By: Joey Gruner
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The No. 2 Parkland College volleyball team played back-to-back matches against top-10 opponents, losing 2-3 to No. 1 Iowa Central (15-0) and then winning, 3-1, against No. 10 McHenry County College (8-3).
The Cobras (18-2) won the first two sets against Division II’s top-ranked team, but then dropped the last three, losing to the Titans for the second time this season. In the following match, Parkland won the first set and dropped the second, but recovered to win the third and fourth.
Up Next
Parkland remains in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for day two of the Kirkwood Invitational. On September 11, the Cobras will face No. 5 Johnson County CC, last year’s National Champion, and will then face No. 3 Sauk Valley CC.
#2 Parkland- 2, #1 Iowa Central- 3 (25-11, 25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 14-16)
In a marquee matchup of the top two teams in NJCAA Division II, three Cobras, Sophie Young (50 assists, 15 digs, 6 blocks, 2 aces), Elle Schupbach (15 kills, 18 digs), and Kat Blase (13 kills, 10 blocks) produced double-doubles.
Schupbach, Blase, and Halle Everett (15 kills) lead the offensive attack, as they accounted for 43 of Parkland’s 58 kills. Defensively, Josie Hess (29 digs), Kayla Brandon (18 digs), Schupback and Young totaled 80 of the team’s 99 digs. At the net, Blase, Arika Richardson (8 kills, 7 blocks), Jayden Sortor (6 blocks), and Young paced the Cobras to a total of 18 team blocks.
#2 Parkland- 3, #10 McHenry County- 1 (25-15, 24-26, 25-18, 25-18)
Sophie Young (51 assists, 10 digs) and Elle Schupbach (10 kills, 10 digs) each had their second double-double of the day. Their twenty digs helped to relieve Josie Hess (30 digs), who anchored the back line. At the net, Kat Blase (9 kills, 6 blocks) and Jayden Sortor (10 kills, 5 blocks) stood out as the Cobras stymied the Scots’ attack.
On the offensive side, Halle Everett (13 kills), Schupbach, Sortor, and Blase combined for 42 of the team’s 54 kills, while Ella Godsell chipped in with four service aces.
