Box Score CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The No. 2-seed Parkland volleyball team (31-1) earned a 3-1 (25-20, 25-21, 23-25, 25-21) victory over No. 15-seed Terra State CC (15-3) in the opening round of the NJCAA DII Volleyball National Tournament. The loss was only the third for the Titans this season.
 
Set one was tight early on and was tied at 10. Parkland took 5 of the next 6 points, building a 15-11 lead, and, from that point, the teams basically traded points to the end of the set.
 
In set two, the Cobras held a 10-7 lead when Terra State rattled off 6 straight to move in front by 3. Still down, 13-17, Parkland made a 6-1 run to pull ahead, 19-18.  The Titans tied it, at 21-21, but the Cobras scored 4 straight to take a 2-0 lead for the match.
 
A 4-0 Cobras run started set three, but Terra State scored 5-in-a-row to take an 8-6 lead. Parkland had a brief lead, at 12-11, and then held a 2-point lead, at 18-16. From that point, the Titans surged to win set three and pull within one, 2-1.
 
Terra State started strong in set four, taking a 9-4 lead, but the Cobras scored eight of the next ten points forcing a Titans timeout. Parkland maintained a 2 to 4-point lead up until 20-16, but Terra State scored 5-of-7 to make it 22-21. From that point, the Cobras put together 3 straight to win the match.
 
 
For the Cobras, Halle Everett (18 kills, 7 digs) led the offensive attack alongside Arika Richardson (12 kills, 3 blocks) and Hailey Sperling (12 kills). Richardson was particularly effective, producing a .455 kill percentage.
 
Brittney Litton (9 digs) and Kayla Brandon (9 digs) led the back line with support from Everett, Summerlyn Smith (45 assists, 6 digs), and Isabella Classen (5 digs).
 
Richardson and Katie Kaiser (3 blocks) were strongest at the net.
 
 
Up next, later today in round two, Parkland will face No. 10-seed Sauk Valley at 5:30 central time. The familiar foes faced off twice in the regular season with the Cobras winning, 3-0, on February 20, and then 3-1, on March 6. The quarterfinal match is available to watch on the NJCAA network.