CHAMPAIGN, IL – No. 1 Parkland saw its regular season end with a loss to (Division 1) #10 Iowa Western (25-17, 25-15, 26-28, 25-27, 12-15) in the Parkland Tournament. The defeat ended a 35-match winning streak, as the Cobras had not lost a set since September 27
th and had not lost a match since September 6
th. Because the Cobras had defeated Moraine Valley in straight sets (25-11, 25-18, 25-12) earlier in the day, they finished with a regular season record of 52-2. Postseason play will begin November 9
th.
In Match 1 (Moraine Valley),
Summerlyn Smith (19 assists) and
Rachel Verdun (14 assists, 10 digs) set up numerous attacking Cobras including:
Amanda Greening (9 kills),
Abigail Burnett (8 kills, 4 blocks),
Paige Yoder (7 kills), and
Ryleigh Warfel (6 kills). The Cobras team defense was strong, executing 72 team digs, and was led by
Brooke Norder (24 digs). Adding to that total were Verdun and
Gabby Wessels (10 digs) who combined for another 20. Burnett and
Dakota Harmon (4 blocks) also provided cover at the net.
In Match 2 (Iowa Western), Parkland took a 2-set lead, and had several subsequent match points, but the Reivers from Iowa remained composed and were relentless, denying the Cobras that final point to put the match away. Defensive leaders included
Brooke Norder (23 digs),
Ellie Stone (23 digs), and
Ryleigh Warfel (19 digs, 21 kills) on the floor with
Summerlyn Smith (33 assists, 7 blocks),
Paige Yoder (17 kills, 6 blocks), and
Hannah Benson (5 blocks) at the net. The offensive attack leaders were Warfel, Yoder,
Amanda Greening (14 kills), and
Abigail Burnett (11 kills) with assistance primarily from Smith and
Rachel Verdun (29 assists).
Next up for Parkland will be postseason play, beginning with the Central A District Championship round. The Cobras will first play Southwestern Illinois College at 12:00 pm, Saturday, November 9
th. The winner of that match will play in the championship match that same day at 4:00 pm. This preliminary postseason round will take place in Champaign, IL, on the Parkland campus.