(Charleston, WV) - Waubonsee Community College's volleyball team lost their opening round match of the 2019 NJCAA Division II National Tournament in three straight games. The 13th seeded Chiefs (24-16) fell to 4th seeded Fort Scott (KS) Community College 25-22, 25-23 and 25-16. Waubonsee will now play 5th seeded Catawba Valley (NC) Community College (33-5), which was upset by 12th seeded Bismarck State (ND) College, at 11:00 a.m. (CDT) tomorrow, Friday, November 22, in the 16-team, double-elimination tournament.
The Chiefs, making just their second appearance at the National Tournament in school history, tallied the initial three points of the match. Waubonsee still led game one by three points at 8-5 before the Greyhounds tied it at 9-all. A service error by the Chiefs and a return shot that went out of bounds gave Fort Scott their first lead at 14-13. The Greyhounds extended their lead to 19-16 forcing Chiefs' head coach Steve Kish to call a timeout. Moments later a cross court kill by Sydney Fedderly got Waubonsee within a point at 20-19. However, Fort Scott (31-4) held off the Chiefs to take the set 25-22.
In game two Waubonsee again registered the initial four points to get the early upper hand. A kill by Sydni Coultrip made it 5-1 and not long afterwards the Chiefs led 11-7 after a pair of Fort Scott errors. An ace by Rebecca Robinson put Waubonsee in front 13-8. The Chiefs maintained that five point cushion holding an 18-13 lead after a power kill from the left side by Fedderly. The Greyhounds then turned the tide getting within one point at 19-18 when a great volley finished with Gabrielle Dlabal's spike attempt sailing out of bounds. The Chiefs again called timeout to try and stop Fort Scott's momentum, but it was to no avail as a Greyhounds' ace knotted the score at 20-all two minutes later. The game was tied at 22 until a Chiefs' service error gave Fort Scott their first lead. A block by Coultrip tied the game at 23 before the Greyhounds' Juliana Squire scored a kill from the left side to set up the potential game point for Fort Scott. After another Waubonsee timeout, Anna Friedlund's kill attempt sailed beyond the end line to give the Greyhounds a pivitol two games to none lead.
In contrast to the first two games, Fort Scott took control early in the third game. The Greyhounds led 5-3 and extended their advantage to 9-4 as Squire booked back-to-back service aces. Fort Scott then gradually increased their lead from there, grabbing a 17-10 lead on another service error by Waubonsee. Dlabal temporarily stemmed the tide with a kill from the middle of the court to make it 17-11. A kill by Friedlund and another one from the center of the floor by Alyssa Gittins got the Chiefs to within four at 19-15. However, Fort Scott responded again and reeled off six of the next seven points to win going away.
Robinson led Waubonsee with eight kills and 18 assists, while Coultrip finished with seven kills and 13 assists. Friedlund added seven kills and Lydia Sabanish recorded 14 digs in the loss. The Chiefs were their own worst enemy with 14 service errors in the match.