Montcalm Community College’s women’s volleyball team defeated Joliet Junior College in the opening weekend tournament in Rockford, Ill., Aug. 24-25.

To open the weekend, the Centurions took on Harper College and fell with scores of 14-25, 6-25 and 17-25. Sophomore Maia Sexton led the way offensively recording six kills and contributed defensively recording a block. Freshman Libero Jaden Gomez recorded a team high four digs and four service aces and sophomore Tiana Whitacre recorded nine assists.

The second match led to a Centurions win as MCC defeated Joliet Junior College in four sets, 25-22, 21-25, 25-19 and 25-17. Sophomore Piper Groesser recorded a team high 13 kills and five service aces. Leading the defense with Freshman libero Jaden Gomez who picked up 18 digs and Sophomore Maia Sexton who recorded five blocks. Sophomore setter Tiana Whitacre recorded a double-double picking up 11 digs and a team high 25 assists.

In the third match of the tournament, the Centurions took on Carl Sandburg College and fell in four sets with scores of 25-21, 23-25, 20-25 and 7-25. During the match, Sexton recorded her first career double-double, a team high 10 kills and 11 Blocks. Gomez picked up a match high 25 digs and Whitacre recorded 22 assists. Sexton’s 11 blocks are a new program record for blocks in a match. Gomez’s 25 digs is a new program record for digs in a four-set match, since restarting athletics at MCC.

The final match of the tournament was against Highland Community College - Illinois where the Centurions fell 25-22, 14-25, 9-25 and 14-25. Sophomore Piper Groesser led the Centurions with eight kills. Sexton led the Centurions in blocks with three and Gomez picked up 12 digs to lead the defense.

The tournament is the largest two-year college tournament in the country, which featured 74 teams that are members of the NJCAA DI, DII and DIII. The NJCAA released their national preseason poll prior to the tournament that consisted of 25 teams being ranked in DII, where 18 ranked teams from the NJCAA DII poll participated.

Tournament Stat Leaders:

Kills: Piper Groesser (30), Maia Sexton (29)

Assists: Tiana Whitacre (68)

Service Aces: Jaden Gomez (6) and Piper Groesser (6)

Digs: Jaden Gomez (59), Lily Bohen (27)

Blocks: Maia Sexton (20), Kelsey Antcliff (13)

Up Next:

On Aug. 27, the Centurions will travel to Schoolcraft College to play in a Tri against Schoolcraft College at 3 p.m. and Kellogg Community college at 5 p.m. The first home match is Tuesday, Sept. 3, against Kuyper College at 6:30 p.m. in the gymnasium in the Activities Building on Montcalm Community College’s Sidney campus.

Visit montcalmcenturions.com for score updates, live video streaming, season schedules and rosters.

Media inquiries, please contact:

Shelly Springborn
Director of Communications and Public Relations
shellys@montcalm.edu
989-560-0833