Cedar Rapids, Iowa - By the time the eighth-ranked ICC Volleyball program (30-12) gets underway on Thursday at the NJCAA National Tournament, it will have been almost two weeks since their last match. The Cougars defeated Heartland in five sets to win the District Championship, and join Region 24 foe Parkland as the two district representatives from the region. ICC's ranking matched that of the seed they were given at the pairings show, drawing ninth-seeded and 13th-ranked Grand Rapids for a 1PM central time first serve.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE MATCH
Watch Live (NJCAA Network - $)
Live Stats
ABOUT THE RAIDERS
Grand Rapids, out of the Michigan Community College Athletic Association and Region 12, enter Thursday's match with the Cougars at a (23-4) record. The Raiders, who started the season with two losses to #4 Iowa Central and #1 Johnson County, have gone (24-1) since then, including going a perfect (10-0) in true road matches.
Outside of the aforementioned matches, notable results include a 3-2 win over D3 power Owens, a 3-2 win over Mott to win the MCCAA Tournament, and a pair of 3-1 wins over St. Clair County as part of the Great Lakes District A Tournament.
Key individuals to watch include Audrey Torres. The sophomore leads the Raiders in kills with 328 kills (4.22 per set), tallying 10 or more kills in 19 matches this fall. Shannon Russell is the primary setter for the Raiders, whose season total of 872 (9.28 per set) are 31st in the nation.
Defensively speaking, Alena Visnovsky will be ICC's primary concern at the net. Visnovsky has 120.0 total blocks on the year (1.28 per set), marks that are good for 20th in the country.
Last year, the Raiders went (24-7), losing in the district championship to Terra State. Grand Rapids, like the Cougars, have one lone National Championship, which for the Raiders came in 2012.
HOW THE COUGARS MATCH UP
ICC ran off seven consecutive wins from early-mid October. The end of that streak saw the Cougars go on the road and defeat Lincoln Land, 3-1, to secure hosting of the District Tournament. While the Cougars did suffer a pair of 0-3 losses at the end of the regular season, they were to quality D1 opponents in Missouri State-West Plains and Jefferson College, so it served as an important test just in time for postseason play.
The Cougars took postseason wins over Lincoln Trail (3-0) and Heartland (3-1) to qualify for the National Tournament. ICC's win over Heartland was especially thrilling, given that the Cougars had just gone on the road to defeat the Hawks in Normal (in five sets), so there was no lack of motivation for Heartland.
Gracie Schultz's 406 (2.72 per set) are good for 26th in the nation, and 5th in Region 24. McKinley Daniels has led the setting game with 970 assists (6.60 per set). Emily Cronkhite's 674 digs (4.43 per set) rank 13th in the country, and second within Region 24.
ICC looks to rebound at this year's National Tournament. Last fall, they lost in the District Championship to Heartland. The fall prior, the Cougars made a Final Four appearance as the tournament's top overall seed, losing to eventual National Champion Johnson County in the National Semifinal. ICC's best finish at the National Tournament is their National Championship in 2009.
LAST TIME OUT
The Cougars and Raiders last did battle on August 30, 2013 at the Owens Express Invitational. The Cougars won that match, 3-1. Grand Rapids' lone set win (third set) saw the Raiders take it in a thriller, 31-29. ICC won the other three sets by scores of 25-14, 25-14, and 25-23.
THURSDAY PAIRINGS
9AM First Serve
#3 Cowley vs. #14 Bismarck State*
#6 Scottsdale vs. #11 Muskegon
11AM First Serve
#7 Kirkwood* vs. #10 Moraine Valley*
#2 Parkland* vs. #15 Cape Fear
1PM First Serve
#1 Johnson County* vs. #16 Montgomery
#8 ICC COUGARS vs. #9 Grand Rapids
3PM First Serve
#5 Richard Bland vs. #12 McHenry County
#4 Iowa Central* vs. #13 Gulf Coast State
* Indicates an ICC opponent from the 2022 regular season
