DOWNING EARNS CAREER WIN NO. 500 AS DRAGONS TOPPLE CONQUISTADORS

Blue Dragon Volleyball celebrates a fourth-set point in a 3-1 victory over Dodge City on Wednesday at the Sports Arena, the 500th career victory for Blue Dragon head coach Delice Downing. (Andrew Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

August 30, 2023

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team earned a four-set victory over Dodge City in its Jayhawk Conference opener and Blue Dragon head coach Delice Downing reached milestone victory No. 500 on Wednesday at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons defeated Dodge City 25-19, 25-13, 10-25, 25-19 to improve to 5-2 overall and 1-0 in the Jayhawk Conference.

Downing became just the third Jayhawk Conference volleyball coach to reach 500 victories. Downing is 500-215 in her 19th season as a head coach. Downing's first 432 coaching wins came in 15 years at Coffeyville Community College.

Ray Bechard and Susan Brown are the only two league coaches to have more wins than Hutchinson's Downing. Bechard had 716 wins at Barton County from 1985 to 1997 and Brown had 527 wins at Johnson County from 1981 to 1996.

Sophomore Taniya Golden led the Blue Dragons with 12 kills on .022 hitting. Golden had her fourth double-double of the season with 12 digs. She also had three service aces and two blocks.

Sophomore Ashlyn Long was next with six kills on .417 hitting. Sophomores Alejandra Briseno and five kills and nine digs and Anna Dean had five kills and four blocks.

Freshman libero Isabella Rollandini had a team-high 17 digs. Sophomore setter Giovanna Ravanhani finished with 31 assists, six digs and two aces.

The Blue Dragons hit .116 as a team, holding Dodge City to .077. The Blue Dragons were out-blocked 11-9 and out-dug 59-58, but had nine service aces to Dodge's one.

Beatriz Cornachini had 15 kills, 10 digs and four blocks to lead Dodge City.

SET 1: Dodge City scored 4 of the match's first 5 points before the Blue Dragons got going. Trailing 5-3, the Dragons went on a 5-0 for an 8-5 lead after a Dodge attack error. Leading 11-10, the Dragons went on an 8-3 run powered by two Long kills and a Briseno ace to build a 19-13 lead. The Dragons took advantage of seven Dodge City attack errors, including errors on the final two points of the set for a 25-19 victory. Long had four kills and hit .800 in the opening set.

SET 2: The Blue Dragons hit .111 in the second set, but held Dodge City to a minus .200 in the second set. McKenzie Murphy had a kill for a 7-2 lead. Golden's kill gave the Dragons a 13-6 advantage and Dean's kill helped the Dragons double up Dodge City at 18-9. The Dragons had four blocks and two aces and Hutchinson took a 2-0 match lead after a 25-13 win in the second set. Dodge City had 14 attack errors in the set.

SET 3: The third set belongs to Dodge City as the Conqs out-hit the Blue Dragons .577 to a minus-.036. Cornachini led Dodge City with seven kills in the set as Dodge City scored 15 of the set's first 20 points to lead 15-5. Dodge City closed the set out on a 5-0 run to force the match toa fourth set with a 25-10 victory.

SET 4: Dodge City built an early 8-5 lead, but the Dragons rallied and took a 12-11 lead on a Ravanhani setter dump. Ravanhani's ace upped the lead to 14-11. Leading 17-15, Briseno came up with a big kill to stop a potential momentum swing. The Dragons finished the match on an 8-4 run, closing the match on Golden's 12th kill of the match.

The Blue Dragons play host to Seward County on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Sports Arena.