By KJCCC Sports
NJCAA Division 1 Volleyball Preseason Poll | NJCAA Division 2 Volleyball Preseason Poll
CHARLOTTE, NC (KJCCC.org) – With the opening matches of the season coming later this week, the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference finds itself with five teams represented in the preseason edition of the NJCAA Volleyball Division 1 and 2 polls released by the NJCAA on Monday, August 19th.
Representing the KJCCC in the NJCAA Division 2 volleyball preseason poll is Cowley, Johnson County, and Neosho, while Barton and Colby are the two representatives for the conference in the NJCAA Division 1 preseason poll.
Reigning National Champion Cowley Community College tops the NJCAA Division 2 volleyball preseason poll with 175 points and all nine first-place votes to edge out Scottsdale Community College from Region 1 (Arizona) who is picked second with 168 points. Coming in third from the KJCCC is Johnson County Community College after receiving 161 total points with Neosho County Community College also finding their way into the preseason poll by being ranked 15th with 77 total points.
In the Division 2 preseason poll, six different regions have multiple representatives in the top 25 poll with NJCAA Region 4 (northern Illinois / southern Wisconsin) topping all regions with four teams ranked in the top 25 despite not having a team ranked higher than 19th (Rock Valley College). The KJCCC/Region 6 is one of three regions with three teams each and the only region with multiple teams ranked in the preseason top five while Region 11 (Iowa and northeast Nebraska) and Region 24 (central and southern Illinois) also have three teams each in the ranking.
Of the two KJCCC teams in the NJCAA Division 1 volleyball preseason poll, Barton is ranked 17th with 28 total points while Colby is one spot back of the Cougars in 18th with 21 total points as the KJCCC/Region 6 is one of six NJCAA regions with multiple teams ranked in the preseason poll. Last season, Barton won the KJCCC regular season title by going 13-3 in conference play along with a 25-6 overall record while Colby made their third trip to the NJCAA National Tournament in program history after winning the Plains District Title.
The 2024 regular season begins on Thursday, August 22nd with Neosho the lone ranked team from the KJCCC in action on opening day while Cowley, Johnson County, Barton, and Colby will all be in action the following day on August 23rd. In total, 61 total matches involving KJCCC schools will be played during the opening weekend of the season (Thursday-Sunday).
