal home crowd. However, the Blue Devils battled back for a 27-25 win in an emotional second set and then took command with 25-17 and 25-15 wins to close out the match. “The momentum shift in the second set got us,” said Highland assistant coach Alex Petock.
With their first 12 matches on the road, the Blue Devils finally return home next Wednesday against yet another ranked team and perennial Jayhawk Conference power, No. 16 Cowley College (3-2) at 6:30 p.m. In all, five of the 10 teams in the conference are ranked. Johnson County (4-2) fell to No. 5 while Fort Scott (7-2) is No. 10 and Coffeyville (5-1) No. 18.