By James Howey
Sports Editor
The Cavaliers volleyball team faces their toughest competition this weekend at the Kirkwood tournament. The squad is 8-0 and ranked number five in the nation, and has yet to even be defeated in a set. The Cavs will face four opponents who are all ranked this year. The first Cavs opponent is the Parkland Cobras, who are the number-one ranked team in Division II and showcase a 15-0 record. Needless to say, they will be a handful for the Cavs.
“Parkland has a great tradition of being a strong ball-control team and big blockers,” head coach Jennifer Ei said. “It should be a fun match between our two teams who stack up well against each other.”
The squad also has their first encounter with rival Cowley County Tigers who are 7-0. Chances are that the KJCCC championship will come down to either the Cavs or Cowley, so this will be a unique match to see these two powerhouses play against each other in a tournament. Coach Ei is excited about this weekend and seeing how the Cavs respond to the challenge.
“We look at this weekend as playing against top competition to compare how we are progressing against nationally ranked teams,” Ei said. “My expectations for our team this weekend is to play our game, make necessary adjustments quickly and do what we do every day in practice.”