News

By Ryan Schlehuber, MCC Sportswriter

Montcalm Community College Centurions volleyball “Team 3” has reloaded for this upcoming season, bringing in 10 new players who will be looked to help improve last year’s 8-19 record, with the goal of winning a conference championship and to, once again, make the NJCAA regional tournament. 

Since MCC brought back its athletics program after a 40-year hiatus, the Centurions volleyball team, in its third year, has improved each year, thanks to the leadership of head coach Kara Youngs, who is now preparing her team for the NJCAA season-opening weekend tournament at UW Health Sports Factory in Rockford, Ill., Saturday, Aug. 23.  

Youngs lost nine girls from last year’s team as they finished out their careers at MCC but brings back five players with valuable experience. 

“Last year, we had strong leadership as most of my girls had returned from the previous year,” Youngs said. “We lost some of that second-year court awareness this year but the leadership we have coming back is good. Most of the girls had played together over the offseason in club so they’re more familiar with one another.” 

Returning from last season are middle blocker Katelyn Bignall (Belding, Mich.), defensive specialist Briley Andres (Sand Lake, Mich.), setter/defensive specialist Jordan Dompreh (Flint, Mich.), middle blocker Alanna Kent (Belding, Mich.), and libero Jaden Gomez (White Cloud, Mich.). 

Youngs said her key players this year will be Dompreh as she transitions into the team’s main setter role, filling the vacancy left by Tiana Whitacre (Sheridan, Mich.), who was the anchor of the team’s offense last year; and Gomez, who was a two-time defensive player of the week in the Michigan Community College Athletics Association last season. 

Dompreh said she has worked hard in the offseason to prepare for a year where she is expected to be a team leader. 

“I have been in the gym a lot by myself and have worked with a trainer and went to camps in Chicago,” Dompreh said. “I’ve worked mostly on my tempo, and I think that is going to be the difference this year with our team is our tempo and where we put the ball.” 

Youngs said the team is working hard to create good chemistry before the 2025-26 season’s game action begins, and it has to adjust from losing some of its height from last year, with the graduation of 5-foot, 9-inch-tall Piper Groesser (Portland, Mich.) and Maia Sexton (Sidney, Mich), who stood 6-foot, 2-inches. 

“We have some good height coming back but also we have some girls with really good vertical to balance things out,” Youngs said.  

Dompreh said her freshmen teammates are talented and hungry to start the season. 

“Everyone is fighting for a spot on the court and they are putting in the work,” she said. “Each of them wants to make a lasting impact on this team.” 

One of the freshmen who Youngs points out that is expected to make an immediate impact is outside hitter Emily Davis (Allendale, Mich.), a skilled player from Jenison High School who also played with the club team Far Out, seeing success in both places.  

“She is very aware of the court, she has different shots and she sees different things, both on offense and defense,” Youngs said of Davis. “She’s an all-around solid player.” 

Youngs also pointed to outside hitter/defensive specialist Erin Borek (Grand Rapids, Mich.) as another outstanding freshman, who was an all-conference player at Comstock Park High School.  

The key to having a successful season, according to Youngs, is having her returning five step up and help the team mesh, which means communication and focus will be a must in each game and each set. 

“Those five returning players got experience in the postseason last year and that really sparked them. They instantly went back into the gym to improve,” Youngs said. “They’re putting expectations on our incoming players, pushing them early. They’ve already got in with them and have set everything up. Bringing these expectations to the freshmen to compete and continuously push them, that’s how we get there.” 

Dompreh echoed her coach’s words, agreeing that this year’s sophomores will have to step up as leaders if the team is going to see success this year. 

“Personally, we do that with good communication and leading by example,” Dompreh said. “We also have to lift each other up and remember we are a team no matter how many sophomores or freshmen we have. The key is communication and creating a strong bond.” 

Dompreh said last year’s team, which finished fourth in the conference, was so close to turning many close losses into wins, which is something she aims for this year’s team to accomplish. 

“The majority of the work will be on executing in pressure situations,” she said. “Last year, we were so close and then we cracked under pressure. That will be what this team has to work on this year. Performing under pressure will make the difference between losses and wins.” 

With the opening-season tournament, Youngs is hoping to see her team come out strong, with her freshman shaking off any first-time jitters as MCC will be competing among a few teams from across the country. 

“With freshmen coming into a large tournament, there’s always a little shock but this group of ladies, I think they are going to go for it and compete and I’m excited to see them play,” Youngs said. “We have a strong starting group and a bench who will have important supporting roles to play.” 

The Centurions other new players are:  

• Andie Bennett, Reed City, Mich. 

• Alana Cappon, Sunfield, Mich. 

• Jocee Pluene, Grant, Mich. 

• Hailey Guerra, Grant, Mich. 

• Esther Iung, Perrinton, Mich. 

• Edy Davidson, Carson City, Mich. 

• Ella Bishop, Grand Rapids, Mich. 

• Abigail Rushmore, Howard City, Mich. 

UP NEXT: NJCAA Opening Weekend Tournament at UW Health Sports Factory in Rockford, Ill., Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 23-24. The Centurions will take on Finger Lakes Community College at 3:15 p.m., Saturday, Florida State College at Jacksonville at 7:15 p.m., Saturday. Then, on Sunday, MCC will face Highland Community College (Ill.) at 12:30 p.m. and UW-Whitewater at Rock County at 2:30 p.m. 

The Centurions’ home opener will be at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 26, vs. Grace Christian University.