Women's Volleyball Draws #6 Seed in NJCAA Division III National Tournament
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. - The Finger Lakes Community College women's volleyball team has drawn the #6 seed in the NJCAA Division III National Tournament and will open against the #11 seeded College of DuPage Chaparrals out of Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
The Chapparals, who are the defending NJCAA Division III National Champions, were one of the four teams in Division III who earned an at-large bid to the tournament. However, the Chapparals have experienced a down year, holding a record of 22-16 and dropping the NJCAA Region IV title match to the Harper College Hawks.
The Lakers have rolled through their schedule, holding a record of 24-1 with their lone loss coming at the hands of the Fulton-Montgomery Raiders who are the #5 seed in the national tournament. Outside of their Region III foe, the team has faced off against two others in the tournament; the Dutchess Falcons who the Lakers swept 3-0, and the Monroe – Bronx Express whom the Lakers defeated in a five-set thriller, 3-2.
The Lakers as a team rank towards the top in several categories including seventh in hitting percentage (.223), ninth in kills per set (10.93), sixth in service aces (332), and sixth in points per set (15.8).
Several Lakers have helped lead the way for the team this season including setter Payton Stoddard (Bloomfield, N.Y./Bloomfield) who is ninth in the country in assists (776), third in assists per set (9.34), eleventh in service aces (79), and fifteenth in service aces per set (0.96). Teammate Michelina Williams (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) has been a stalwart on defense with 328 digs to go along with an impressive service game with 69 service aces this season.
Sophomore Brooke DeGroff (Castile, N.Y./Letchworth) has consistently led the Lakers attack, totaling 219 kills per game while contributing from the service line with 57 aces and on defense with 195 digs. Freshman teammate Kiane Wells (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) has been as efficient as they come on the attack, ranking eight in the country in hitting percentage (.338).
On the attack, Leah Williams (Olean, N.Y./Olean) has been a consistent threat with 173 kills this season, teammate Jordan Winton (Sherburne, N.Y./Sherburn-Earlville) has added to their dynamic approach with 135 kills, while freshman Bridget Miller (Seneca Falls, N.Y./Mynderse) has proven herself with 134 kills of her own this season.
Check out the NJCAA Division III Championship page here for more information: https://www.njcaa.org/championships/sports/wvball/div3/index
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