Springfield, IL—The Marshalltown Community College volleyball team recorded its first victory as a NJCAA Division I program as the Tigers defeated Joliet College 3-0 at the Logger Invitational, hosted by Lincoln Land Community College. MCC fell 3-1 in its opening match of the day against No. 11 Lake Land College.
After suffering three straight losses against competitive opponents, the Tigers finally broke through in their final contest of the tournament. The Tigers won in straight sets against the Wolves, 25-19, 25-21, 25-12.
"We played competitive all weekend long," head coach Chris Brees stated in regards to the strong tournament schedule. "We struggled a bit to adjust to the aggressiveness, but I thought we played pretty well, especially today. Most of these teams have already played a handful of games. This was our first weekend but we were able to shake off the rust at the end and get the win."
Sam Hinrichs (Ankeny, IA/Ankeny) led the Tigers in the win against Joliet with 10 kills and 18 assists, both team highs. Mady Van Metre (Marshalltown, IA/Ames) tallied nine kills to go along with six digs in the finale. As a team, the Tigers posted a .273 hitting percentage, their best mark of the tournament.
MCC dropped its opening match against nationally ranked Lake Land. Jadelyn Rohach (Toledo, IA/South Tama) posted a team-high nine kills and added five total blocks in the match. Kayla Prosser (Eldora, IA/South Hardin) contributed eight kills and 14 assists. Jena Boisen (Garrison, IA/Union) added 11 digs against the Lakers.
"Lake Land is a strong team," Brees added. "We were able to battle, especially in the second set. I thought we played well against a nationally ranked opponent."
Next up for the Tigers will be two straight home matches. MCC will host Des Moines Area Community College at 7:00 PM on Sept. 3 and will follow up the next night at 7:00 PM against Northeast Community College.
