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SIDNEY — The Montcalm Community College volleyball team closed out its regular season on a high note Friday night, Oct. 30, defeating Grace Christian University, 3-1, before an emotional Sophomore Night celebration and shifting its attention toward next week's regional tournament matchup with Terra State Community College. 

The victory came two days after the Centurions rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat North Central Michigan College and secure the No. 3 seed in the NJCAA Great Lakes District B Tournament. The win over Grace Christian improved MCC's momentum heading into postseason play.  

After dropping a tightly contested opening set, 27-25, Montcalm responded by winning the next three sets, 25-17, 25-22 and 25-23. 

Centurions head coach Kara Youngs said Grace Christian provided exactly the type of challenge the Centurions needed before the postseason. 

“Grace put up the pressure, which is great for us going into next week,” Youngs said. “I think it was a great mental game. They made it tough to push through and figure it out.” 

The coach said her team faced a difficult stretch entering the match after extensive travel and multiple matches throughout the week. 

“I give our team a lot of props because we've traveled a lot and getting home at 1 a.m., having to commute for almost an hour, get back home, sleep and then get up and go back to practice,” Youngs said. “It was a tough, mental week for us.” 

Despite the fatigue factor, MCC responded after its first-set loss. 

The Centurions dominated the second set behind a lengthy serving run from sophomore Erin Borek (Grand Rapids, Mich.), who helped turn a 10-10 tie into a commanding 20-10 advantage. Montcalm never looked back, evening the match at one set apiece. 

The third set was another battle. Neither team gained much separation before MCC used strong play from Ayanna Sanders (Caledonia, Mich.), Edy Davidson (Carson City, Mich.) and Jocee Pleune (Grant, Mich.) to pull away late for a 25-22 victory. 

Montcalm appeared poised for an easy fourth-set win after racing to an 8-1 lead, but Grace Christian fought back and eventually took a 17-16 advantage. The Centurions regrouped behind timely kills from Davidson and Sanders, closing out the set and the match with a 25-23 win. 

Youngs praised her team's ability to adapt when things weren't going smoothly. 

“Things weren't always going smooth for us, but Grace played differently to score and found a way to score,” she said. “But they adjusted well. If they struggled in one area they picked it up in another area, so they avoided having it all fall apart.” 

Sophomore outside hitter Andie Bennett (Reed City, Mich.) said the match showcased the chemistry the Centurions have developed throughout the year. 

“My team does the job every time. They work together really well,” Bennett said. “Even if I'm having an off day, I know my team has my back every time.” 

Bennett credited the team's balanced attack for overcoming a tough Grace Christian squad. 

“Grace picked up everything tonight and we put up a really solid block,” she said. “Our outsides performed really well. They hit incredibly well today. So did our middles. They did a great job placing the ball in good spots.” 

Although Bennett felt she wasn't at her best offensively, she said the team's confidence remains high entering regionals. 

“The team that we have, I feel we can do anything,” she said. “We have that energy, we all get along and we have the chemistry that we can put that all together and go far.” 

Bennett believes that chemistry has steadily improved throughout the season. 

“From the start of the season until now, we've really connected with each other for sure,” she said. “We've been able to pick each other up, especially towards the end of the season. This season was about figuring each other out and we did that well.” 

Youngs highlighted several strong individual performances, including Sanders' work on the attack. 

“I thought Ayanna did great tonight,” Youngs said. “She played smart with her shots. She brought the big hits when we needed them in the moment.” 

Youngs also praised Pleune, the team’s sophomore libero, who played a key role defensively after recording a season-high 32 digs in the win over North Central Michigan earlier in the week. 

“With Jocee, our hitters trust her a lot,” Youngs said. “They're more aggressive hitting because they know they have her supporting them. Her defense looked very solid tonight. She was all over the place covering the floor well.” 

Youngs also credited Borek with a great game, as she finished with 12 kills, no errors, 20 digs and had four serve aces.  

“She came in with big swings in that fourth set,” Youngs said.  

The victory also served as a fitting sendoff for MCC's sophomore class, which includes Erin Borek, Ella Bishop (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Esther Iung (Perrinton, Mich.), Jocee Pleune, Alana Cappon (Sunfield, Mich.), Abbie Rushmore (Lakeview, Mich.), Andie Bennett and Edy Davidson. 

Youngs said the group has played a major role in the program's growth. 

“That group is very special because we came off conference play last year 1-11,” Youngs said. “For them to be able to move forward to the next season is a testament to their maturity and mental progress.” 

“They're really motivated and driven to create really good chemistry,” she added. “They push each other every day in practice and what makes them special is that they had a goal and they did it and they keep making milestones for this program.” 

Turning toward Terra State 

With the regular season complete, MCC's focus now shifts to the NJCAA Region XII Great Lakes District B Tournament. 

The Centurions will face Terra State Community College of Fremont, Ohio, at 12 noon Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse on the campus of Grand Rapids Community College. Terra State competes in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference.  

Youngs said preparation over the next several days will be critical. 

“We've earned some rest, but we'll get into film and game-planning soon over the next three days,” she said. “We'll get really good at the things we don't think about as much that could very well help us out in the postseason.” 

Bennett said the key against the Titans will be defense. 

“We're going to have to put some defense up and block their hitters,” she said. “Our defense in back picks things up well, so we just need to put a block up and put the ball where it needs to go.” 

After battling through a demanding week and finishing the regular season with consecutive victories, the Centurions believe they're prepared for whatever challenges await in the postseason.