SMC Volleyball Season Ends on Day 3 of District Tournament

The Southwestern Michigan College volleyball team's first season back in action in over 26 years ended on Day 3 of the Great Lakes District A post-season tournament with a tough loss to the Terra State Titans 16-25, 25-22, 21-25, and 11-25.

"This team far exceeded my, and our school's, expectations this season," said Coach Jenny Nate. "They came together and believed in a vision of what SMC Volleyball could be - even when I was recruiting them and we didn't have a gym or a program yet. They bought in, showed up on August 1 and gave us and each other 100% effort every day of this season. They are all freshmen and were expected to finish second to last in the preseason poll. I get it. We were a total unknown with no record and no stats. We had to earn every single point and had to win to show the state and beyond a glimpse of what we can be and what we are building. Their grit, heart, determination, and work ethic resulted in a 4th place finish in the conference and a post season run in the Great Lakes District A Tournament where we went 2-2 and made it to day three. We faced adversity, injuries, and even lost one of our key starters to an injury yesterday."

"But this team stayed focused on the mission, rallied around each other, and played to win," Nate continued. "I am so incredibly proud to be their coach. We also want to thank the SMC staff, students, other athletics teams and coaches, all the families, and the entire community for supporting us this season. We feel the love, and it inspires us to strive for greatness. A special thank you also to all the various conference teams and coaches who were in the stands cheering us on the past three days when they weren't playing themselves. That's how it should be: total class. We are grateful for an incredible season one and are already working on season two. Get ready. We'll be back. Go Roadrunners!!"

The Roadrunners finished 2-2 at the tournament, 5-7 in conference play, and 14-20 overall.

Leading scorers:
Nikki Nate 9 points
Briana Russell 9 points, 1 ace
Amara Palmer 5 points, 1 ace
Cadence Knight 4 points, 3 aces

Kills:
Nikki Nate 9
Juliette Schroeder 8
Amara Palmer 7
Bianca Hobson 6
Emma Beckman 2
Shayla Shears 2

Blocks:
Nikki Nate 3
Amara Palmer 2
Shayla Shears 2
Juliette Schroeder 2

Digs:
Cadence Knight 18
Nikki Nate 13
Emma Beckman 9
Briana Russell 9
Bianca Hobson 8
Shayla Shears 4
Amara Palmer 3

Assists:
Emma Beckman 26