Kirkwood Community College - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Eagles whip No. 1 seed for regional title

FORT DODGE - The Kirkwood women's volleyball team knocked off the No.  1 seed on its own court Sunday to claim the Region XI-A championship.

The 19th-ranked Eagles upended eighth-ranked Iowa Central, 25-23,  20-25, 25-21, 26-24, in the regional finals in Fort Dodge with a  clutch performance.

Kirkwood (25-14) will face Metropolitan Community College (13-23) in a  district tournament in Kansas City Saturday, with the winner advancing  to the NJCAA Division II national tournament in Charleston, W.Va.,  Nov. 21-23.

Kirkwood handed Iowa Central its only loss in the ICCAC conference  this season, but the Eagles were seeded No. 4 and Iowa Central was  seeded No. 1 for the regional based on the league standings.

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No. 1 Kirkwood men trimmed by SCC

WEST BURLINGTON - The top-ranked Kirkwood men's basketball team  struggled with its shooting Saturday and lost to Southeastern  Community College, 74-69, in the second round of the SCC Classic.

The Eagles shot 38.6 percent overall from the floor and 33.3 percent  on 3-pointers in falling to 1-1 for the campaign.

Kirkwood led 38-33 at halftime, but the Blackhawks outscored the  Eagles by 10 points in the second half for the five-point victory.

DJ Purnell led Kirkwood with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Jamal  Stephenson scored 15 points off the bench. Devonte Thedford  contributed 14 points and five rebounds.

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Eagles roll into regional finals

FORT DODGE - The Kirkwood Eagles swept DMACC, 27-25, 25-14, 25-13, in  the semifinals of the Region XI-A women's volleyball tournament  Saturday in Fort Dodge.

The 19th-ranked Eagles (24-14) will face eighth-ranked Iowa Central  (33-5) in the regional finals Sunday on Iowa Central's home court.  Kirkwood defeated Iowa Central, 3-2, during the regular season at  Johnson Hall in Cedar Rapids.

Kirkwood is the No. 4 seed in the regional and Iowa Central is the No. 1 seed.

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No. 1 Eagles claim opener for Sandquist

WEST BURLINGTON - The top-ranked Kirkwood men's basketball team  defeated Illinois Central, 87-68, in the season opener Friday night to  give Tim Sandquist his first victory as head coach at the SCC Classic  in West Burlington.

Devonte Thedford led the Eagles with 17 points and five assists for  the defending NJCAA Division II national champions. Seybian Sims and  Jamal Stevenson netted 12 points apiece for Kirkwood. Newcomer DJ  Purnell contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.

Griffen Clark and Stephenson were both 3-for-4 on 3-pointers. Niko  Gosnell blocked three shots for Kirkwood.

Fred Cottrell led Illinois Central with 16 points.

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No. 2 KCC women hold off Butler

SEDALIA, Mo. - The second-ranked Kirkwood women's basketball team made  six straight free throws in the final minute Friday to trim Butler  Community College, 67-59, in the season opener at the State Fair  Classic.

The Eagles were clinging to a 61-59 lead with 37 seconds remaining  when they began their successful march to the foul line to secure the  victory.

Amara Lipsey hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 points to lead a  balanced attack for Kirkwood. Paige Bradford, Marissa Metz and Kortney  Drake scored eight points apiece.

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Eagles, Mustangs ready for new season

Tim Sandquist inherited a deep and talented team when he became the  new men's basketball coach at Kirkwood Community College this summer.

Now he's made the 2019 national champions even deeper.

D.J. Purnell, who averaged 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds last season,  has transferred to Kirkwood from Midland College in Texas. And Owen  Coburn, a 6-foot-10 center who originally committed to South Dakota  State, has enrolled with the Eagles instead.

Purnell and Coburn signed with Kirkwood after Sandquist became the  head coach. They join a half-dozen returning players who helped  Kirkwood win the NJCAA Division II national title last March year,  giving Sandquist lots of options as the Eagles prepare for their  season opener Friday night against Illinois Central at the SCC Classic  in West Burlington.

Kirkwood begins the 2019-20 campaign as the top-ranked team in the  country, and Sandquist welcomes the assignment of trying to repeat as  national champs.

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No. 19 Eagles spike Hawkeye CC

The 19th-ranked Kirkwood women's volleyball team finished the regular  season with a resounding 25-12, 25-15, 25-19 victory over Hawkeye  Community College Wednesday night at Johnson Hall.

Coach Jill Williams and the Eagles drew the No. 4 seed for the Region  XI-A tournament this weekend and will face No. 5 seed DMACC in the  semifinals Saturday at 3 p.m. in Fort Dodge.

Anna Gorsich led Kirkwood with 12 kills and Aubrin Dittmer had eight.  Madi Wagaman dished out 24 assists. Maranda Wheelock, Olivia Richards  and Maggie Peters had three service aces.

Wheelock finished with 15 digs and Richards had 14. Taylor Carey  blocked four shots.

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No. 19 Eagles spiked by ranked foes

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The Kirkwood women's volleyball team lost to a  pair of highly ranked opponents at the Johnson County triangular meet  Saturday.

The 19th-ranked Eagles began the day by falling to sixth-ranked  Johnson County, 23-25, 25-22, 25-18, 28-26, after winning the first set.

Kirkwood was then swept by Indian Hills, 25-17, 25-18, 25-12, falling to the seventh-ranked club in NJCAA Division I volleyball.

Kirkwood and Johnson County compete at the NJCAA Division II level,  while Indian Hills competes in a higher category.

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No. 19 KCC volleyball sweeps Southwestern

CRESTON - The 19th-ranked Kirkwood women's volleyball team swept  Southwestern, 25-22, 25-14, 25-14, in an ICCAC conference match in  Creston Wednesday night.

The Eagles raised their records to 22-12 overall and 5-3 in the  league. Southwestern fell to 5-30 overall and 1-7 in the conference.

Anna Gorsich led Kirkwood with 14 kills. Madi Wagaman had 14 assists.

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