KCC volleyball sweeps No. 3 Tritons for ICCAC title
By Jim Ecker
CEDAR RAPIDS – You knew it was a big match for the top-ranked Kirkwood women’s volleyball team when you pulled into the parking lot at Johnson Hall and saw tailgaters and a pep band to rouse the fans.
The top-ranked Eagles did not disappoint their fans.
Kirkwood swept third-ranked Iowa Central, 26-24, 25-18, 25-21 to remain undefeated at 31-0 and clinch at least a tie for the ICCAC title at 12-0. Iowa Central fell to 29-3 overall and 11-1 in the league.
There is only one game left in the regular season, so even if the Eagles lose their final match – which they will not – they’ve clinched at least a tie for the league crown and now own the tiebreaker over Iowa Central.
There was a big, festive crowd inside Johnson Hall from start to finish. It was loud, and Kirkwood students rushed the court after the match to celebrate with the Eagles.
“That was crazy,” said Kirkwood sophomore Katie Scheckel. “That was so much fun. It was so loud. It was hard to hear our setters.
“It was a really fun environment,” she said. “We played well. We haven’t played in a super loud environment like this.”
There are never tailgaters in the parking lot before volleyball matches, but there were this time with Kirkwood parents enjoying each other’s company before moving inside.
“The full volleyball experience,” joked Kirkwood Coach David Brown, who waved at the Kirkwood students in appreciation after the match.
“It was a complete Kirkwood effort,” he said. “This was the best fan section we’ve had in my four years here. It wasn’t just the six players on the floor or our bench.”
Kirkwood had some jitters in the first set and trailed, 22-20, in the race to 25 points. The Eagles finished strong in Game 1, though, setting the tone for the rest of the night.
“I was actually impressed that we could battle through 12 unforced errors,” Brown remarked about that first set. “It showed a lot of grit.”
Scheckel had a big game in the victory. She had a kill to finish the first set, then served an ace to clinch the second set. She finished with eight kills.
Carly Wazac let the Eagles with 15 kills.
