Three Region IV teams finish 2019 season at NJCAA Volleyball Championships

A trio of teams representing Region IV completed their 2019 seasons by competing in their respective NJCAA Volleyball Championship Tournament. Harper College returned to the NJCAA Division III Volleyball Championships in Rochester, Minnesota for the third time in four years and finished sixth overall. At the NJCAA Division II Volleyball Championships in Charleston, West Virginia, McHenry County College played to a seventh place finish, while Waubonsee Community College went winless in two matches.

Harper College, which made back-to-back runs to the national title game and won the championship in 2016, opened play as the #7 seed and promptly swept #10 Queensborough Community College (NY) 25-23, 25-23, 25-12 to advance to the quarterfinals. There the Hawks lost in three to #2 Rochester Community & Technical College (MN) by scores of 25-20, 25-20, 25-11. The loss dropped Harper College in to the fifth place bracket, where they earned a 3-1 win over #6 Jamestown Community College (NY) 25-13, 25-23, 22-25, 25-11 before ultimately falling to Central Lakes College (MN) in a hard-fought and tightly-contested four-set match that went 25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 28-26. Freshman outside hitter Amelia Reiter was named to the NJCAA Division III All-Tournament Team after racking up 44 kills, 30 digs, seven aces, adn two blocks over four matches. Coach Bob Vilsoet and Harper College finish the season with a 26-22 overall record and sixth in the nation.

McHenry County College was awarded the #11 seed and needed all five sets to get past #6 Gulf Coast State College (FL) in the opening round by scores of 26-24, 25-20, 18-25, 17-25, 15-11. The Scots were then swept 25-15, 25-19, 25-19 out of the quarterfinals by eventual national champion Scottsdale Community College (AZ). McHenry suffered another setback in the semifinals of the fifth place bracket when #10 Grand Rapids Community College (MI) took them down in three sets by scores of 25-20, 25-20, 26-24, but recovered to take down #8 Illinois Central Community College for seventh place in a four-set match that went 25-19, 25-21, 21-25, 25-19. Sophomore outside hitter Nina Hood was named to the NJCAA Division II All-Tournament Team after posting 32 kills, 20 digs, six blocks, and three aces in three matches played. Coach Kyle McCall and the Scots finish their season 31-17 overall.

Waubonsee Community College played as the #13 seed and began tournament play with a three-set loss to #4 Fort Scott Community College (KS) by scores of 25-22, 25-23, 25-17. The Chiefs then played Catawba Valley Community College (NC) to begin the ninth place bracket, and fell 3-1 by scores of 24-26, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22. Coach Steve Kish and the Chiefs wrapped up the season with a record of 24-17 overall.