Volleyball: Kirkwood Tournament Recap

Volleyball: Kirkwood Tournament Recap

The Central Community College volleyball team went 1-3 at the Kirkwood Tournament, hosted by Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A brief recap of each match is below. The 8-6 Raiders return to action on Wednesday, with a 7 p.m. match against Southeast Community College at Raider Fieldhouse.

Match 1 vs. Sauk Valley Community College

The Raiders swept the Skyhawks, 3-0, in the opening round of the Kirkwood Tournament. The final scores were 25-16, 31-29, 25-14.

Shania Borchers and Jacie Laetsch were tops in kills with 10 apiece. Rylee Kwapnioski finished with 36 assists, while Maddie Walkowiak tallied 14 digs.

Match 2 vs. Lincoln Land Community College

The 13th-ranked Loggers swept the Raiders in Kirkwood Tournament second-round action. The final scores read 25-15, 25-17, 25-22.

Laetsch led CCC in kills and digs with 11 and 16, respectively. Kwapnioski totaled 27 assists.

Match 3 vs. Parkland College

The #2-ranked Cobra outlasted the 15th-ranked Raiders in five games, 3-2. CCC won the first set, 25-22, and Parkland answered back with a 25-15 final in the second game. The Cobras won the third set by a 25-11 margin before the Raiders powered back with a 25-21 victory in the fourth game. Parkland won the decisive fifth set, 15-10.

Laetsch posted 13 kills, while Kwapnioski dished out 45 assists. Maddie Davis recorded a team-high 19 digs.

Match 4 vs. Illinois Central College

The Cougars claimed a 3-1 victory over the Raiders in the final match of the Kirkwood Tournament. Illinois Central won the first two matches – 25-21, 25-26 – followed by a CCC win, 25-14. The Raiders fell short of forcing a fifth game with a 25-23 loss in the fourth set.

Katelynn Halstead and Laetsch led the way in kills with 13 and 12, respectively. Kwapnioski tallied 33 assists, while Laetsch finished with 15 digs.

"It was a tough weekend in the win column for the Raiders," said CCC head coach Mary Young. "We continue to ride the roller coaster of executing on a consistent basis. We made great strides in taking the second-ranked team in Division II to five sets on Saturday, only to not max out in our final match against Illinois Central. It's frustrating for our players and our staff, but we know we are facing good competition and we're learning a lot about ourselves along the way. I fully believe we will come together as a team and make the necessary changes in order to be great at the right time in the season."