In spite of big scoring by several team members, the Kankakee Community College volleyball team fell to Joliet Junior College in three sets Wednesday night.
The Cavaliers got off to a strong start in the first set and stayed close until the charging Wolves from JJC, had a six-point surge to end the set 25-15.
The Cavaliers fought back against several big plays for the Wolves in the second, but it was not enough, and JJC won that set 25-20. The Cavaliers were led offensively by Gabrielle Bradley, a Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School graduate, who recorded seven kills.
In the final set, KCC’s Drew Hosselton scored the first point before JJC ran off five straight points. KCC was led in the third set by Valorie Dagg, who scored on two kills and two blocks. Despite Dagg’s success, several runs by the Wolves put them ahead for the set, 25-19, and a match victory.
The Cavaliers (6-5) travel to Waubonsee Community College to play four matches Sept. 22-23 in the “Region 4 Crossover”.
Stats
G. Bradley 7 kills - 1 ace
G. Basile 7 kills
V. Dagg - 5 kills - 3 blocks - 1 ace
D. Hosselton - 4 kills
After defeating Olive-Harvey College Saturday morning to begin a tri-match, the Kankakee Community College volleyball team took on Highland Community College Saturday afternoon, securing a win in three close sets.
Early in the first set, the Highland Cougars pulled ahead, leading by six points. The Cavaliers bounced back with a service ace from Emma Creek and a kill from Drew Hosselton to move ahead. KCC’s momentum led to a first set win, 25-19.
The Cougars had a burst of energy to begin the second set, and they were ahead early. The Cavaliers recorded kills from Hosselton, Chloe Blakey and Gabrielle Bradley to go ahead. The Cougars then reclaimed the lead until the Cavs answered with six consecutive points to take the set 25-22.
In the third set, a late charge of four straight points by the Cougars nearly erased the Cavaliers’ lead. A well-timed kill from Valorie Dagg solidified the win for KCC, 25-23.
The Cavaliers improved to 6-4, and next take on Joliet Junior College on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. in the KCC Ryan Gymnasium.
The Kankakee Community College volleyball team fell to the Moraine Valley Community College in five sets during a difficult match on Tuesday night.
In the first set, former Manteno High School standout Drew Hosselton tipped the ball over the net late, giving the Cavaliers hope, but Moraine Valley responded by scoring two points and claiming the set 27-25. In the second, the Cyclones scored several service aces, creating a small lead which grew until they claimed the set 25-18.
In the third, KCC’s Gabrielle Bradley and Valorie Dagg made their marks, recording three kills a piece. Gianna Basile handled the Cavaliers’ defense, scoring on two blocks. Despite a short-lived MVCC run in the middle of the third set, the Cavaliers kept their lead. An error by the Cyclones secured the set for KCC, 25-18.
The comeback continued in the fourth set, with Hosselton adding six kills. The Cavaliers later scored five consecutive points to claim the set 25-23.
The match was tied going into the fifth set. The Cyclones took control of the set early and didn’t budge. Although KCC had a run of four points, two from Bradley, it was not enough. The Cyclones walked out with a 15-12 victory and the match.
The Cavaliers are 4-4 this season and next play Olivet Nazarene University’s junior varsity squad on Friday, Sept. 15 in Bourbonnais, IL.
Despite a hat-trick by one Cavaliers player, the Kankakee Community College women’s soccer team lost to Waubonsee Community College on Saturday, Sept. 9.
KCC’s Cavaliers stayed strong under pressure the entire game. Early in the first half, the Waubonsee Chiefs made several unsuccessful surges toward the net. During one early save, KCC’s goalkeeper Mia Robbins had a cleat strike her face, and she had to leave the field. Freshman goalkeeper Haven Maple filled Robbins’ spot, and racked up multiple saves, while still allowing Waubonsee three goals.
The Cavaliers were able to make several attempts to score as well. The first half ended with the Cavs down 0-3.
Mariel Camargo, a Cavaliers sophomore from Kankakee, brought the Cavaliers hope for a turnaround early in the second, catching a cross-field pass and scoring a quick goal. That was soon followed by a goal from Waubonsee, putting them up 4-1.
Cavs sophomore Samantha Popek made several drives, resulting in shots that missed by a small margin. Camargo scored again, shrinking the Cavs’ deficit to two. The Chiefs returned in full force, but despite their best efforts, Maple continued to save the ball, allowing Waubonsee to score no more goals.
With just ten minutes remaining in the game, Camargo completed the hat trick with her third goal of the game. Despite several attempts, the Cavaliers were unable to get the ball into the net again, and they ended with a tough 3-4 loss.
The Cavaliers fell to 1-3-1 on the season and travel to Madison, Wisconsin, to play Madison College on Tuesday, Sept. 12.
The Kankakee Community College Cavaliers men’s soccer team took on the Northeast Community College Hawks Saturday, Aug. 9. The Hawks, ranked seventh in the NJCAA Div. II pre-season poll, took control of the game early. After several saves by KCC goalkeeper Tariq Singh, the Hawks capitalized on an open field and scored first.
The Hawks played fast, and scored again at the end of the first half.
In the second half, the Cavaliers increased the pressure when Mark Griffith, a KCC sophomore, made a decisive drive to the net, passing to another sophomore, Marc Robertson, who shot and nearly scored. Northeast was able to turn the game around and extended their lead to 3-0.
The Cavaliers’ defense continued to improve as the game progressed, and they topped every other drive by the Hawks.
KCC’s offense in the second half was more aggressive, led by sophomore Adrian Duncan, who made shots from the ground and the air. In the last moments of the game, KCC had one more opportunity following a failed Northeast penalty kick. On that Hail Mary shot, Kankakee High School grad Noah Lacy just missed the net. The game ended with Northeast earning the win, 3-0.
The Cavaliers record is 2-3 going into their match against Madison College in Madison, Wisconsin, on Tuesday.
The Kankakee Community College men’s soccer team showed individual talent during a loss to Rock Valley College on Tuesday night.
The KCC Cavaliers held their own in the school’s first-ever match-up against the Golden Eagles, an NJCAA Region 4 rival.
In the first half, the Cavaliers used an aggressive defense. But a miscommunication allowed the Eagles to go up 1-0 early.
KCC’s Nathaniel Brown and Marc Robertson both pushed back with confident drives, nearly scoring, before RVCC’s defense caught up and regained control. After Rock Valley scored a second time, KCC’s communication improved drastically.
“At halftime, we talked about sticking to our gameplan, being confident with the ball and how Rock Valley was going to come at us hard in the first 10 minutes to try and put the game away,” Head Coach Mike Barclay said.
The Cavaliers proved just how quickly they can turn around a match. After a physical tangle at the beginning of the second half, KCC’s Malachai Daniel scored on a penalty kick. Almost immediately, Daniel scored again, and the score was 2-2.
“My mentality is always to win during a game,” Daniel said. “[Scoring] was a rush, it felt good.”
For the next 30 minutes, * * the Cavaliers’ defense applied pressure, and no points were scored. After Cavs goalkeeper Tariq Singh made several saves in the middle of the second half, play intensified in the final stretch. Both teams made desperate attempts at scoring the winning point and RVCC ultimately won 3-2.
“Malachai had a tremendous game,” Barclay said. “All season, he has been a standout for us. Tariq, our keeper, has been a rock in the net, keeping us in every game with his standout play.”
The Cavaliers (1-2) next play Milwaukee Area Technical College in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
KCC’s pitching staff was dominant against Olive-Harvey College on Tuesday winning the game with a score of 8-0.
The Cavs’ offense was led by Tyler Thompson, who had 2 hits, 2 runs, and 1 RBI, and Jack Snyder, who hit a home run and had 2 RBIs. Cole Freeman also had 2 hits and 2 RBIs, while Chris Suchoski contributed 2 hits and 1 RBI.
Pitcher Andrew VanOeveren had an outstanding game, throwing 6 innings, striking out 11 batters, and allowing no runs and only 4 hits. Relief pitchers Luke Wolff, Jackson Smith, and Lucas Frank also had strong performances, combining for 5 strikeouts and only allowing 3 hits.
KCC will be back on the field on Thursday as they take on Morton College. First pitch is slated for 3pm.
Follow us on Twitter: @CavaliersBSB
Livestream our games on the GameChanger app.
KCC put their offense and defense together for a 13-3 victory over Oakton. Paco Paulina led the way for the Cavs with four hits, including two doubles, and two RBIs. Jack Snyder also had a big game, driving in six runs, including a 3-run homer in the sixth inning. Tyler Thompson added two RBIs and Curtis McKay hit a solo home run.
KCC’s pitching staff also had a solid outing, with starter Graham Kasey allowing just two earned runs in five innings of work. Relievers Zach O'Donnell and Brett Hecimovich combined to shut out Oakton over the final three innings.
On March 24th, 2023, KCC defeated Rock Valley College 5-4 in a closely contested baseball game held in Rockford, IL. The game saw the Cavs take an early lead with a run in the third inning, and then extend their lead with runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Rock Valley College fought back with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but KCC was able to hold on for the victory.
Top performers for Kankakee included Tyler Thompson, who had two runs scored, Jack Snyder who had two RBIs, and Nick Barlow, who came in as a relief pitcher and earned the win with four strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work.
KCC defeated Prairie State College 8-7 in extra innings on Thursday. Despite committing six errors, the Cav’s bullpen managed to shut down Prairie State, with Jackson Smith earning the win after striking out three in 1.1 innings pitched. Top performers included Tyler Thompson (2B) with a double, 2 runs, and an RBI; Paco Paulina (3B) contributing 2 hits, 2 RBIs, and a stolen base; Cole Freeman (RF) with a double and 2 RBIs; and Andy Onnen (1B) adding a hit, an RBI, and 2 runs.
The Cavaliers take on Rock Valley today on the road. First pitch is set for 3pm.
Follow us on Twitter – @CavaliersBSB
And Gamechanger – KCC Baseball