Battle-Tested Lakers Leave Their Mark at NJCAA OWT

ROCKFORD, IL. - The Finger Lakes Community College women's volleyball team opened their regular season on the road at the NJCAA Opening Weekend Tournament (OWT) at the UW Health Sports Factory in Rockford, Illinois. The tournament which featured some of the top talent in NJCAA Division III, saw the Lakers open against two top 5 programs.  

The #11 Lakers brought their A game in their first match of the season as they faced the #2 Century College Wood Ducks. The Lakers would earn a massive victory to start their season, earning an upset in a five-set thriller (23-25, 25-22, 10-25, 25-23, and 15-12).  

Setter Payton Stoddard (Bloomfield, N.Y./Bloomfield) led the team with 34 assists, orchestrating the Lakers' attack throughout the match. She also contributed defensively with 16 digs. Freshman teammate Jackie Neureuter (Pembroke, N.Y./Pembroke) was a key contributor on offense, delivering 10 kills with a solid .308 hitting percentage, and adding 9 digs and an ace in her Lakers debut. 

Freshman Clara Roig Lloveras (Girona, Spain/IES Jaume Vicenz Vives) had a standout performance in her first match as a Laker with 10 kills and a .241 hitting percentage, while classmate Anna Kurtzhalts (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island) added 10 kills and 4 aces, for a team-high 14.5 points. The Lakers' balanced attack was complemented by a strong defensive effort from reigning NJCAA Region III Defensive Player of the Year, Michelina Williams (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport), who led the way with 23 digs, while teammate Emily Jordan (Portville, N.Y./Portville) chipped in with 6 digs and 2 aces. Despite a combined 19 errors in the match, the Lakers remained resilient to outlast the Wood Ducks and earn a key upset.  

The Lakers finished the first day of the tournament,1-1, after delivering a valiant effort against the #5 College of DuPage Chaparrals. The Lakers showed their resilience, pushing one of the top teams in the nation to the brink before falling 3-2 (14-25, 26-24, 25-17, 23-25, and 6-15).  

It was a hard-fought match from start to finish as the Lakers looked on pace to pick up their second upset of the day. Setter Payton Stoddard led the way with 19 assists and 17 digs, she would add 4 service aces and 5.5 points to her tally. Freshman Anna Kurtzhalts was the offensive leader for Finger Lakes, posting 11 kills, a service ace, and 4 digs. Her efforts led the team in scoring with 12.5 points. Despite facing a tough defense in the Chaparrals, Kurtzhalts continued to find ways to score to keep the Lakers in contention for the win. Sophomore Michelina Williams was a force on both ends, delivering 3 kills with a .500 hitting percentage and anchoring the defense with a team-high 22 digs. 

The Lakers faced a tough challenge in their third match of the tournament on day two, falling 3-0 to Muskegon Community College (21-25, 22-25, and 22-25). Despite a strong effort to stay competitive in each set, Muskegon remained consistent to earn the victory. 

Setter Payton Stoddard led the team with 23 assists, continuing her role as a key playmaker for the offense. Stoddard would add 3 service aces and 6 digs, for 3 points in the match. Offensively, it was freshman Clara Roig Lloveras who was the standout performer, delivering 8 kills on 16 attempts. Her efforts were matched by classmate Anna Kurtzhalts, who also posted 8 kills on 21 attempts, and added 5 digs and an ace to her performance. Freshman Jackie Neureuter provided solid support with 7 kills, while Michelina WIlliams anchored the back row with 12 digs. Williams would add 4 aces and a kill, contributing 5 points for the match. 

The Lakers would close out the tournament with a dominant 3-0 sweep over Triton College (25-18, 25-21, & 25-18). Setter Payton Stoddard led the way with 19 assists and added a service ace to her tally while contributing defensively with 5 digs. Freshman Clara Roig Lloveras led the Lakers' attack with 9 kills, hitting .389 for the match. Her efficiency at the net was a key factor in the victory as she finished with a team-high 10 points. Classmate Anna Kurtzhalts chipped in with 6 kills and added a dig, contributing 7 points overall. 

Defensively, Michelina Williams anchored the back row with 12 digs, while also adding 2 service aces and a kill to round a solid performance. Freshman Jackie Neureuter was another standout, hitting .333 with 2 kills and also contributing an ace, block, and 3 digs to her stat line. The Lakers' serving was a strong point in the match, with 11 aces as a team, including 4 from freshman Chloe Dailey (Liverpool, N.Y./Bishop Grimes). 

With the win, the Lakers earned a positive end to a challenging tournament which sets the stage for a highly anticipated return to NJCAA Region III. The Lakers travel to Onondaga Community College next Tuesday, August 27th to take on the Lazers. The Lakers will then return to Canandaigua, N.Y. for their home opener against Monroe College Bronx and Dutchess Community College on Saturday, August 31st.