Parkland upsets No. 1 Cowley to win DII Volleyball Championship
Cedar Rapids, IA – Appearing in the national title game for the fourth consecutive year, Parkland (IL) wins the championship over undefeated and No. 1 seed Cowley (KS). Parkland has appeared in eight of the last nine championship matches, with this being their third title in that span.
Parkland was led by tournament MVP Kat Blasé as they defeated top-seeded Cowley in four sets by scores of 25-20, 20-25, 25-21, 25-17.
Tale of the Tape
The 3-seeded Cobras entered the tournament to complete what they started last season when they were defeated by Johnson County last season. They lost only one set across three matches to set up their championship bout with the top-ranked Tigers, who had lost three sets all season long.
Parkland came out swinging in the first set and putting the pressure on Cowley early. The set went back and forth with both teams having the lead at one point. With the score at 20-19, a service ace from sophomore Isabella Classen opened up the set. Parkland won five of the next six points to take the first set.
The Tigers bounced back in the second set and was came out fired up. They jumped out to an early 11-4 lead and held the lead for the entire set. The Tigers picked up 10 kills on the set to notch the game back at 1 apiece.
Parkland came out on a mission during the last two sets and really made a point to show they would not be denied this time. In the third set, the Cobras jumped out to an early 14-6 lead and kept the Tigers are arms length. The fourth set saw similar results and Parkland walked away with the Championship.
Cowley's chance at an undefeated season comes up just short
Cowley came into the 2021 campaign unranked to open the season, and quickly showed they meant business. The Tigers opened the season on a 38 game win streak and were the No. 1 team in the country for a majority of the season. Cowley only lost 3 sets on the season and wanted to continue its strong offensive play
Cowley was led all-tournament by all-tournament team members freshman Rachele Tessari and sophomore Iva Halacheva. Halacheva finished the championship game with a team-leading 17 kills and showed why she was one of the nation's top hitters.
Cowley's second-place finish is their best since they won its second title in 2013. The Tigers were a contender for the crown from early on and proved a lot of people wrong this season, and their 41-1 record shows this.
Defending Champion Johnson County claims third place
The No. 4 seed Johnson County came in to defend last year's championship and put together a strong run throughout. After falling to top-seeded Cowley in the semifinal, the Musketeers took the court against Iowa Central.
The Tritons came out hot early by winning the first two sets and one would think the match was in hand. Don't tell that to this Johnson County team, who proceeded to go on a comeback of the ages to win the match 3-2.
