FLCC Women's Volleyball Targets MSAC Crown
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. - The Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) women's volleyball team has won 14 consecutive matches, improving their record to 20-1. The team is a perfect 6-0 at home and has swept 13 straight opponents during their dominant run.
The Lakers lone loss of the regular season came at the hands of the Fulton-Montgomery Community College Raiders who claimed the NJCAA Region III, Division A title in 2022 and earned a national tournament berth alongside the Lakers from NJCAA Region III.
Several players have stepped up for the Lakers including Payton Stoddard (Bloomfield, N.Y./Bloomfield). The freshman setter stands out significantly in her performance. With a whopping 614 assists, she's the team's primary playmaker. Her serving is also noteworthy, contributing 67 service aces, the highest on the team. Sophomore Brooke DeGroff (Castile, N.Y./Letchworth) has been integral to the Lakers' offensive attack, leading with 177 kills this season. DeGroff has displayed her versatility on the court with 150 digs this season as well.
Joining DeGroff on the attack is freshman Leah Williams (Olean, N.Y./Olean) who has shined thus far in her role as middle hitter. With 139 kills on the attack and 26 blocks on defense, Williams has been crucial to the Lakers' impressive run this season. Much of the Lakers' offensive efficiency comes off the swing of freshman Kiane Wells (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) who leads the Lakers in kill percentage (with over 75 attempts) with a mark of .349, helping the team turn opportunities into points. With 120 kills this season and 19 blocks this season, her presence has been felt at the net.
Outside hitter Bridget Miller (Seneca Falls, N.Y./Mynderse) stepped up for the Lakers when they needed it this season. Despite being a freshman, Miller has showcased maturity in her play as a consistent threat. With 95 kills this season and strong defensive play, Miller is another key cog in the Lakers' dynamic lineup. Classmate Michelina Williams (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) has fit a very similar script for the Lakers, leading the team in digs with 258 and adding 64 service aces to her tally.
Rounding out the group for the Lakers is freshman Jordan Winton (Sherburne, N.Y./Sherburne-Earlville) who has contributed 104 kills on the offensive attack, while playing formidable defense with 21 block this season; second-most on the team.
The Lakers' strong season has seen them dominate the Region III schedule along with their Mid-State Athletic Conference (MSAC) schedule, with a perfect 5-0 record in conference play. After a hiatus, the MSAC Women's Volleyball Championship is back, and Lakers are the #1 seed and will play host to the tournament.
The tournament will kick off at FLCC at 12pm this Saturday, October 21st with two semifinal matches between #1 FLCC and #4 Genesee Community College on court 2 and #2 Jefferson Community College and #3 SUNY Broome Community College on court 1.
The Lakers have faced off against the Genesee Cougars and SUNY Broome Hornets twice thus far this season, both resulting in 3-0 sweeps in favor of the Lakers. The Lakers' biggest competitor thus far in conference play was the #2 seeded Jefferson Cannoneers. The two teams met first in an early season match on September 5th at SUNY Jefferson where the Lakers would prevail in a 3-0 sweep. However, the team's second matchup of the year, just 5 days later on September 9th, saw the Lakers squeeze by the Cannoneers, 3-2, in a 5-set thriller. Looking to have found their postseason form, the Lakers will put their win streak to the test with higher stakes on the line.
The championship match will follow no earlier than one hour after the conclusion of the last semifinal match. Come out and show your support or tune in for the matches with the links below!
Court 1 (Jefferson vs. Broome) streaming link: https://www.youtube.com/@FLCCAthletics/streams
Court 2 (Finger Lakes vs. Genesee/TBD Championship match) streaming link: https://www.youtube.com/@solomonvolleyballstreaming6908/streams
