— KJCCC RELEASE —
COLBY, Kan. (KJCCC.org) – Defending National Champion Cowley has been picked to win the 2024 Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Division 2 Volleyball preseason order of finish, as voted on by the 11 league coaches on Tuesday, August 13th.
Earning 120 points and 10 out of 11 first-place votes, the Tigers are coming off an unbeaten 41-0 season last year to achieve their first unbeaten season in program history while winning their first National Title since 2013 and third in program history. Cowley has finished no worse than sixth in each of the past three NJCAA Division 2 National Volleyball Tournaments and returns nine players from last year’s squad including NJCAA Division 2 First-Team All-American Laura Bonomi along with First-Team All-KJCCC Division 2 player Sara Puskas.
The remaining first-place vote went to Johnson County Community College which earned 111 total points to be picked second after going 37-4 last season and earning a third-place finish at the 2023 NJCAA Division 2 Volleyball National Tournament. Returning seven players from last year’s team, the Cavaliers will have three returning All-KJCCC selections in Kennedy Smalley, Chloe Carlgren, and Bella Hedke to help lead the way.
Rounding out the top three in the poll is Kansas City Kansas Community College which earned 93 total points in the poll while being picked among all 11 league coaches to finish no worse than fifth after going 20-11 last season along with a 7-3 mark in the KJCCC to finish fourth. Just behind KCKCC is Neosho after earning 89 total points as the Panthers are coming off a 23-10 overall record and appearance in the NJCAA Division 2 Plains B District Tournament Title game while posting an 8-2 mark in conference play.
The rest of the preseason order of finish saw Allen picked fifth with 79 points followed by Highland (54 points), Fort Scott (46 points), Coffeyville (45 points), Independence (41 points), Labette (35 points), and Hesston College (13 points).
Two KJCCC schools will kick off the 2024 season on the opening day of the season, August 22nd as Neosho will host a triangular with Friends University JV and Oklahoma Wesleyan JV while Hesston will take on Bethany College JV. Six more schools will begin their season the following day on August 23rd at various locations with two more schools starting their campaigns on August 24th. Conference action begins the second week of the season with Highland heading to Hesston on Tuesday, August 27th to kick off the conference season with four more conference matches taking place the following day.
