KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Spurgeon College volleyball is nationally ranked for the first time, checking in at No. 6 in the NCCAA Division II Coaches Poll released Tuesday. The Knights carry a 4-2 record into the ranking after winning four of their first six matches to open the season.
It is the first time in program history that Spurgeon volleyball has appeared in a national poll, and it comes on the strength of an opening two weeks that showed both the group's fight and its depth.
THE RUNDOWN
The Knights opened the season on Aug. 25 at Hesston College and pushed the hosts the distance before falling 3-2, a five set opener that set the tone for how competitive this team intends to be.
Spurgeon answered three nights later at the Mathena Student Center, beating Calvary Bible 3-1 (25-21, 24-26, 25-16, 25-19). The Knights dropped a tight second set, then took over, hitting .250 in the third and .229 in the fourth to close the match out. Over the final two sets they put down 29 kills against just 10 errors.
The road trip to Ozark Christian College the next afternoon produced the same result, a 3-1 win that pushed Spurgeon to 2-1 and gave the Knights back to back victories heading into September.
September opened with the most complete performance of the year so far, a 3-0 sweep at Central Christian College of the Bible on Sept. 1. The Knights then split a Saturday doubleheader in Dubuque, Iowa on Sept. 5, dropping the opener to Emmaus Bible College 3-1 before closing the day with a 3-1 win over Moody Bible Institute.
SCORE HIGHLIGHTS
Season leaders: Through 19 sets, Shannon Skinner leads the Knights in kills with 68, an average of 3.58 per set, and ranks second on the team with 75 digs. Jayci McKinney paces the defense with 77 digs, 4.05 per set, and also leads the team in service aces with seven. Charis Goodell has run the offense to 160 assists, better than eight per set. Adley Geist has added 64 digs from the back row. Madison Byers leads the team with eight total blocks, and Naomi Gibler is the most efficient attacker on the roster at .304.
Team note: Spurgeon out hit Calvary Bible .119 to .045 in the home opener win and took a 7-4 edge in aces.
KEY NOTES
- First national ranking in Spurgeon College volleyball history
- No. 6 in the NCCAA Division II Coaches Poll
- Knights are 4-2 overall, 1-0 at home, 2-2 on the road and 1-0 at neutral sites
- Skinner leads the team in kills, McKinney in digs and aces, and Goodell is averaging better than eight assists per set
UP NEXT
Spurgeon returns to action Friday, Sept. 11, on the road at North Central University, then faces Maranatha Baptist University at a neutral site later that day. The Knights close the weekend Saturday, Sept. 12, against Trinity Bible College and Crown College. Follow along and keep cheering on the Knights as they carry their first national ranking on the road.
