OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – In what may be the match of the season, the No. 1-ranked Johnson County Community College volleyball team will travel to Arkansas City to face No. 2 Cowley College on Friday night, September 30.
Both teams enter the match undefeated. The Cavaliers stand 25-0 and Cowley has prevailed in its first 20 matches. Both teams are tied for the conference lead at 5-0.
For JCCC head coach Jennifer Ei this will be the 27th match against Cowley. In the previous 26 matches, the Cavaliers were ranked nationally in all but one, but this will be the first time as the No. 1 team in the country. Cowley has been the top-ranked team in eight of the meetings, including a victory in the NCAA D-II National Semifinals last year.
JCCC leads the all-time series 59-33-2 and Ei is 11-15-0. Cowley head coach Steven Gream is 6-4-0 against the Cavaliers.
Johnson County enters match led by the arms of sophomore outside hitters Taylor McCarthy and Jadyn Troutman. They rank first and second in KJCCC D-II in kills with 234 and 228. Troutman leads the conference in hitting percentage at .394, with McCarthy coming in at fifth at .301. Troutman is also the conference leader in blocks with 110.
The top hitters for the Tigers are Anna Kiss and Laci Beougher. They currently stand fourth and fifth in the conference with 214 and 211 kills respectively. Bougher is second in hitting percentage at .358, followed by Kiss at .325.
In the back for Johnson County, sophomore libero Addyson Mock is having a solid season. She stand third in the conference with 373 digs, reaching double figures in 21 of the team's 25 matches.
Cowley setter Vivianna Solis leads the D-II conference standing in assists with 697, 126 more than the No. 2 on the list.
JCCC runs a 6-2 offense using two setters. Sophomore Lauren McClure leads the team and fifth in the conference with 454 assists. Freshman Sydney Fiatte is eighth with 307 total assists.
First serve is set for 6 p.m. at the W. S. Scott Auditorium. Watch the match live on the Cowley Sports Network.