OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The No. 5-ranked Johnson County volleyball team faced four nationally ranked teams at the Kirkwood Invitational last weekend, and came away with a 3-1 record. They defeated No. 2 Parkland, No. 8 Kirkwood and No. 14 Lincoln Land. The Lady Cavaliers only set back was to No. 1-ranked Iowa Central in four sets.
Johnson County opened against the top-ranked Tritons and took an early 1-0 lead with a 25-18 win in the first set. Iowa Central tied it with a 25-20 win, then closed out the match with wins of 25-21 and 25-22. JCCC closed out the day with a five-set win over the hosts. After dropping the opening set 25-23, the Lady Cavaliers posted two straight 25-21 wins, but the Eagles tied it at 2-2 with a 25-21 win. JCCC secured the win by topping Kirkwood 15-9 in the fifth and final set.
Johnson County began Saturday's action by blanking No. 2 Parkland, 3-0, winning 28-26, 25-21, 25-22, and capped the day with another sweep over Lincoln Land, winning 25-18, 25-20 28-26.
Sophomore libero Maddie Steiner tallied 75 digs and averaging 5.0 digs per set in the four matches. In a five-set win over No. 8 Kirkwood, Steiner had 31 digs, giving her third match this season with 30 or more digs. She has 211 digs on the season, third-most in KJCCC D-II.
Sophomore setter Ryleigh McBurney tallied 136 assists and averaged 8.6 assists per set. She opened the Invitational with a career-high 46 assists. The following day in a three-set sweep over No. 2 Parkland, McBurney tallied 37 assists and followed with 31 in a sweep over No. 14 Lincoln Land.
Freshman middle/outside hitter Dejah Miller was the Cavaliers top hitter last week. She tallied 44 kills. She recorded doubled figures in three of the four matches, giving her five on the season.
Freshman outside hitter Jadyn Troutman was close behind with 41 kills. Her 15 kills against Kirkwood were the most in a single match over the weekend. She was in double digits with 11 against Parkland.
Sophomore Alyssa Smith posted 38 kills, highlighted by a 13-kill effort against Kirkwood
Freshman middle hitter Carley Spachman had 31 kills and had double figures in both Friday matches. She also had 11 blocks.
Freshman middle/right side hitter Sydney Sample tallied 29 kills and led the team 16 blocks. In the win over Kirkwood, she nearly had a double-double with 11 kills and eight blocks.
Freshman setter Lauren McClure had an impressive effort in the Kirkwood win, finishing with a career high 41 assists. That was one better than her previous high of 40 in a win over Kansas City Kansas on September 1.
Johnson County (8-2) returns to conference play on Wednesday, September 15, when they travel to Highland Community College. They host Southeast Community College and Metropolitan Community College on Friday, September 17 at 2:00 and 6:00 p.m.