HESSTON, Kan. - A 2-0 deficit would prove to be just be a minor setback for the Cloud County Community College volleyball team as the T-Birds would battle back to win 3-2 in five sets at Hesston College on Wednesday, October 2nd.

The number 12 ranked T-Birds survive the scare to improve to 15-3 overall and 3-2 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference while the host Larks fall to 9-12 overall and 0-3 in the KJCCC. 

Falling behind early in the first set, CCCC would never be able to fully recover from the opening set hole as the T-Birds would have just 10 kills to nine attack errors in a 25-21 set loss to give Hesston an early 1-0 lead. The early hole would prove to have a lasting effect that would carry over into the second set as the Larks would continue with momentum to keep the T-Birds down and take the second set by a score of 25-17 to put CCCC on the ropes down 2-0 as things would be all Hesston through the first two sets of the match. 

Needing a set victory just to keep the match going, Cloud County would finally break out of their funk with a statement 25-15 victory in the third set while being led by four kills on six attack attempts from sophomore Dayana Chara. The start to the fourth set would look to be more of the same from the T-Birds as Cloud County would jump out to a big lead and look to push things to a fifth set with ease before a furious Hesston rally would force the set to go to extra points. Despite seeing the Larks make the comeback, Cloud County would manage to hold on for a 26-24 victory to push things to a winner-take-all fifth set. 

In the fifth set, Cloud County would score the first four points of the set and never look back as Hesston would see their fourth set comeback effort prove to leave the Larks lacking energy to give the T-Birds a 15-8 win the final set. 

A balanced effort from CCCC would see Cloud County led by Chara with 14 total kills while Emelys Martinez finished with 10 kills compared to just four attack errors. Blocks would prove to be a boon for the T-Birds on the night as Cloud County would record 12 total blocks to go along with 10 service aces. Other top performers on the night for CCCC would be freshman Jaycee Burghart with 34 set assists while libero Madi Spencer recording a team-best 21 digs. 

What's Next?

Cloud County's busiest week of the season continues on Friday, October 4th as the T-Birds will travel to Great Bend, Kansas to take part in the Barton Community College Classic. CCCC will play two matches on Friday, taking on Iowa Western Community College at 12 p.m. before facing off against Pratt Community College at 4 p.m.