Metro Sports Report

No. 19 Eagles split two matches

FORT DODGE - The Kirkwood women's volleyball team split its two  matches at the Triton Invitational in Fort Dodge Friday.

The 19th-ranked Eagles were trimmed by Carl Sandburg in their first  match, 17-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-17, 15-11, despite taking a 2-1 lead in  the first three sets.

Kirkwood bounced back by sweeping St. Louis, 25-20, 25-23, 25-19.

The split left the Eagles at 20-10 overall for the campaign.

No. 19 Eagles rally past No. 11 Tritons

The Kirkwood women's volleyball team could be on the verge of  borrowing the same script that last year's club followed during a  bumpy ride.

If so, the 2019 season could have the same happy ending.

The 19th-ranked Eagles rallied to hand 11th-ranked Iowa Central its  first loss in the ICCAC Conference this year with a determined 24-26,  25-18, 29-31, 25-18, 15-9 comeback victory in an entertaining match at  Johnson Hall.

Just like last year, this year's team has experienced a bunch of ups  and downs and probably will not win the league title. And perhaps just  like last year, this year's team might get hot at the right time and  make a long run in the national tournament.

The Eagles finished fourth at nationals last year. They've already  defeated top-ranked Parkland this year despite a few disappointing  performances, so maybe they'll make their mark when the postseason  tournaments begin Nov. 2.

Can the Eagles make another run? "I hope so," said sophomore Taylor Carey. "We will!"

Carey is one of only five sophomores at Kirkwood this season, along  with 10 freshmen, so she knows what's possible if the Eagles stick  together and have a positive attitude.

Mount Mercy pinned by Penn

OSKALOOSA - The Mount Mercy men's and women's soccer teams were  trimmed by William Penn in Heart of America Conference matches in  Oskaloosa Wednesday.

The Mount Mercy women were denied, 3-2, when William Penn scored the  game-winning goal in the 89th minute of regulation.

The Mount Mercy men fell, 2-1, after taking an early 1-0 lead in the  eighth minute.

Andrea Lopez scored for the Mount Mercy women with an assist from  Carly Walker in the 28th minute to tie their match, 1-1. William Penn  took a 2-1 lead in the 50th minute, but Holli Jones countered for the  Mustangs with an assist from Lopez to square the match at 2-2 less  than a minute later.

The women's game stayed tied for another 38 minutes before Penn prevailed.

KCC golfers cruise to NJCAA fall title

JOPLIN, Mo. - The Kirkwood men's golf team captured the NJCAA DII  National Preview Tuesday by 24 shots at the Twin Hills Golf and County  Club.

The third-ranked Eagles finished with a 54-hole score of 893, leaving  Mississippi Gulf Coast far behind in second place at 917.

Ben Epperly of Kirkwood lost a playoff for medalist honors to Jon  Hopkins of Mississippi Gulf Coast. Epperly and Hopkins tied at  1-under-par 215, but Hopkins prevailed on the third hole of the  playoff. Epperly fired rounds of 70, 71 and 74.

Jacob Harrington-Wara, James Morgan and Sebastian Carranza of Kirkwood  all tied for fifth place at 11-over 227.