The Eastfield Volleyball team repeated as NJCAA Division III national champions over the weekend, successfully defending their title. The Harvester Bees, the No. 1-ranked volleyball team, swept No. 2 Minnesota West Community & Technical College, 25-16, 25-9, 25-13, in the championship match on Saturday at Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
It’s the third championship in program history and the second under coach Phil Nickel. The Bees are a remarkable 69-1 over the last two years.
In the championship match, Azoria Davis had 10 kills, 10 digs and three blocks and earned the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honors. Brenly Walker had 11 kills, Taryn Doiron had 41 assists to finish with a nation’s best 1,211 on the season, and McKenzie Anderson had eight kills, three blocks and a .316 hitting percentage. Davis, Doiron and Anderson were all named to the All-Tournament Team. Nickel was named the Heidi Hutchinson Coach of the Tournament.
Eastfield’s championship run highlighted another successful fall sports season across Dallas College campuses. Other programs of note included:
Runner-Up Finish for Richland Men’s Soccer
The Thunderducks capped another successful season with a runner-up finish. They fell to Mohawk Valley Community College, 2-1, in overtime of the championship game on Sunday in Batavia, New York. Richland has become a powerhouse in the sport, winning the previous six championships. Overall, the Thunderducks have competed for the last nine NJCAA Division III titles, winning seven of them.
Brookhaven Women’s Soccer Takes Third
The Bears won the third-place match on Sunday in Batavia, New York, defeating Suffolk County Community College, 4-1. Four different players scored goals in the match, including Kate Carlson and Elyana Martinez in the first half and Alex Goncalves and Taylor Fleming in the second half. Brookhaven has made six straight trips to the national tournament.
Historic Season for North Lake Volleyball
The Blazers had their best season in program history. They reached the national tournament for the first time and finishing fifth in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Riley Weiher was named to the All-Tournament team. North Lake finished the season 22-18. The 22 wins matched the most in program history as it went 22-21 in 2010.