Head coach Casey Meister and the Cavaliers are set to begin the 2023-24 season having high expectations as they work toward tip off Nov. 4 against Lansing Community College.
Meister returns for her third season at the helm of the Lady Cavaliers basketball program, and her goals and expectations remain high. The Cavaliers continue to climb and improve after a tough 9-9 record during the COVID-affected season of 2021. Meister’s 2021-22 group finished with 10 wins and the 2022-23 season ended with 14 wins.
“My expectations are to get back to our 20+ win tradition and compete and win a Region Title,” said Meister. In an effort to prepare for the Region IV season and a championship appearance, the Cavs will take on an ambitious schedule.
“Our Region is tough,” Meister added. “The top-tier teams have reloaded, and the teams chasing them have brought some serious talent, so everyone has gotten stronger. Our success on the court will be determined by our ability to adapt to the college game and how well we overcome challenges along the way. We’ll have opportunities to play multiple nationally ranked teams. We are excited about that, and hope to compete with each and every one of them.”
This year’s team is made up of nine newcomers, all eager to make their mark at KCC. The new faces for the Cavaliers this year are freshmen Jasmine Ferrero, Tinsley Freeman, Zipporah Johnson, Aniyah Moody, Harmony Reynolds, Jaida Taylor, and transfers Kayla Jackson, Amaria Pender and Brianna Sneed.
Valorie Dagg, Myllena De Sousa and Jazmyn Smith return as the experienced leaders of the group both on and off the court.
“I’m really excited about our depth this season,” Meister said. “We have our returning All-Region IV player in Jazmyn Smith, who we hope can continue her dominance in the paint to go along with this group and I really feel like we have the right pieces in place to shake things up a bit.”
Kankakee Community College was edged out by Kalamazoo Valley Community College Tuesday, giving the Lady Cavaliers their first loss of the young season.
In the first quarter, the duo of Valorie Dagg and Jazmyn Smith powered the Cavaliers to a 9-2 lead. Brianna Sneed hit a 3-pointer to put KCC ahead by 10. The Cougars, led by 6 points from Brynne Johnson, narrowed the Cavaliers’ lead to 14-12. The first quarter ended with KCC ahead 17-15 after the Cavs’ Kayla Jackson hit a 3-pointer, but it was matched by a buzzer-beating trey from the Cougars.
Early in the second quarter, Jackson and Sneed recorded 3-pointers, helping the Cavaliers score 7 consecutive points. The Cougars responded with 12 straight points, to even up the game. Amaria Pender scored 4 points for KCC, but Kalamazoo Valley was able to take a 35-28 lead at the half.
The Cougars extended their lead to 15 points, before Pender recorded 4 points and Jaida Taylor added 2 points to stall the Cougars. The Cavaliers recorded three 3-pointers in quick succession, one from Pender and two from Sneed. Aniyah Moody rounded out the third quarter scoring with a 3-point play to narrow the Cavaliers deficit to seven.
The Cavaliers bounced back in impressive fashion, outscoring the Cougars 23-17 in the fourth quarter. At one point, Smith scored a free throw to put the Cavaliers under by just five points, 54-49. Kalamazoo Valley responded with four points, but a 3-pointer by Jackson and a three-point play from Pender narrowed the Cougars’ lead to 3 points. The Cougars were leading 68-64 with seconds left in the game. Smith scored a three-pointer, but the Cavaliers could not get another bucket.
The final score was KCC, 67, and Kalamazoo Valley, 68.
Pender led the Cavaliers with 15 points, 5 steals and 4 rebounds. Sneed had 12 points (four 3-pointers), 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Smith tacked on 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals. Dagg had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal. Jackson added 9 points, 6 assists, and 5 steals.
The Cavaliers are 5-1, and will return home to face Oakton College at 5:30 pm on Thursday, Nov. 30.
The Kankakee Community College Cavaliers bounced back from an early deficit to take an 88-65 win over Lake Michigan College Saturday afternoon at home.
The Red Hawks were ahead 29-22 early. Momentum swung toward the Cavaliers when Noah Mason hit two free throws Lucas Burton scored two from the floor.
The Cavaliers closed out the half with a 47-42 lead.
In the second half, the Cavaliers blew open the lead, outscoring the Red Hawksa41 to 23 margin. The second half started with a 3-pointer from Rashad Smith of KCC. That launched a scoring spree of 12 uninterrupted points for the Cavaliers.
KCC didn’t give up the lead. They outscored the Red Hawks 41 to 23 in the second half on the way to an 88-65 victory.
Desilva led the Cavaliers’ with 18 points. Chavez Woods had 12 points. Jamonte Smith, Mason, and Burton each added 11 points. Khylan McKennie tacked on 9 points.
The Cavaliers improved to 4-0, and travel to Vincennes University at for a 7 p.m. (EST) game on Tuesday, Nov. 14.
The hoops season started with a victory for the Kankakee Community College men on Wednesday.
In the first half, Lincoln Trail College scored an early three-pointer, but KCC’s Jamonte Smith and Joshua Ray responded to put the Cavaliers up 4-3. A successful buzzer-beater 3-point shot from Cavs sophomore Chavez Woods capped off an 8-point run to give KCC the lead at halftime.
KCC also displayed talent among their freshmen, who contributed 21 of the Cavaliers’ 32 points in the half.
The Statesmen had a surge to score 8 points just minutes into the second half and erased KCC’s lead. KCC’s Noah Mason then made a bucket and Woods dropped another trey, effectively stopping the visitors’ momentum. The Cavs were able to extend the lead to 43-33 in the middle of the half. KCC freshman Fabian Desilva contributed late to the second half with eight-of-nine shooting from the free throw line.
The Cavaliers led for the remainder of the game and ended the night with a 73-63 victory.
Freshman Fabian Desilva scored 16 points and had 3 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers. Woods and another freshman, Khylan McKennie, added 14 and 13 points, respectively. Ray recorded 11 points.
The Cavaliers will host Governors State University’s JV team on Friday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. That contest follows the KCC women’s basketball season opener against Lansing Community College at 4 p.m.
The Kankakee Community College men’s soccer team ended their season Saturday afternoon with a dominant 4-1 victory over Bryant and Stratton College.
The KCC Cavaliers had five attempts on goal within the first 30 minutes, coming from Mark Griffith, Nathaniel Brown, Matt Guiney, and Marc Robertson. Following a missed shot by the Bobcats, the loose ball was knocked into the goal by Griffith to put the Cavaliers ahead 1-0.
After a breakaway shot by Brown was deflected and the Bobcats took control of the play, Adrian Duncan stepped up defensively, and passed to Brown, who recorded an assist when Jesus Guzman scored for the Cavs.
With one minute remaining in the first half, the Bobcats pushed through KCC’s defense to score their only goal of the match, narrowing the Cavaliers’ lead to 2-1.
Robertson played a key part in the Cavaliers’ defensive in the second half by taking the ball away from the Bobcats every time they neared the goal. Robertson also scored on a pass from Malachai Daniel to extend KCC’s lead to 3-1.
Daniel also scored on a pass from Chris Garcia late in the match to give the Cavaliers their last point and a 4-1 victory.
The Cavaliers ended the season with a record of 6-9.
Kankakee Community College’s men’s soccer team defeated College of DuPage at home Saturday in a close 1-0 victory.
Malachai Daniel from the KCC Cavaliers broke away from a DuPage defender to take an early shot on goal. The Chaparrals goalkeeper was able to make the save.
At the other end, Cavaliers goalkeeper Tariq Singh recorded six saves in the first half.
Just under 10 minutes into the second half, Daniel broke free again and scored the only goal of the game, giving the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead.
KCC’s defense was led by Chris Garcia and Marc Robertson. On offense, additional shots on goals were made by Matt Guiney, Jon Estrada, Danny Sorich, and Robertson.
The Cavaliers will take a 5-8 record and travel to Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg for a 4 p.m. game on Tuesday.
The Kankakee Community College women’s volleyball team powered to an away victory against Prairie State College on Thursday night, Sept. 28.
In the first set, the Pioneers of Prairie State worked their way to an early 6-2 lead, before a pair of kills from Gabrielle Bradley helped the KCC Cavs turn the game around. The Cavs went on to claim the set 25-12.
The Cavaliers were led by Drew Hosselton in the second set, as she recorded two service aces and four kills. KCC won the set 25-7.
A six-point run by Hosselton, Bradley, and Valorie Dagg gave the Cavaliers the lead early in the third set. Midway through, KCC went on a nine-point run before another service ace by Hosselton solidified the win for the Cavaliers, 25-10.
The Cavaliers improved to 8-9 for the season. They travel to Glen Ellyn to take on College of DuPage on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
The Kankakee Community College Women’s soccer team scored five times to shutout Kishwaukee College at home on Thursday night.
Despite early pressure from the Cougars of Kishwaukee, the Cavaliers were able to make several scoring attempts. The Cavs’ Aiyana Lopez scored first at the seven-minute mark.
The Cavaliers kept their momentum, and Mariel Camargo and Tess Wallace made several scoring attempts over the next ten minutes. After Camargo scored to put the Cavaliers up 2-0, Hailey Brady put away another goal for the Cavs, with an assist by Mya Ramdoo.
KCC maintained pressure on the Cougars, with near misses from Samantha Porras and Alayna Valone. Porras went on to score a goal for the Cavs, and the lead was 4-0 at the end of the first half.
In the second half, the Cougars fought back with more intensity both offensively and defensively. The Cavaliers stopped the pressure, and a quick turnaround led to another goal from Camargo.
Camargo, Wallace, Samantha Popek, and Sheleza Mungal all made several attempts to score throughout the half. Despite the offensive effort, a quick second half ended without any more goals.
The Cavaliers are 2-6-1 this season. The team hosts Joliet Junior College at 2 p.m. on Oct. 3.
Coach Meister begins her second season at the helm for the Lady Cavaliers for the 2022-23 season.
Prior to becoming head coach, Meister served seven years as the assistant coach for KCC, and the Cavaliers earned an overall record of 147-59 (.714). Postseason accomplishments included four Region 4 Championship titles, four national tournament appearances including 4th and 7th place finishes.
She has coached three All-Americans, 10 Academic All-Americans, and helped place 22 athletes at the next level. Before coaching at KCC, Meister spent six years as a high school teacher and coach at Tri-Point High School (2008-14). A 2006 graduate of KCC, Meister was a two-time All-Region 4 honoree and was MVP of the All-Region 4 Tournament Team (2006). She earned NJCAA All-American honors in 2005 and 2006, and played in the 2006 national tournament.
Meister is in the elite “1,000 Point Club,” finishing with 1,014 points at KCC. In 2019, Coach Meister was inducted into the NJCAA Region IV Hall of Fame. After KCC, Meister continued her basketball career with a full scholarship to Chicago State University (NCAA Div. I). Her competitive mentality led her to Olivet Nazarene University (NAIA Div. I) to finish her senior year on scholarship. During that season (2007-08), ONU won the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, led the country in team scoring average, was nationally ranked, and made an NAIA National Tournament appearance.
A native of Diamond, Meister earned IHSA All-State honors in 2003 and 2004 at Reed-Custer High School. She resides in Ashkum, IL with her husband, Todd, and their three children, Hadley, Harper and Hudson.
Coach Meister also serves as KCC’s assistant athletic director. Both roles give her the ability to work directly with student-athletes and build a foundation of trust, dedication, and success in the place she calls home.
Jenny Coronelli brings energy and excitement to the coaching staff. A former KCC player, Coronelli is in her second year as an assistant coach with the program she attributes much of her personal success to. As a KCC player, Coronelli experienced success including two National Tournament Runner-Up finishes and an overall record of 57-10.
After KCC, Coronelli continued her collegiate basketball career at Kentucky Wesleyan University, a NCAA Div. II school where she completed a bachelor’s degree in sports management. She earned a master’s degree in teaching from Olivet Nazarene University and became a physical education teacher for a local school district. She is currently working on a doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction at Aurora University. Her resume also includes 13 years of middle school coaching and one season as a KCC assistant alongside retired coach Donnie Denson.
Coronelli lives in Bourbonnais with her puppy, Bootsie May, and cannot wait to see what this season has in store.