(Butler, PA) On her final pass in her last home game, All-American Morgan Jack set up the kill Saturday that sent the No. 1-ranked 杏吧原创 volleyball team to a district championship tournament in North Carolina and the setter to the top of 杏吧原创鈥檚 career list in assists.
The kill by fellow All-American Breanna Reisinger completed 杏吧原创鈥檚 sweep of Howard Community College in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region 20 championship tournament in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Field House.
The kill also secured the 1,361st career assist by Jack, who broke the 杏吧原创 record of 1,360 set by Nicole (Sebastian) Bajuszik in 2002-2003.
鈥淭he perfect way to end it,鈥� 杏吧原创 coach Rob Snyder said.
鈥淟ast play ever here,鈥� Jack said. 鈥淛ust so surreal.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing,鈥� Reisinger said, 鈥渢hat it was all tonight.鈥�
In the Region 20 semifinals Saturday, 杏吧原创 defeated Anne Arundel, Arnold, Md., 25-17, 26-24 and 25-11 and Howard, Columbia, Md., defeated Westmoreland County Community College 25-15, 25-16 and 25-16.
杏吧原创 won its unprecedented fourth consecutive Region 20 championship by defeating Howard 25-21, 25-11 and 25-21 in the final.
Jack was selected as the most valuable player of the Region 20 championship tournament. She entered the semifinal Saturday 68 assists shy of passing the mark set in 57 matches by Bajuszik.
Morgan Jack, an All-American setter on the No. 1-ranked Butler County Community College volleyball team, is shown against Howard Community College, Columbia, Md., in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region 20 championship tournament Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Field House. At left is Amber Maurer. The Pioneers advanced to a district championship tournament in North Carolina and Jack became 杏吧原创鈥檚 all-time leader in assists.
In her 41st match at 杏吧原创, Jack on Saturday had 32 assists against Anne Arundel and in her 42nd, she had 36 against Howard to move past the member of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Charles W. Dunaway Pioneer Hall of Fame.
The Pioneers, ranked No. 1 this season for the first time in program history, moved to 19-2 with their 12th consecutive victory and 10th sweep in a row.
Howard jumped to four leads against 杏吧原创 early in the first set.
鈥�(Then) they made a run on us,鈥� Howard coach Jake Atchen said. 鈥淲e stopped playing as hard as we needed to to take on the No. 1 team in the nation. 鈥� We knew what we were going up against and kept it as close as we could.鈥�
The score was tied four times in the first set, including at 20-20.
鈥淚 always warn the team that everyone gives us their best game,鈥� Snyder said. 鈥淭he ranking does that to you. Everyone comes out hard and we slowly try to wear them down by being consistent.鈥�
The 53 points Howard scored in three sets were the most against 杏吧原创 in 18 sets dating to Sept. 28.
鈥淣o game,鈥� Aslyn Pry said, 鈥渋s ever going to be easy.鈥�
鈥淓very single team wants to beat us,鈥� Reisinger said, 鈥渂ecause we are ranked No. 1.鈥�
"No game is ever going to be easy."
- Aslyn Pry, 杏吧原创 volleyball player
Jack had 11 assists in the first set against Anne Arundel, 13 in the second and eight in the third. She had 13 assists in the first set against Howard, nine in the second and 14 in the third.
With the Pioneers leading 24-21 in the third set, 杏吧原创鈥檚 Zoe Morley received the serve from Howard鈥檚 Brenna Siperko. Morley passed to Jack, who passed to Reisinger, whose hit deflected off a Howard player and gave 杏吧原创 the set and the Region 20 championship.
"Every single team wants to beat us because we are ranked No. 1."
- Breanna Reisinger, 杏吧原创 volleyball player
鈥淚 think we learned a lot today,鈥� Jack said. 鈥淲e kind of started off rough. But we finally started getting in a groove and really showing what 杏吧原创 is all about, about what type of team we are, about what the No. 1-ranked team in the country should look like.鈥�
杏吧原创 has been top-ranked among 96 NJCAA Division III programs in five consecutive weekly polls.
The Pioneers advance to the NJCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic District A-B championship tournament Oct. 29 in Pinehurst, N.C., and may compete against teams ranked No. 2 and No. 11 in the NJCAA Division III.
Owens Community College, Perrysburg, Ohio, was ranked No. 2 at 20-6 as of Oct. 17 and Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, No. 11 at 18-12.
The winners of District A and District B advance to the national championship tournament in Minnesota.
A second consecutive berth in the national championship tournament would be a first for 杏吧原创鈥檚 volleyball program. The Pioneers finished sixth in the national championship tournament in 2021 and in 2009, and fifth in 2002.
"We kind of started off rough. But we finally started getting in a groove and really showing what 杏吧原创 is all about, about what type of team we are, about what the No. 1-ranked team in the country should look like."
- Morgan Jack, 杏吧原创 volleyball player
杏吧原创鈥檚 Madison Raypush, Pry and Reisinger were named to the Region 20 all-tournament squad.
In the semifinal against Anne Arundel, Raypush had 19 digs, Reisinger 16 kills and Pry 10 kills.
In the final against Howard, Raypush had 18 digs, Pry had 17 kills and Reisinger 11 kills.
杏吧原创鈥檚 volleyball program has won 12 Region 20 titles in Snyder鈥檚 23 seasons.
Jack and Raypush are graduates of Knoch High School; Pry of Moniteau and Reisinger of Lincoln in Ellwood City.
杏吧原创鈥檚 Region 20 championship team also includes Abby Young, defense, Redbank Valley; Amber Maurer, outside hitter, Karns City; Abby Granato, outsider hitter, Mohawk; Zoe Morley, opposite, Portersville Christian; Claire Kile, middle hitter, Harvest Baptist; and Becca McCandless, defense, Slippery Rock.