(Pinehurst, N.C.) Its first loss Saturday in 2024 cost the Butler County Community College volleyball team an automatic berth to the national championship tournament in Iowa.
It also provided the Pioneers (22-1) with a glimpse into the level of play they will need to exceed in Cedar Rapids, BC3’s head coach Tuesday said after the team was selected to receive one of four at-large invitations awarded nationwide.
Sixteen teams will compete for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national championship crown, including Sandhills Community College, which swept BC3 18-25, 16-25, 17-25 on Saturday in Pinehurst, N.C., to win the NJCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic District title and earn an automatic berth to Iowa.
“We are ready to go.”
Sandhills is seeded fourth in the national championship tournament and in a bracket opposite of BC3, which is seeded sixth.
The Pioneers committed 23 attacking errors and seven service errors against Sandhills (35-5).
“We have some work to do, as does everyone,” head coach Rob Snyder said. “We need to be prepared to go out there and face tough competition and play at that level, which we are capable of doing.”
The Pioneers finished the regular season ranked No. 4 among 87 NJCAA Division III programs from states such as Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Virginia.
BC3 in October won its ninth Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference title and sixth NJCAA Division III Region 20 crown in a row.
“We earned this (invitation to the national championship tournament) by having a great season,” Snyder said. “The team should be proud of that. We get to learn from our loss and continue to play, which is a unique opportunity.”
The Pioneers’ appearance in the national championship tournament will be the program’s fourth.
BC3 placed sixth in 2021 and in 2009, and fifth in 2002.
“Getting to the nationals was our goal,” middle hitter Josie Russo said. “I am really excited. I feel very proud of us for being able to make it. Despite the outcome of Saturday’s game, we still get a chance to go to Iowa. With us being undefeated, (the NJCAA) saw that we are a good team, that one loss doesn’t define who we are.”
Russo reached 10 kills Saturday for the 11th time this season and Molly Bissell had eight. Anora Robare had 18 assists for the seven time in 2024 and All-American Johnna Hill added 13 digs, her most in 11 matches.
The Pioneers rank second in blocks per set in Division III with 3.23 and Sandhills, fourth with 2.11.
Sandhills had nine blocks Saturday and BC3, one.
“Their blocking was very good,” said Hill, an opposite hitter. “I’m sure going into this tournament there are going to be very tall players. So we definitely have to hit around the block. We are going to get blocked. We just have to keep going and keep swinging because every point is important. These are going to be tight games.
“It’s great that we got a second chance even though we lost to Sandhills. That game is behind us and we are looking forward now. We are ready to go.”
“Getting to the nationals was our goal. I am really excited. I feel very proud of us for being able to make it."
Russo is a graduate of Freeport Area Senior High School. Bissell is an outside hitter and Slippery Rock High graduate; Robare is a setter and Slippery Rock graduate and Hill, named an NJCAA Division III All-American in 2023, is a Laurel graduate.
BC3 will face No. 11 seed College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill., in the first round at 10 a.m. Eastern Nov. 14 at Alliant Energy Powerhouse arena. This season marks the third in a row that DuPage (21-14) has competed in the national championship tournament.
The national championship match is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern Nov. 16.
