Women's Volleyball Advances to Regional Championship

SANBORN, N.Y. - For a third consecutive season, the FLCC women's volleyball team is headed to the NJCAA Region III Championship match. After claiming the regional championship in 2021 and 2022, the Lakers are looking to complete the three-peat and advance to the NJCAA Division III National Tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

The Lakers earned their bid to the NJCAA Region III Championship match following a 3-0 sweep in the semifinals over the Hudson Valley Community College Vikings. Freshman Bridget Miller (Seneca Falls, N.Y./Mynderse) stood out for the Lakers with an extraordinary performance. The freshman would deliver 12 kills with efficiency, boasting a .611 hitting percentage. Teammate Jordan Winton (Sherburne, N.Y./Sherburne-Earlville) followed suit, contributing 8 kills and an impressive .353 hitting percentage.

Teammates Kiane Wells (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) and Leah Williams (Olean, N.Y./Olean) added to the scoreboard for the Lakers, adding 6 and 7 kills, respectively. On defense, freshman Michelina Williams (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) was impactful,m adding 13 digs to thwart the Vikings' attack. 

Freshman Payton Stoddard (Bloomfield, N.Y./Bloomfield) impressed on the serving front with 6 aces, coupled with a stellar 34-assist performance to lead the Lakers' efficient offensive attack. Teammate Brooke DeGroff (Castile, N.Y./Letchworth) helped contribute in all facets of the match, adding 6 kills and 8 digs to her total.

Several Lakers were honored in the NJCAA Region III women's volleyball awards ceremony, including sophomore Brooke DeGroff. DeGroff earned the honor of being named the 2023 NJCAA Region III Player of the Year. DeGroff has enjoyed a productive sophomore season, highlighted by an impressive 206 kills this season. Outside of the attack, DeGroff has tallied 56 service aces while contributing on defense with 179 digs thus far this season. Accumulating a total of 268 points in 24 matches this season for the Lakers, DeGroff has proved to be an invaluable asset to the team.

Freshman Michelina Williams earned the honor of being named the 2023 NJCAA Region III Defensive Player of the Year. The standout libero has contributed 290 digs over 23 matches, averaging an impressive 3.87 digs per set. Williams has made her presence felt outside of the defensive realm, coming in 2nd on the team in service aces with 68.

Freshman Payton Stoddard rounded out the ceremony for the Lakers, earning 1st Team All-Region honors thanks to her consistent play this season. With 691 assists in 23 matches, Stoddard has undoubtedly influenced the team's performance this season as one of the team's top playmakers. Her consistency on the service line has not gone unnoticed as she leads the team with 77 service aces. On defense, the freshman contributed significantly as well with 131 digs thus far. 

The team will look to carry their impressive performance and accolades into tomorrow's match against the SUNY Broome Hornets who are no stranger to the big stage, having earned a trip to the regional finals for a 5th-straight year. Tomorrow's match will kick off at 1 PM in the Niagara County Community College Main Gymnasium in Sanborn, N.Y.

Check out the full schedule for tomorrow's championship match here: https://njcaaregion3.org/sports/wvball/2023-24/championships

Tune in to the live stream of tomorrow's match here: https://www.youtube.com/@solomonvolleyballstreaming6908/streams