NIACC sport update:
VOLLEYBALL
What’s next: The NIACC volleyball team (15-16 overall, 2-5 in the ICCAC) plays at Southwestern (3-4, 13-14) at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Lady Trojans also host the Waldorf College Junior Varsity at 7 p.m. Thursday in their annual Think Pink event.
Last time out: NIACC was 1-3 at the Iowa Central tournament last Friday and Saturday. The Lady Trojans fell to North Platte CC (3-1), topped Carl Sandburg College (3-1) and dropped decisions to Cowley College (3-1) and the Grand View junior varsity (3-1).
NIACC statistical leaders: Kills: Kaylee Whittington 379, Aubury Coleman 281, Karlie Niedert 230; Assists: Hailey Winter 553, Jackie Bleifus 395; Ace serves: Whittington 48, Liv Block 38, Winter 34, Zoe Schneider 32; Digs: Whittington 390, Block 390, Amber Carter 199; Blocks: Niedert 127, Coleman 85, Whittington 53, Schneider 40.
Lady Trojans’ match season highs
Kills: Whittington 19, twice; Assists: Winter 31 vs. Ellsworth (9-2-15); Ace serves: Whittington 7 vs. Riverland (9-11-15); Digs: Block 24 vs. Bismarck State College (9-12-15); Blocks: Niedert 11 vs. North Platte CC (10-23-15).
Lady Trojan tidbits: The last time a NIACC player accumulated 400 kills in a season was 1999 when Casey Spree collected 440 kills … The last time a Lady Trojan collected 600 assists in a season was in 2009 when Cassie Christianson totaled 602 assists … The last time the Lady Trojans had two players with at least 300 kills was 2011 when McKenzie Heue had 318 and Sammy Nelson had 317.
MEN’S SOCCER
What’s next: The NIACC men’s soccer team (8-9-1 overall, 4-9-1 in the ICCAC) plays at Iowa Lakes (10-5, 9-5) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Spencer in the opening round of the NJCAA Region XI tournament.
Last time out: NIACC dropped a 2-0 decision to No. 6 Marshalltown in its regular season finale last Saturday in Marshalltown.
Leading the way: Freshman Dion Dozzell leads the Trojans with 7 goals and 3 assists. Sophomore Hafiz Sanor also has 7 goals and freshman Khaliyl Hanson has 5 goals. Cesar Herrera leads the Trojans with 4 assists.
Did you know? NIACC topped Iowa Lakes 3-1 in the opening round of the 2009 regional tournament … NIACC’s last win in the regional tournament was a 4-3 victory over Indian Hills in 2013 … NIACC has a record of 9-14 in the regional tournament since starting the men’s soccer program in 2001.
CROSS COUNTRY
What’s next: The NIACC men’s and women’s cross country teams return to action Sunday at the NJCAA Region XI meet at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge. The 8-kilometer men’s race starts at 11 a.m. and the 5K women’s race begins at noon.
Last time out: The No. 18 (NJCAA Division I) NIACC men placed fourth at the Loras College Dr. Tucker Invitational Oct. 16 in Dubuque. Sophomore Imad Amenzou won the 8-kilometer race in 25 minutes, 49 seconds for his second victory of the season.
The No. 13 NIACC women placed sixth at the Dr. Tucker Invitational. Freshman Jessica Blumberg led the Lady Trojans with a fifth-place finish in a time of 23:53 in the 6K race, which is the fifth fastest 6K in school history.
PERSONAL BESTS
NIACC WOMEN (5K)
Jessica Blumberg 19:18 (2015 Arkansas Chile Pepper); Alyssa Cowan 20:11 (2014 NJCAA national meet); Emerson Sears 20:25 (2015 Arkansas Chile Pepper); Kendra Schmidt 20:50 (2015 Arkansas Chile Pepper); Lattie Crozier 20:51 (2014 NJCAA national meet); Jordan Lane 21:58 (2015 Arkansas Chile Pepper); Taylor Glawe 23:08 (2015 Arkansas Chile Pepper); Emma Phipps 29:01 (2015 Buena Vista Invitational).
NIACC MEN (8K)
Imad Amenzou 25:12 (2015 Arkansas Chile Pepper); Tyler Randall 26:59 (2014 St. Ambrose Invitational); Jacob Day 27:12 (2015 Buena Vista Invitational); Nick Frenz 28:14 (2015 Arkansas Chile Pepper); Jose Aguilera 29:15 (2015 Buena Vista Invitational); John Enright 28:59 (2015 Loras College Dr. Tucker Invitational); Lucas White 29:23 (2015 Buena Vista Invitational); Aaron Hardcastle 31:10 (2015 Loras College Dr. Tucker Invitational); Alec Mulcahey 35:31 (2015 Loras College Dr. Tucker Invitational).
Did you know? The NIACC men’s cross country teams claimed regional titles in 2011 and 2012.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
What’s next: The NIACC women’s basketball team opens the season against North Dakota State College of Science at 6 p.m. Friday in the NDSCS tournament in Wapheton, N.D. The Lady Trojans also play Williston State College at noon on Saturday in the NDSCS tournament.
Lady Trojan tidbits: Savannah Lentz is tied for ninth on NIACC’s career 3-point list with 84 3-point goals … Lentz is tied with Cortni Rush, who connected on 84 3-point goals in the 2013-14 season … Julia Oertel (1992-94) is the all-time leader with 115 3-point goals.
WRESTLING
What’s next: The NIACC wrestling team opens the season Sunday at home ninth annual Kaye Young Open. Action starts at 9 a.m. in the NIACC recreation center.
Trojan tidbits: The Trojans, who placed third at nationals in 2015, return five national qualifiers, including all-Americans Paul Mascarenas, who was sixth at 125 pounds and Shiquan Hall, who was fourth at 133 pounds … Other returning national qualifiers are Quincy Kalkbrenner (165 pounds), Kyler Mathews (194 pounds) and Lawrence Phillips (285 pounds).
– Compiled by NIACC sports information director Kirk Hardcastle
