TOLEDO, Ohio – After dropping three straight games to defending national champion Cowley College, Kan., Thursday, in the first round of the National Junior College Athletic Association Women's Division II National Volleyball Tournament on the campus of Owens Community College.


Coach Eric Iverson's No. 16 seed Lady Norse carry a 17-8 record into Friday's 11 a.m. elimination match with No. 8 seed Lincoln Land (Ill.) Community College.
“We weren't able to sustain any offensive consistency,” Iverson said. “But, Cowley had a lot to do with that because they have a great front line.
“There is a reason Cowley has won 58 matches in a row,” Iverson said. “They are solid everywhere and do an excellent job of ball control with their exceptional height. This team is going to end a lot of seasons before this tournament is over.”
With the victory the Cowley Lady Tigers are a perfect 36-0 on the season. The Lady Tigers faced Kansas City, Kan., Thursday night in the second round.
Kansas City, the No. 9 seed in the tournament, improved to 31-6 on the year after upsetting Lincoln Land 3-2 in the opening session.
“Our position now is to extend our stay in the tournament by playing at a higher level,” Iverson said. “We came here to make a run and now is the time for us to step up.
“Another thing we're getting out of being in the tournament is that as coaches, we can observe these quality programs to see what they are doing,” Iverson said. “This is all part of our evolution to become a nationally recognized volleyball program.”
Cowley opened the best three-out-of-five match with a 25-11 win in the first game. The Lady Tigers rallied for a 25-19 victory in the second game before closing out the match with a 25-13 win.