SMCC Beach Volleyball Earns No. 7 Seed at NJCAA Championships
PHOENIX ---
The South Mountain Community College beach volleyball team earned the No. 7 seed in the 2023 NJCAA Beach Volleyball Championship on April 20-22 at Hickory Point Beach in Tavares, Fla. SMCC will square off against No. 2 Richard Bland College (VA) and No. 10 State College of Florida in the opening round of the tournament.
The Cougars enter the inaugural event with a 10-12 overall mark but have won six of their last eight contests. Freshmen Nichole Gary and Rylee Pitts lead SMCC with 14 victories as a tandem with all their matches as the No. 3 pairs.
Freshmen Shandi Allison and Emee Fellens have posted 10 individual victories this season and a 7-3 mark as a duo, primarily as the No. 5 pairs. Freshmen Alexa Wasil and Hannah Van Winkle registered six wins as the No.4 pairs with notable victories over Mesa CC, Benedictine-Mesa and Trinidad State.
Sophomore Emily Wilson and freshman Daisy Motes have eight wins on the season and six as a duo competing as the No. 2 pairs. Sophomore Kristine Garcia and freshman Amaya Evans have recorded four wins as the No. 1 pairs, defeating Mesa CC and Trinidad State.
Pat Mooney is in his second season as the SMCC Beach Volleyball head coach. He also serves as the head coach of the SMCC men's volleyball team and an assistant coach for the SMCC women's court volleyball team.
"We got to play them one day at a time. We are just happy to be here and hope can we help the ball club get some wins. We just want to give it our best shot and, the good lord willing, things will work out," said Mooney.
Programs will compete through pool play and tournament competition en route to one team claiming the inaugural NJCAA Beach Volleyball Championship title. This season 18 NJCAA member colleges participated in beach volleyball.
Hickory Point Beach features 21 lighted courts professionally maintained on 68 acres of lakefront property in central Florida.
Richard Bland College is located in South Prince George, Va., and is the No. 2 seed in the tournament. The Statesmen enter the event 17-6 overall and 12-0 in conference action and defeated Spartanburg Methodist College 3-1 in the District 12 Championship on April 7.
State College of Florida is located in Bradenton, Fla., and is the No. 10 seed in the tournament. The Manatees are 1-15 on the season and posted a 3-2 victory over Jacksonville State University on March 21 in a neutral-site match at St. Leo's University.
