By Bill Foley

BUTLER TWP — The eighth-ranked squad in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division III overcame a 2-1 deficit in sets Saturday to defeat the 15th-ranked Butler County Community College volleyball team in a district final and earn an automatic berth to the national tournament in Iowa.

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute topped the Pioneers (22-25), 25-17, (21-25), 25-22 and 15-4 in an NJCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic District final that featured 20 lead changes over two hours in BC3’s Field House.

The Pioneers fell to 18-6 with their first loss in six matches and must await a possible at-large invitation to the 16-team NJCAA Division III national tournament Nov. 9-11 in Cedar Rapids.

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute moved to 21-5.

Freshmen Rosie Carden, Johnna Hill, Alyssa Gallagher, Aryana Girvan, Lexi Ruckdeschel, Nina Szymanski and Jozee Weaver helped to lead the Pioneers in 2023 to a 14th winning season in a row and to the program’s eighth consecutive WPCC and fifth consecutive Region 20 championships.

“We’re a great team,” said Szymanski, who had a season-high 37 digs Saturday. “This shows that next year is going to be something bigger.”

Girvan’s 22 digs Saturday were the most in her past 16 matches and her 18 kills, the most in her past eight.

“We knew at the beginning of the season there was a lot expected of us,” Girvan said. “I feel great about this season. A lot of people didn’t think we could do what we did.”

Carden had 34 assists, Weaver a season-high 20 digs and Ruckdeschel 10 kills against Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute.

“We definitely worked super-hard today,” Ruckdeschel said. “I can’t feel too down because of how hard we worked.”

Added BC3 coach Rob Snyder: “It was an exceptional game. Both teams were awesome. We played as well as we possibly could have, and we’ve had a good season. They have exceeded my expectations the whole season.”

The 2023 season marks the third in a row in which BC3 has been ranked in Division III. The Pioneers were ranked seven times this season, and as high as No. 9 with an 8-1 record Sept. 11.

The Pioneers were ranked as high as No. 1 in 2022 and as high as No. 3 in 2021.

Laney Craig led Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute on Saturday with 32 kills. Emily Ramirez had 26 digs and Emma Grace Hiatt had 24 assists.

BC3 advanced to the Mid-Atlantic District final by winning the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference and NJCAA Division III Region 20 titles in a dual championship Oct. 21 against the Community College of Allegheny County.

Girvan, Hill, Weaver and Szymanski were selected to the WPCC all-conference team and Carden, Girvan, Hill and Ruckdeschel to the Region 20 all-tournament team. Girvan was also named as the most valuable player in the Region 20 tournament.

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute advanced after defeating then-No. 9 ranked Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, N.C., in the Region 10 final Oct. 21.

Freshmen on BC3’s 2023 WPCC and Region 20 championship teams were Carden, a setter and Karns City Area Junior-Senior High School graduate; Girvan, outside hitter, Clarion; Johnna Hill, opposite hitter, Laurel; Gallagher, outside hitter, and Szymanski, libero, Knoch; Ruckdeschel, middle hitter, A-C Valley; and Weaver, a middle hitter, Keystone.

Sophomores were Emma Johns, setter, and Amber Maurer, defense, Karns City; Zoe Morley, outside hitter, Portersville Christian; and Abby Young, defense, Redbank.

Carden, Ruckdeschel and Young are health care science students at BC3; Gallagher and Johns, physical education-physical activity and fitness management; Girvan, business management; Hill, biological science; Maurer, engineering; Morley, general studies; Szymanski, Nursing, R.N.; and Weaver, health and physical education-teacher education.

Bill Foley is coordinator of news and media content for Butler County Community College