Lady Tiger volleyball team shows grit in straight set win over Kansas City

Climbing up to No. 2 in the latest NJCAA Division II rankings, the Cowley College volleyball team justified its spot in the polls by defeating Kansas City Kansas Community College 25-23, 25-12, 26-24 Wednesday inside W.S. Scott Auditorium. 

Cowley is now 12-0 overall and 4-0 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division, while Kansas City falls to 6-6 overall and 1-2 in conference play. 

Having yet to drop a set this season, the Lady Tigers faced adversity in sets one and three on Wednesday. Leading 24-23 in set one, Cowley benefited from a service error to pull out a 25-23 win.  

Set two saw Cowley lead from start to finish. Leading 18-12, the Lady Tigers would rattle off seven straight points to complete the 25-12 win. 

Cowley would trail 21-16 and 24-23 in set three before another service error by Kansas City tied the score at 24-24. A big time kill by freshman Laci Beougher and a block at the net helped lift Cowley to the come from behind victory. 

"We knew KCK was going to be scrappy, but this team does not like to lose," Cowley head coach Steve Gream said.  

Sophomore outside hitter Iva Halacheva again led Cowley with 14 kills and four service aces, while Beougher added 10 kills. Freshman setter Rossana Papa also played well, finishing with 33 assists, seven digs and four aces. 

Cowley will now prepare to play four matches at the Kansas City Kansas Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The Lady Tigers will then return home to face Hesston Monday at 3 p.m.  

"We will be playing games similar to this at the KCK Tournament and will then get ready for conference games on Monday and Wednesday before hosting our tournament on Friday and Saturday," Coach Gream said. "We are excited about it, but at the same time we have got to be smart because we have got some battles coming."