The Park University women’s volleyball team returned to postseason action Tuesday with plenty of motivation and rest.
After suffering its first defeat of the season to Columbia in the AMC Tournament championship game on Nov. 10, Park began preparations for a sixth consecutive trip to the NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship at the Tyson Event Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
Park (29-1), the regular season AMC champions, opened Pool B play against Morningside (Iowa) Tuesday night as the No. 2 overall seed. Results weren’t available by press time.
Dale Grosbach/Park University
Park’s Noura Meawad, a 6-foot sophomore from Cairo, Egypt, goes up for a kill during a game earlier this season.
The Pirates match up with the Mustangs for the third straight season in the national tournament. Park ended Morningside’s season in the first round last year after the Mustangs beat the Pirates in pool play in 2016.
The Pirates will then play Embry-Riddle (Arizona) at 6 p.m. Wednesday and No. 15 Westmont (California) at 8 p.m. Thursday. The top-2 pool finishers advance to single-elimination bracket play, which begins as the first round on Friday.
Park, the 2014 national champs, will try to improve a 16-8 record at the national tournament.
ROPER HONORED
Maren Roper, a junior from Platte County High School, was one of three Park volleyball players recently named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District team.
Roper and sophomore Alissa Flint were second teamers, while Nada Meawad claimed first-team recognition.
Roper, a 2018 all-AMC honorable mention selection, is second on the Pirates in blocks with 52 and first in solo blocks with eight. Roper has registered 146 kills on the season.
PIRATES RUN AT NATIONALS
Nicholas Rotich capped his collegiate running career with a 35th-place finish at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships on Nov. 16 at Seminole Valley Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Rotich, a Kenya native, traversed the 8-kilometer course in 25 minutes, 14 seconds.
Rotich, a senior competing at nationals for a second straight season, was in 34th place at the first mile before improving to 25th by the third mile. But he then fell 10 places in the final mile to settle for a respectable 35th place standing.
Rotich, who finished sixth at this season’s AMC Championships, finished 15th at the national race as a junior.
Freshman Naomy Lagat placed 253rd in the women’s 5K, finishing the race with a time of 19:55. Lagat, of Kenya, finished in third place at the conference meet.
Three Pirates — Independence product Marina Rios, Gladstone product Daniel Davidson and Morgan Lindgren — earned Daktronics Scholar-Athlete awards for the cross country program.
AMC HOOPS UNDERWAY
The Park men’s and women’s basketball teams are both looking to get above the .500 mark as their seasons continue Tuesday inside the Breckon Sports Center.
Park’s women, who hosted Stephens College Tuesday night, earned their first AMC victory of the season on Nov. 17, a 63-54 home win against Missouri Baptist to snap a two-game skid.
The Pirates (2-3, 1-1 AMC) leaned on a 15-2 run to begin the league contest. After holding a 20-9 lead after the first quarter, Missouri Baptist used a 20-11 second quarter to trail by two points (31-29) at the break. But the Pirates broke away in the fourth quarter with a 16-9 showing following a 16-16 third quarter.
Sophomore guard Cautia Wadood led Park with 19 points, while senior guard Deja Johnson-Ford added 12 points, all coming from beyond the arc.
Park’s men, who hosted Haskell Indian Nations University Tuesday, took a 71-56 home loss to Missouri Baptist on Nov. 17.
The Pirates (2-4, 1-1 AMC), coming off a 78-73 road win over William Woods, were downed by Missouri Baptist’s 13-for-25 effort from deep.
Park led the contest for the first six minutes before the Spartans grabbed a 34-26 lead by halftime. Missouri Baptist led by as much as 20 in the second half.
Junior forward Allen Hyatt and senior guard Zach Rutland led the Pirates with nine points apiece.
MAKING AN IMPACT
Park Hill High School graduate Brandon Townsell is making an impact as a starting guard for the Park men this season.
Townsell, who averaged 6.3 points in 19.4 minutes per game last season, contributed 12 points against William Woods, one of four Pirates that scored in double figures.
Townsell, a 6-foot-3 starting guard, was 4-of-7 from the floor, as he made his lone 3-point attempt and was 3-for-4 on free throws.
Townsell avearged 6.8 points in 21.7 minutes per game through six games.
UPCOMING
In total, Park will host three basketball doubleheaders this week.
After Tuesday’s twinbill, the Lyon College Scots are in town for AMC action on Thursday. Park’s women take on the No. 20 Scots (3-1, 1-0) at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Pirate men taking on Lyon (3-2, 1-0). The Pirates will wrap up the week with a Saturday doubleheader against the Central Baptist College, beginning at 1 p.m. with the women’s game.
Central Baptist’s women are currently 3-0 and 1-0 in league play, while the Mustang men are 4-0, 1-0.