Warhawks Fall to #1 Kirkwood in National Tournament
Cedar Rapids, IA — Calhoun Volleyball faced a brutal turnaround on Wednesday, taking the court for their second match of the day against top-seeded Kirkwood and falling 3–0 with set scores of 14–25, 19–25, and 8–25.
The Warhawks had battled through a five-set win over No. 17 Monroe earlier this morning at 9 a.m., but the evening matchup brought a new level of difficulty: the hometown Kirkwood Eagles, the No. 1 team in the country. Kirkwood sat atop the national poll all season and earned an automatic bid to the national tournament after claiming their share of the Region 11 championship. The Eagles entered the match with only two losses all fall, both five-setters on the road against Heartland, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, and fellow Region 11 champion Iowa Central, the No. 7 seed.
Kirkwood came out firing in the opening set, landing 19 kills to Calhoun's six. The Warhawks hung tough early and kept the score tight at 10–12, but the Eagles' firepower eventually broke through as Kirkwood pulled away to take the first set 25–14.
Set two showed the toughness Calhoun had leaned on all season. The Warhawks steadied themselves defensively, slowing down the Eagle attack and climbing to a 17–12 advantage. But the top seed responded with a surge worthy of their ranking, closing the set on a 13–2 run to win 25–19 and grab control of the match.
By the third, Calhoun's tank was empty. Kirkwood exploded to a 13–5 lead and never let up, hitting .382 in the frame and closing out the match with a dominant 25–8 finish. The Warhawks continued to swing, but the Eagles' balance, depth, and efficiency proved too much.
Avery Boyd led Calhoun with 5 kills, Maddie Schwabe handed out 18 assists, and both Lucy Means and Reese Patterson recorded double-digit digs to anchor the defensive effort.
Head Coach Jamiee Freeman praised Kirkwood while emphasizing her team's resolve heading into the rest of the tournament. "Hats off to Coach Brown and his team, there's a reason they're the number one seed here, and they showed it tonight. I'm proud of how our team has battled, not just today but all season. Our fight isn't over. We'll come out swinging tomorrow morning with the same fire and belief we've carried all year."
Kirkwood (34–2) advances in the bracket to face No. 8 Gulf Coast State.
Calhoun (32–4) moves into the consolation bracket and will take on No. 18 Davidson-Davie (NC) tomorrow, Thursday, November 19, at 9 a.m. The consolation bracket is played through six rounds and ends with crowning the third-place finisher.