KCC volleyball team defeats Sacred Heart Eagles in three sets to start their 2024 season

By Coach Tina Turn
The Bearcat volleyball team opened their season taking it to the road, and the path led to the home of the Sacred Heart Eagles in East Grand Forks. All five teams, 7th grade through varsity, opened their season with a win. There are 52 players out this season, and with no seniors lost to graduation in 2023, that means the program’s numbers took a significant jump up from 38.
KCC’s 2024 varsity is made up of 11 players: five seniors, four juniors and two sophomores. The sophomores are Brynn Hennen and Camryn Whitlock. The juniors are Afton Lindgren, Hadley Nordin, Hanna Warnke and Kaydence White. The seniors are Grace Faken, Lily Peterson, Berlyn Strege, Morgan Turn and Lauryn Whitlock.
The Bearcats played a solid match against the Eagles. They had a few goals in mind for the night, and one of those goals was to keep the Eagles out of system with some strategically tough serving. KCC did that with 92% serves in and 11 total aces. Two of those 11 aces came in set one from Afton Lindgren and Morgan Turn. Offensively, Kaydence White took nine sets and gave her setters assists with seven of those as she recorded seven kills in set one alone. Berlyn Strege chipped in three kills, while Turn, Lindgren, and Hanna Warnke each added two. KCC won set one 25-19.
In set two, the Bearcats increased their aces by one for three total aces. Warnke added a block, and the team totaled eight kills to nab set two 25-18. Strege led the offense with three kills.
In the third and final set of the evening, KCC was extra tough from the serving line with six aces. The girls blocked much better and Lindgren recorded one block while Warnke added two blocks. It was Strege with three kills again in the set to lead the offense. KCC had a mid-set slump where they passed poorly and couldn’t set up the attack the way they had earlier. That slump led to a little scoring run for the Eagles, but it wasn’t enough to push a fourth set as the Bearcats held on to win 25-20.
It’s always a relief to open the season with a win, especially against a solid team like Sacred Heart. I was pleased with the way the girls executed the game plan; they were willing to try some new offensive plays. They saw the success that came from that, and I’m hopeful we can build on it as we have a busy week the first week of school with home games against the Northern Freeze and East Grand Forks on Tuesday and Thursday and a tournament at Ada on Saturday.

Kaydence white, #7, and Lauryn Whitlock #6, teamed up for a block against a Sacred Heart Eagle player. The Bearcats won their opening game in 3 sets 25-19, 25-18 and 25-20. (Photo courtesy of KC Media Arts)

Senior Lauryn Whitlock attempts to beat the block from an East Grand Forks player. Whitlock had 3 kills, 2 assists, 1/2 block and served 10/13 with 3 aces in the Bearcats win over the Sacred Heart Eagles.
(Photo courtesy of KC Media Arts)

Kaydence white, #7, junior middle hitter, goes for one of her 11 kills during the Bearcats 3 set match win Tuesday, Aug. 27. The Bearcats played Sacred Heart in East Grand Forks for their season opener. Teammates, Afton Lindgren #10, Berlyn Strege, #4 and Lauryn Whitlock, right, watched and are ready in case the ball is returned.
(Photo courtesy of KC Media Arts)