CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 2 Parkland volleyball won its 50^th and 51^st matches on Saturday, as the Cobras wrapped up the 2018 regular season with victories over East Central (25-12, 25-16, 22-25, 25-13) and Illinois Valley (25-19, 25-16, 25-10). 51-2 overall, the Cobras will host its district semifinal on Wednesday, October 31, against either John Wood or Frontier with first serve at 6 p.m.
 
The most regular season wins under head coach Cliff Hastings, the Cobras will enter postseason play on a 15-match winning streak that dates back to October 6. In that span, the Cobras have won 45 of its 46 sets.
 
No. 2 Parkland 3, East Central 0 (25-12, 25-16, 22-25, 25-13)
 
Sophomore Sidney Heck and freshman Amanda Greening led the way in the opening match on Saturday, combing for 23 kills in the four-set win over East Central. Heck put down 12 kills with a .375 hitting percentage, while Greening added in 11 kills on an efficient .526 attack percentage. Six other Cobras recorded four or more kills in the match, while setters Ashley King and Rachel Verdun split the assists, 24 and 21 respectively. Maddie Allen and Ellie Stone anchored the defensive efforts, as Allen blocked five attacks and Stone led the team with 14 digs.
 
No. 2 Parkland 3, Illinois Valley 0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-10)
 
Recording her 14^th double-double, and second double-double of the weekend, Warfel led the Cobras in a sweep of Illinois Valley with 12 kills and 13 digs, as well as four stuffs. Setting up Warfel and the rest of the Parkland attack was Verdun's 41 assists, while Nunamaker and Katelyn Riffle added in seven and eight kills, respectively. Defensively, Warfel was one of three Cobras to surpass 10 digs, as Norder led the team with 15 followed by Gabby Wessels with 14. Maddie Allen led the Cobras to 11 team blocks with six individual stuffs.
 
Ranked in the top-five all season, the second-ranked Cobras rank among the best in the country in nearly every statistical category. Entering the day, the team led the country in total kills (2,293), total service aces (380), total digs (3,518) and total assists (2,171). Additionally, Parkland sits third in kills per set (13.59), assists per set (12.85) and total blocks (501), fourth in attack percentage (.301), fifth in digs per set (20.89) and seventh in blocks per set (2.99).
 
Individually, Rachel Verdun, Ryleigh Warfel, Amanda Greening, Brooke Norder, Shelby Nunamaker and Dakota Harmon each rank nationally in at least one category. Verdun leads NJCAA Division II in total assists this season with 1,453 and ranks fifth in assists per set with an 11.31 average. The beneficiaries of Verdun's work, Warfel ranks 25^th in total kills (397), while teammate Amanda Greening's .365 hitting percentage is 15^th. On defense, Norder ranks fifth in both total digs (778) and digs per set (6.32), while Nunamaker's 156 blocks and Harmon's 146 blocks rank 6^th and 10^th, respectively. Harmon also ranks 11^th in blocks per set (1.49).
 
Among the top individual performers, three have been recognized nationally over the course of the season. Libero Brooke Norder was named the AVCA Two-Year College Player of the Week on September 13, and then the NJCAA named outside hitter Ryleigh Warfel and setter Rachel Verdun its Offensive Athlete of the Week on September 26 and October 17.
 
Parkland's postseason will begin on Wednesday, October 31, in the District semifinal at home against either John Wood or Frontier at 6 p.m. central time. The winner will advance to the District Championship on November 3 at 2 p.m.