FT. DODGE, IOWA - In their final matches of the regular season - and a tuneup before the upcoming Region 4 Tournament - the Madison College women's volleyball team went 1-3 at the Iowa Central Tournament, hosted by Iowa Central Community College on Friday and Saturday. The WolfPack, ranked #25 in the NJCAA Division II Poll, opened with a grueling five-set win over Neosho County Community College; however, they dropped the next three matches by 3-0 scores against Metropolitan Community College, #1 Cowley College, and #2 Kirkwood Community College. Madison College wraps up the regular season with an 18-13 record.

Match #1: #25 Madison College 3, Neosho County Community Community College 2 (30-28, 12-25, 17-25, 25-19, 15-11)

The weekend opened with a dramatic first set that went extra points and saw Neosho County Community College (8-21) earn the first crack at set point leading 24-22 after a Madison College service error. Sophomore Addyson McHugh's successful tip, followed by an attack error for the Panthers tied the score at 24-24. The WolfPack then earned set point four times, but were unable to finish it off before the fifth opportunity came when second year Courtney Gorum's kill broke a 28-28 tie. Gorum then served an ace to give the Pack a win in the first set. 

Set two saw NCCC use a 7-0 midway through to take control and win by 13, while the third set featured a 15-10 lead for the WolfPack before Neosho County closed on a 15-2 run, including the final five points. 

With their backs against the wall, Madison College answered the bell. With the score even at 17-17, sophomore Amber Horn's kill ignited a 5-0 surge as part of an 8-2 closing stretch that ended with freshman Bella Vitaioli's hammering home a kill to force the fifth set. The Panthers were the first to eight points in a back-and-forth fifth set; however, the Pack held a narrow advantage at 12-11 when Gorum terminated a kill and back-to-back attack errors for NCCC gave Madison College the match win in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

The Madison College defense played a big role in the win, establishing a new season-high with 94 digs and producing the team's fourth match with ten blocks. The WolfPack also had 50 kills, a .146 attack percentage, and 12 aces.

McHugh, a 5'10" outside and right side hitter, posted her fifth double-double with a team-leading 16 kills and 12 digs. Gorum, a 6'3" outside hitter and middle blocker, tallied her 13th double-double with 15 kills and 15 digs. She also added two aces and three blocks.

Second year Brooke Anderson led the setters with 24 assists, while freshman Tricia Klum was right behind with 23 helpers. Anderson made it her eighth double-double with 11 digs, while Klum added three aces.

Sophomore libero MacKenzie Thom paced the Pack with a career-best 23 digs and five aces. Horn finished with five kills and three blocks.

Match #2: Metropolitan Community College 3, #25 Madison College 0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-18)

Madison College built a 12-9 lead in the first set of the first-ever match between the two schools, but the Wolves answered back with 5-1 run to take the lead. After pulling even at 14-14 on a block by Bella Vitaioli, the WolfPack were unable to put a stop to an 11-2 surge that ended the set. 

An 11-2 run by Metropolitan Community College (25-10) after MaKayla Weisner's kill tied the second set at 7-7 put MCC in position to play side out volleyball and go ahead two-sets-to-none.

The third and final set was even at 13-13 when the Wolves earned seven straight points and eventually claimed another seven-point set victory.

The WolfPack had 30 kills and 23 attack errors as they hit .065. They also finished with four aces, but trailed Metropolitan by an 11-5 margin in blocks and a 73-55 tally in digs.

Addyson McHugh was tops with ten kills, followed closely by Courtney Gorum with nine. MaKayla Weisner hit a team-best .267 with four kills and zero errors. 

Tricia Klum posted 20 assists, followed by Brooke Anderson with ten.

Defensively, McHugh has two blocks, while MacKenzie Thom racked up 13 digs and Gorum added 11 digs.

Match #3: #1 Cowley College 3, #25 Madison College 0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-15)

Saturday's gauntlet of matches began against the undefeated and defending national champions, and the WolfPack seemed ready for the challenge as they played to a 10-7 lead after a Bella Vitaioli block. Cowley College (31-0) answered with a 9-1 run to go ahead by five. The Pack was able to hang close, trailing by two at 18-16 until the Tigers earned seven of the final nine points to claim the opening set.

In set two, Cowley slowly pulled away thanks to a 4-0 surge to go ahead 14-9 and a three-point run later in the set to make it an 18-11 differential before winning the set.

A 5-0 run midway into the third set put the nation's top-ranked team up 18-9 and on their way to a ten-point set win to finish the sweep in the first meeting between both programs.

Madison College trailed the Tigers by a 49-28 margin in kills, while matching them with four aces 52 digs. The WolfPack was better above the net defensively by a 4-2 margin in blocks.

Courtney Gorum generated 14 kills and a .423 attack percentage. Vitaioli and Addyson McHugh was next with four kills each. McHugh came through with a team-best two blocks. 

Setter Tricia Klum had 20 assists, followed by seven from Brooke Anderson. Klum was also tops with two aces. 

Liberos MacKenzie Thom and Cora Webster finished at 12 and 11 digs, respectively.

Match #2: #2 Kirkwood Community College 3, #25 Madison College 0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-16)

The weekend's final match came against the nation's #2-ranked team Kirkwood Community College (30-6), who already owned a 3-0 win over the WolfPack at the Parkland College Tournament on September 28. Trailing 15-11 in the opening set, Madison College closed the gap to 15-14 thanks to an ace by Bella Vitaioli and a block from Amber Horn. The Eagles responded with a 5-1 surge to force a WolfPack timeout, and went on to play side out volleyball for the set win.

The second set was close when a KCC attack error brought the Pack within 10-9. Kirkwood then claimed 15 of the next 19 points to go ahead by two sets. In the third, a short three-point swing turned a 16-14 differential into a five-point lead for the Eagles. After a Madison College timeout, Kirkwood closed out the match with a 6-2 run that gives KCC a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series.

Madison College was out hit 35-23, with the Eagles boasting a .200 attack percentage compared to .080 for the WolfPack. Kirkwood also held a 9-3 edge in aces and a 48-45 lead in digs. The Pack registered a 7-5 differential in blocks.

Courtney Gorum was the lone hitter in double-figures with ten kills. Vitaioli was next with five. Tricia Klum had all 21 of the team's assists. 

On the defensive side of the net, first year libero Cora Webster chased down 13 digs, followed by nine from Vitaioli. And Kate Howe and Amber Horn each had two blocks.

Up Next:

Madison College (18-13) will await the start of the NJCAA Region 4 Division II Tournament on Wednesday, November 6. The tournament seeds and matchups will be released on November 3, with quarterfinal matches behind hosted by the higher seeds. Madison College will again host the semifinals and championships on November 9-10 inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium.

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