Terra State Volleyball advances to NJCAA national tournament
The Terra State Titans women’s volleyball team has earned their spot at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national volleyball championship after dominating the NJCAA Division II Great Lakes B District tournament in Port Huron, Michigan.
The Titans secured their trip to the championship game in the NJCAA DII Great Lakes B District Tournament after sweeping no. 6 ranked Grand Rapids Community College (25-23, 25-19, 27-25) in the finals. Wins over Kalamazoo Valley Community College (25-13, 25-14, 25-15) and Muskegon Community College (25-19, 29-27, 25-18) in earlier rounds led the Titans to the championship match.
Titans Volleyball, led by Region 12 District B Coach of the Year, Stephanie Champine, is very proud of what her team has accomplished so far this season. “We played with discipline and stuck to our game plan offensively and defensively while out-working them. We had the biggest crowd of fans, and the energy and atmosphere was unforgettable,” said Champine.
Olivia Materni received Region 12 Tournament MVP and All-Tournament Team accolades. She led the tournament with 35 kills and 13 digs. She is joined on the All-Tournament team with teammates Jakyla Jackson and Morgan Green, who followed Materni in kills with 26 and 23, respectively.
Karagyn Durco added 113 assists over the tournament, running a strong offense mixing up plays and putting her teammates in a position to be successful. Defensively, Abby Yost led the Titans with 28 digs, while Durco added another 27.
The next step for the Titans is the NJCAA Division II volleyball championship, held November 18 – 20 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The championship bracket and tournament seeding will be announced this Thursday, November 11.
“We are so excited to be back-to-back District Champions and make the trip to Cedar Rapids again and to add on a few more weeks to the season. Our team is looking forward to competing with the top teams in the nation,” said Champine.