Johnson County volleyball battles to first national title in 16 years
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BVM) — A big accomplishment often feels more satisfying when it doesn’t come easily, and the Johnson County Community College volleyball team would probably agree with that sentiment.
The Cavaliers became national champions for the first time in 16 years — and just the second time in program history — on April 15, but not without first having to fight hard to survive a couple of five-set thrillers earlier in the NJCAA Division II national tournament.
No. 4-seeded JCCC escaped No. 13 Pima (Arizona) in the first round before battling back to beat No. 5-seeded Kirkwood (Iowa) in the quarterfinal round and caught fire from there, sweeping top-seeded Illinois Central in the semifinals and knocking off No. 2 Parkland (Illinois) in four sets to secure the program’s first national title since 2005.
“We knew it was going to be a battle in the first round, but the girls did a nice job of coming back and gaining composure,” JCCC head coach Jennifer Ei said. “Second round I also knew just from years of experience playing against Jill Williams and the Kirkwood team that they were going to be a solid battle. We matched up really well with them and [with them] having the hometown crowd and just knowing what a strong volleyball program that was, we definitely needed to be playing our best volleyball.”
CHAMPIONS 🏆
For the first time in 1⃣6⃣ years, Johnson County are #NJCAAVB DII Champions!!
The Cavaliers defeated Parkland 3-1 to take the title back home to Overland Park, Kansas pic.twitter.com/okDvwLrMS9
— NJCAA Network (@NJCAANetwork) April 16, 2021
The battle with Kirkwood proved to be the true turning point of the tournament for the Cavaliers, who dropped the second and third sets before winning the fourth to send the quarterfinal match to a decisive fifth where they would fight off six match points before prevailing.
“I just think the girls decided then and there in the fifth set that we were going to do nothing less than leave it all on the court,” Ei said. “I think that match against Kirkwood was the turning point of we’re going to accept nothing less than first. They were just going to do it and they gained the confidence. They believed in themselves all the time, but I think the confidence was really solidified when they came back and won against Kirkwood.”
Sophomore right-side hitter Mikayla Powell was named the tournament MVP after racking up 57 kills in the tourney, including 19 in the championship-clinching victory over Parkland. Sophomore Shannon Riley and freshman Sydney Healy were also named to the all-tourney team. The two combined for 93 kills over four matches on the Cavs’ run to the title.
“This team literally was the epitome of what you call just all-around special,” Ei said. “They had talent, they had confidence, they had heart, they had chemistry. Every single one of them earned honors academically in the classroom in the fall. They’re just seriously high-character kids. They appreciated everything that they were allowed to do in the COVID era without complaining. Honestly they were a complete blessing to me. You just don’t always get that.”
It’s the first national championship as a head coach for Ei, who was an assistant for JCCC when the program captured its first title in 2005. The Cavaliers have made many runs at nationals and finished as the runner-up twice (in 2008 and 2010) since Ei took over as the head coach 13 years ago, but none will compare to this one.
“For this team to do that when they were just so special in so many other areas I couldn’t have wanted it more for them,” Ei said. “For me as a coach, yes it’s exciting, but honestly I wanted it more for this team because they absolutely deserved it. It was just nice to see good-hearted, spirited people who worked so hard to reap the benefits. That’s the highlight for me is that they will always be No. 1. They will always be national champions.”
