Eagles Take Fifth At DII National Tournament; Iowa Central Falls in Consolation

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — For the sixth straight season, Iowa Central and Kirkwood have qualified for the NJCAA Division II Volleyball National Tournament. Kirkwood entered the event as the No. 1 overall seed, while Iowa Central earned the No. 7 seed.

Kirkwood opened its tournament run with a 3–0 sweep of Calhoun (Ala.), highlighted by Kaci Johnson, who recorded 23 assists and 12 kills. In the quarterfinals, the Eagles battled No. 8 Gulf Coast State (Fla.), reaching 20 points in each of the first two sets before ultimately falling 3–0.

In the consolation bracket, the Eagles met conference rival Iowa Central. Although the Tritons won the head-to-head matchup during the regular season, Johnson stepped up once again, delivering 31 assists and 15 kills to fuel a 3–2 Kirkwood victory.

Kirkwood then survived another five-set thriller, edging Pensacola State (Fla.) 15–13 in the decisive set. That win advanced the Eagles to the fifth-place match, where they controlled the action in a 3–1 victory over Mesa (Ariz.).

Kirkwood closed the season with a fifth-place national finish and a 37–3 overall record, along with Region 11-B and North Central-B District titles. Johnson was named to the All-Tournament Team after totaling 54 kills and 109 assists across five matches.

Iowa Central opened its tournament against No. 10 seed St. Johns River State (Fla.). Talya Sampson and Shirley Monaghan each posted more than 20 kills, but the Tritons narrowly fell 3–2.

Dropping into the consolation bracket, Iowa Central swept Monroe 3–0 behind 22 kills from Sampson. The Tritons then faced familiar opponent Kirkwood, but despite Sampson's 26-kill performance, the Eagles prevailed 3–2.

The loss ended Iowa Central's outstanding season with a 31–9 record, a Region 11 regular-season championship and the Region 11-A Tournament title. Sampson earned All-Tournament Team honors after piling up 72 kills in just three matches.

Kirkwood (4-1):

Second Round: #1 Kirkwood def. #16 Calhoun, 3-0 - Box Score

Quarterfinals: #8 Gulf Coast State def. #1 Kirkwood, 3-0 - Box Score 

Consolation: #1 Kirkwood def. #7 Iowa Central, 3-2 - Box Score

Consolation: #1 Kirkwood def. #12 Pensacola State, 3-2 - Box Score

Fifth Place: # 1 Kirkwood def. #9 Mesa, 3-1 - Box Score

Iowa Central (1-2):

Second Round: #10 St. Johns River State def. #7 Iowa Central, 3-2 - Box Score

Consolation: #7 Iowa Central def. #17 Monroe, 3-0 - Box Score

Consolation: #1 Kirkwood def. #7 Iowa Central, 3-2 - Box Score