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The Montcalm Community College volleyball team punched its ticket directly into the NJCAA Region XII Great Lakes District B Tournament with a dramatic five-set comeback victory over North Central Michigan College, Wednesday, Oct. 28. 

The Centurions overcame a slow start and rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat NCMC, 3-2, securing the No. 3 seed out of the MCCAA Northern Conference and avoiding a play-in match in the regional tournament. 

The Timberwolves took the first two sets, 25-22 and 25-19, before the Centurions regrouped and ran the table in the next three sets, winning 25-14, 27-25 and, in the fifth and decisive set, 15-12. 

Montcalm head coach Kara Youngs said her team was not at its best through the opening two sets after returning from a demanding travel schedule earlier in the week. 

“The first two sets we were down and were not playing at our potential,” Youngs said. “We had a long week of travel as well, coming back late on Monday, so we were coming in not mentally sharp.” 

After dropping the first two sets, the Centurions began to find their rhythm. 

“Everything picked up after those two sets,” Youngs said. “Our defense picked up significantly with serve receive, and our offense played really strong because the defense was picking balls up and our hitters became effective with their opportunities.” 

Youngs said she challenged her players before the third set to focus on energy and execution. 

“At the beginning of the third set, I reassured them they needed to keep up the energy, be effective on the service line and focus on the little things,” she said. 

Montcalm carried that momentum through the fourth set. 

“We started really strong from the get-go,” Youngs said. “We fell behind in the red zone at 20-22, but these girls had the mentality to come back. They're so driven to win and they have that grit to not quit on any matches.” 

The deciding fifth set proved equally challenging. After building an early 6-1 advantage, the Centurions watched NCMC chip away before eventually taking an 11-10 lead. 

“We had some tough serves against them to get them out of system, which allowed us to get into system and be competitive there,” Youngs said. 

The victory carried significant postseason implications. 

“With this conference win, we are automatically in the double-elimination tournament," Youngs said. 

Montcalm was led defensively by sophomore libero Jocee Pleune (Grant, Mich.), who recorded 32 digs — her highest single-match total of the season and season team-high. 

“Jocee was really strong in the back row,” Youngs said. 

Youngs also credited Amy Anderson (Blanchard, Mich.) for her serving performance. 

“Amy did well with a combination of serving and putting balls on the service line in key moments,” she said. 

The Centurions closed the regular season at 9-15 overall and 6-6 in the MCCAA Northern Conference, finishing fourth behind Bay College, Delta College and Muskegon Community College. 

MCCAA Northern Conference Final Standings 

Bay College (10-2, 17-8) 

Delta College (9-3, 15-13) 

Muskegon Community College (7-5, 12-11) 

Montcalm Community College (6-6, 9-15) 

North Central Michigan College (4-8, 6-21) 

Kirtland Community College (3-9, 10-17) 

Alpena Community College (3-9, 5-15) 

Bay, Delta, Muskegon, Montcalm and North Central Michigan all qualified for postseason play. 

UP NEXT 

Before turning its attention to regionals, MCC will celebrate Sophomore Night during its home match against Grace Christian University tonight. Game time is 6:30 p.m. 

The Centurions' sophomore class includes Erin Borek (Grand Rapids, Mich), Ella Bishop (Grand Rapids, Mich), Esther Iung (Perrinton, Mich,), Jocee Pleune, Alana Cappon (Sunfield, Mich.), Abbie Rushmore (Lakeview, Mich.), Andie Bennett (Reed City, Mich.) and Edy Davidson (Carson City, Mich.). 

Youngs said Grace Christian's size should help prepare MCC for the postseason challenge ahead. 

“Grace has some big players, so that will help us prepare for Terra State,” she said. “Coming back home after long trips and having back-to-back matches is nice.” 

Montcalm will face Terra State Community College (Fremont, Ohio) in the NJCAA Region XII Great Lakes District B Tournament at noon Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse on the campus of Grand Rapids Community College. 

The Titans, members of the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference, went 3-7 during October, while the Centurions posted a 6-5 mark during the month as they prepared for postseason play.