Cougars capture NJCAA National Volleyball Championship
After several years of national success, the Barton County Community College volleyball team reached the pinnacle Wednesday night when the Cougars captured the 2003 NJCAA National Volleyball Championship in West Plains, Mo. The Cougars and Coach John Hunter earned that title by knocking off the host school Southwest Missouri State-West Plains, 30-21, 30-20, 30-27. The win was Barton County’s 45th National Title in schools history, but the 1st in volleyball. The other 44 have come in track and cross country. Barton, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, ended its season with a 34-1 record.
Cougars capture NJCAA National Volleyball Championship
After several years of national success, the Barton County Community College volleyball team reached the pinnacle Wednesday night when the Cougars captured the 2003 NJCAA National Volleyball Championship in West Plains, Mo. The Cougars and Coach John Hunter earned that title by knocking off the host school Southwest Missouri State-West Plains, 30-21, 30-20, 30-27. The win was Barton County's 45th National Title in schools history, but the 1st in volleyball. The other 44 have come in track and cross country. Barton, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, ended its season with a 34-1 record.
The Cougars had very little trouble in the opening two sets, leading nearly the entire time. The Cougars were pressed hard in the 3rd game of the match as the two teams traded the lead often. Barton was able to pull away in the final stages of the match to earn the win and NJCAA National Title. The win over West Plains was the 3rd time the Cougars knocked off the Grizzlies this season, winning all 8 games in those 3 matches.
Barton was making its 16th consecutive appearance at the NJCAA tournament, with the best placing in school history coming in 1989 when the Cougars placed 2nd under the direction of Ray Bechard. That was just the 5th appearance for Barton County at that time. Barton made the tournament in 1984, 1985, and 1986 before missing in 1987. The Cougars have been back every since, placing 3rd three times and 4th seven times before knocking down the door this year. Barton has finished out of the Top 8 just once in its 19 appearances.
The Cougars breezed through their first two matches of the tournament to make it to the semifinals. In the opening round Barton was very impressive in a 30-9, 30-17, 30-4 win over the No. 15 seed in the tournament, Wallace State (Ala.).
Barton had very little trouble Tuesday morning as the Cougars defeated No. 10 Frank Phillips in 3 games, 30-19, 30-18, 30-16 to advance to the semifinal contest against perennial power Southern Idaho.
The Cougars held off Southern Idaho in the opening two games, and then rallied from a 29-27 deficit in the 3rd game to win the contest 31-29 and move into the NJCAA Title Game for just the 2nd time in school history.
The Cougars were dominating all season long, losing only to Seward County on a night when a pair of All-Conference players missed the game due to injuries. Barton lost just 6 games the entire season – 3 in the loss to Seward, 1 at Dodge City in a 3-1 win, 1 to Jefferson in a 3-1 win, and 1 to Miami-Dade in a 2-1 win. Barton did not even lose a game since the 2nd game Miami-Dade set. That was a streak of 48 straight games. The final game record for Barton on its way to the 34-1 record was an impressive 89-6.
Three Cougars earned 1st team All-NJCAA Tournament honors, led by tournament MVP Raquel Ferreira. The freshman from Brazil was joined by sophomore Paula Caten and freshman Livia Salzano. Coach Hunter was the Coach-of-the-Tournament in addition to the player awards.
NJCAA National Tournament
CHAMPIONSHIP – No. 2 Barton def. No. 5 SMS-West Plains, 30-21, 30-20, 30-25
3rd place – No. 1 Miami-Dade def. No. 3 Southern Idaho, 30-26, 30-21, 30-27
5th place – No. 10 Frank Phillips def. No. 4 Blinn, 30-24, 30-27, 32-34, 30-26
7th place – No. 8 Arizona Western def. No. 11 Seward County, 30-19, 30-21, 19-30, 30-22
9th place – No. 12 Western Nebraska def. No 6 Southwestern Illinois, 30-24, 25-30, 32-34, 30-28, 15-7
1st round
No. 2 Barton County def. No. 15 Wallace State (Ala), 30-9, 30-17, 30-4
No. 10 Frank Phillips (Texas) def. No. 7 Lee College (Texas), 27-30, 30-28, 30-13, 30-26
No. 3 Southern Idaho def. No. 14 Arkansas-Fort Smith, 30-256, 30-25, 30-21
No. 11 Seward County def. No. 6 Southwestern Illinois, 30-22, 30-25, 30-28
No. 1 Miami-Dade def. No. 16 Pitt (NC), 30-6, 30-14, 30-7
No. 8 Arizona Western def. No. 8 Pasco-Hernandez, 30-13, 30-18, 30-25
No. 4 Blinn College (Texas) def. No. 13 Casper College (Wyom.), 30-22, 30-22, 30-21
No. 5 Southwest Missouri State-West Plains, def. No. 12 Western Nebraska, 30-25, 30-14, 30-20
Winners Bracket Quarterfinals
No. 2 Barton County def. No. 10 Frank Phillips, 30-19, 30-18, 30-16
No. 3 Southern Idaho def. No. 11 Seward County, 30-18, 30-32, 35-33, 30-18
No. 1 Miami-Dade def. No. Arizona Western, 30-20, 30-25, 30-18
No. 5 SMS-West Plains def. No. 4 Blinn, 30-27, 28-30, 30-19, 30-26
Winners Bracket Semifinals
No. 2 Barton County def. No. 3 Southern Idaho, 30-25, 30-26, 31-29
No. 5 SMS-West Plains def. No. 1 Miami-Dade, 30-27, 22-30, 19-30, 30-25, 15-8
Winners Consolation semis
No. 10 Frank Phillips def. No. 11 Seward County, 30-19, 19-30, 30-22, 25-30, 15-12
No. 4 Blinn def. No. 8 Arizona Western 30-20, 30-28, 30-16
NJCAA All-Tournament Team
MVP – Raquel Ferreira, Barton County
Livia Salzano, Barton County
Elaine Santos, Southern Idaho
Roselidah Obunaga, SMS-West Plains
Damaris Moreno, Miami-Dade
Madelaynne Montano, Miami-Dade
Chelsea Johnson, Blinn College
Felicia Jones, SMS-West Plains
Ludmila Francescatto, Arizona Western
Anna Dmovska, SMS-West Plains
Paula Caten, Barton County
Deriree Batista, Frank Phillips
Kaera Baltrip, Seward County