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JCCC volleyball advances to national semifinals

JCCC volleyball player Kallie Fenscke prepares to set the ball in the air for one of the team's hitters.
JCCC volleyball player Kallie Fenscke prepares to set the ball in the air for one of the team's hitters.
Posted: Apr 14, 2021

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Johnson County volleyball team had played three-set matches only twice all season, the first and last matches of the regular season, both victories.  They added two more in the first two games of the 2021 NJCAA Division II National Tournament at Alliant Energy Powerhouse Arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, downing Pima Community College and Kirkwood Community College.  With the two victories, Johnson County advances to the semifinal round and will face No. 1-seed Illinois Central for the opportunity to play for a national championship at 6:30 p.m. CT Wednesday night. 

The No. 4 seeded Lady Cavaliers opened the tournament against No. 13 seed Pima, who was making its first ever tournament appearance. JCCC jumped out 2-0 winning the first two sets by the score of 25-18. Johnson County was on the verge of sweeping the Aztecs, leading the third set 18-13, but Pima won eight of the next nine points to take a 21-19 lead, and eventually closed out the set 25-21. 

JCCC built a lead in the fourth set at 16-12, but Pima went on another run, winning the next eight of 10 points to take a 20-18 lead. The Lady Cavaliers tied the set a 23-23, but the Aztecs scored the next two points to take the set and tie the match at 2-2. 

After giving away leads in both the third and fourth sets, JCCC did not let that happen in the final set, winning 15-7 to advance to the quarterfinals against No. 5 Kirkwood. 

Mikayla Powell led JCCC with 14 kills, followed by 13 by Shannon Riley and defensive specialist Makenzie Griffel posed a career-high 34 digs. 

In their quarterfinal victory over Kirkwood, JCCC fended off six game points, scored the last three points, and edged the Eagles 25-14, 21-25, 21-25, 25-18, 19-17, in an exciting and hard-fought match. 

Trailing 2-1, JCCC scored 11 of the last 15 points in the fourth set to force the late dramatics. Riley and Sydney Healy led the Cavaliers with 19 kills apiece. Brooke Wroten had 12 and Powell added 11. Kallie Fenscke and Ryleigh McBurney had 38 and 34 assists, respectively, and Griffel recorded 31 digs. 

Illinois Central reached the national semifinals by defeating No. 16-seed Potomac State 3-0 and No 8-seed Gulf Coast State 3-1.  JCCC trails the all-time series against Illinois Central, but have won 10 of the last 11 matches, including three wins in national tournament play.