Dodge City volleyball packed up and jumped on a plane after the win at home on Tuesday night against Butler, then traveled to Miami, Florida, to compete in the Magic City Invitational hosted by Miami Dade.
The Conquistadors had a four-game slate in Miami that included three Top 10 opponents: #1 Miami Dade, #2 Daytona State, and #6 Florida Southwestern State. Conqs also took on Eastern Florida State.
The Conqs went 1-3 in action, falling in three sets against #1 Miami Dade (25-21, 25-23, 25-13) and #6 Florida Southwestern State (25-18, 28-26, 25-20), while dropping a tough five-set contest with #2 Daytona State (25-19, 14-25, 25-17, 22-25, 11-15) and beating Eastern Florida State in four sets (23-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-20).
Conqs head back home and turn their attention back to Jayhawk Conference action as they will take on rival Garden City on the road on Wednesday, September 9
th. The Conqs will then travel to Hobbs, New Mexico, for their final non-conference action at the New Mexico JC Invitational.
Lost 3-0 vs #1 Miami Dade
The Magic City Invitational opened for the Conqs with a clash against the host and NJCAA #1 team, Miami Dade, and while the Conqs fell in three sets (25-21, 25-23, 25-13), they pushed and challenged the Sharks. Conqs started the match going up 4-1, but a 5-0 run by Miami Dade would draw them even at 6-6. Dade used another run to take a lead, and despite the Conqs pulling back within one at 20-19, they dropped the first set 25-21. In the second set, the Conqs put together a 6-0 run nearly midway through the set to lead 13-10, but the lead did not hold up as Dade pushed ahead late to steal the second set 25-23. An early 8-2 run in the third set put Dade in control of the set, and the Conqs were unable to get back into the set, falling 25-13.
Kayla Cantrill tallied 12 kills in the loss, while
Sunni Skipps finished with nine kills, five aces, and seven digs.
Lost 3-0 vs #6 Florida Southwestern State
The second match of the Magic City Invitational in Miami saw the Conqs square off with another top-ranked team as they took on #6 Florida Southwestern State. Once again, despite pushing Florida Southwestern State to the wire in each set, the Conqs fell 3-0 (25-18, 28-26, 25-20). A 6-1 start to the match put Florida Southwestern in control of the first set; despite their best efforts, the Conqs were unable to overcome the early deficit. In the second set, the Conqs fell behind 12-8 and, at one point, went on a 6-0 run to keep it close, ultimately going extra points in the set but dropping it 28-26. Fighting to stay alive, the Conqs kept the third set close, but Florida Southwestern State made a late push to take it 25-20 and win the match.
Offense flowed through Cantrill and Skipps again for the Conqs as they tallied 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Cantrill added a pair of aces and seven digs, while Skipps had nine digs.
Chelsea Durbridge posted 23 assists, four digs, and four block assists.
Won 3-1 vs Eastern Florida State
Conqs got into the win column in the third game of the Magic City Invitational as they topped Eastern Florida State in four sets (23-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-20), grabbing their ninth win of the season. The Conqs were constantly pushing back at Eastern Florida State in the first set, going on a 7-1 run to lead 18-17, but it was Eastern Florida State that took the first set 25-23. Down 3-1 to open the second set, the Conqs swung the match in their favor with a 10-0 run that turned into a 15-3 run and a 16-6 lead. Conqs dominated the second set overall, winning it 25-13, and then outdueled Eastern Florida State in the third set, grabbing it 25-17. In the fourth, the Conqs worked to a 13-9 lead and used that cushion to win the set 25-20 and take the match.
Anete Celnova recorded 16 kills and eight digs in the Conqs win, while Cantrill had her third double-digit kill outing at the tournament, finishing with 11 kills. Skipps continued to impact the game for the Conqs in many ways with nine kills, two aces, and 14 digs, while Durbridge and
Isabel Lopez Usma posted 14 and 19 assists, respectively.
Lost 3-2 vs #2 Daytona State
In the tournament finale, the Conqs faced their third-ranked foe, #2 Daytona State, and pushed the Falcons to a five-set game. Up 3-0 to start the match, the Conqs put together a 9-0 run, working their lead to 14-7, and used that to win the first set 25-19. Daytona State responded in the second set with a 5-1 start and built a double-digit lead before winning 25-14. Conqs had a response of their own in the third set, going up 10-3 and then pushing their lead to double figures on the way to winning the third set 25-17. The fourth set proved to be tighter than the second and third, but Daytona State used an early lead to hold off the Conqs 25-22. After trading the first four points of the fifth set back-and-forth, Daytona State went up 4-2 and then 7-3 and used that margin to hold off the Conqs, taking the fifth set 15-11.
Celnova posted a double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs, while Cantrill finished with 14 kills, eight digs, and four block assists.
Rian Muntaner was strong at libero with 20 digs, adding two assists and three aces.
