COFFEYVILLE – Even 48 hours after the final point had been scored in the Region VI Division II District M Championship, emotions were still running high around the No. 18-ranked Neosho County Community College volleyball team on Monday. The Panthers came within two points of reaching the ultimate goal for the season – the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. "It was a great day of volleyball," Coach Asya Herron said. "Collectively, it was the best day of volleyball I've seen in a long time." From point one to the final point of the day, it was a back-and-forth battle in both matches. "That match was like that," Herron said of the Coffeyville match. "The match before was like that. It was literately draining – mentally and physically. I was exhausted, and I didn't play. They played hard from point one."
In the semifinal round, Johnson County Community College took the Panthers to a fifth set. Neosho County won the first two sets 25-21 and 25-20 before the Cavaliers responded with 25-12, 34-32 wins over the next two sets. The Panthers bounced back to reach the District Championship with a 15-11 fifth-set win. Sophomore Maryssa Recio led the Panthers with 20 kills, while sophomore Joanna Riggs added 13. Defensively, sophomore Madi Miller tallied a team-high 44 digs, while redshirt freshman Meredith Pickens recorded 21. Sophomore Kalyn Bitner stuffed four blocks. The win and a Coffeyville sweep of Labette Community College in the other semifinal, set up the Panthers and Red Ravens' third meeting of the season.
The Red Ravens had taken the other two matches 3-1 and 3-0, but the Panthers went toe-to-toe with the No. 4 ranked team for the right to represent Region VI at the National Tournament in Charleston, W.V. Neosho County came out swinging, winning set one 25-19. The teams traded set wins with Coffeyville taking set two 26-24 and the Panthers winning the third by the same score. "There wasn't a point that wasn't earned. Both ends of the net was super competitive," Herron said. Down 2-1, the Red Ravens managed to win the final two sets by the scores of 25-19 and 15-13 on their home court to punch their ticket to the national tournament. "I really was excited for these kids. We fell short a few points, but they played extremely hard, not just for me, but for each other," Herron said. "It's tough to lose, especially in a five-set match by two points." Recio again led the Panther attack with 18 kills, while freshmen Chandler Karr and Ryed Creek added 12 each. "It was a good team and we played well against them," Herron said. "I'm glad we went out on a high note. Obviously, I just wish it would have been in our favor. It's an easier pill to swallow when you play good volleyball. It's just we didn't finish but still played really good volleyball all day. It's hard to be upset. It probably hurts more since we did play really well, and we were that close."
The loss marks the end of the Neosho County careers for six sophomores – Recio, Riggs, Bitner, Miller, Breann Becker and Kylie Corneliusen. "I couldn't have asked for a better group," Herron explained. "I've been lucky the last three years to have great sophomores and great kids in general. The sophomores have been great leaders, not just on the court, but in life in general. They are the epitome of what I want a top-20 volleyball team to look like."
"I think what is great about this group to is there wasn't one or two that were the main leaders," Assistant Coach Marisa Compton added. "Especially on Saturday, at different points, each one stepped up and was a leader in some way for their team. I think that is what made us so good this year. They all knew they need to be a leader and they all played their role."
Neosho County's season comes to a close with a 28-12 overall record with a 6-3 mark in KJCCC East action.
"We have been blessed all season with great fan support, the community and the parents. The students have been amazing," Herron concluded. "It's been a great year."
