Women's Volleyball

PREVIEW: WARRIORS SET FOR NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

PREVIEW: WARRIORS SET FOR NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
Posted: Nov 19, 2024

Clarksville, TN – For the third consecutive year, the Indian Hills Volleyball team is set to compete at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Volleyball National Championship as the Warriors head east to this year's postseason tournament.

DETAILS: 2024 NJCAA DI Volleyball National Championship

Clarksville, TN  |  Dunn Center at Austin Peay University

#15 (14) Indian Hills vs. #3 (3) New Mexico Military

Wednesday, November 20  |  10:00 AM (CST)

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BRACKET   |   RESULTS   |   TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

For the first time in program history, the Indian Hills Volleyball squad will be competing in its third consecutive national tournament as the Warriors captured their third-straight NJCAA Midwest District championship to punch an automatic bid to the postseason.

SERVICE NOTES

  • The No. 15 nationally ranked Warriors head to the national tournament as the No 14 overall seed.
  • The Warriors earned the No. 13 seed in 2023 before making a run to a ninth-place finish in Hutchinson, KS.
  • The 2024 season saw Indian Hills play eight matches against teams in this year's national tournament, winning four of those matchups.
  • Indian Hills heads to Tennessee riding an eight-match win streak, dropping just six sets along the way.
  • The Warriors are 14-2 since the start of October with six swweeps.
  • On the year, Indian Hills has picked up 12 wins against teams that have appeared in the national rankings to go along with 16 wins vs. teams with at least 20 wins on the year, incluidng five vs. teams with at least 30 wins.
  • Head coach Lyndsey Michel is making her fourth national tournament appearance (2024, 2023, 2022, 2019), the most by a head coach in program history.
  • While action gets underway Wednesday, the Warrior program will be in the spotlight Tuesday night as former All-American and two-time Most Outstanding Setter at the national tournament Jill Hoeck wil be inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame at the tournament banquet.

WARRIORS AT NATIONALS

The Warriors are set to make their sixth all-time appearance at the national tournament.

  • Indian Hills is 12-7 all-time at the national tournament, having won at least two matches in four of its five previous postseason runs.
  • Ater a narrow defeat in a five-set thriller in last year's tournament opener vs. No. 4 Salt Lake, the Warriors rattled off three consecutive wins to take its fourth all-time top-10 finish, placing ninth overall.
  • The 2022 squad put together a remarkable performance, placing fourth overall after winning its first two matches of the tournament.
  • The Warriors previously made back-to-back tournament appearances in 2004 and 2005. The 2004 squad placed third overall, the best finish in program history.
  • Indian Hills has seen five indiviudals earn NJCAA All-Tournament Honors, including last year's honoree Kinga Michalska.

VETERAN EXPERIENCE

Head coach Lyndsey Michel will look to the veteran leadership of her sophomore class as the Warriors return six members from last year's top-10 finish.

RECORD BOOK WATCH

While the sophomore class has led the program to new heights over the last two seasons, a number of individuals are chasing historic team records heading into the postseason.

  • Sara Van Gisteren sits just eight kills away from the single season kills record, currently held by Karie Downing in 2008 with 617.
  • Van Gisteren is also just 28 kills shy from the career record, set by former two-time All-American Mariana Rodrigues in 2018-19 with 1,090.
  • Van Gisteren has a chance to climb into the top-four in the all-time service aces category as the sophomore currently sits in fifth-place with 136.
  • Sabrina Nogueira Da Silva ranks fourth all-time in career digs with 1,261, just 19 away from moving into third-place and a chance to crack the top-five single season mark in sight.
  • Ana Carolina Westerich ranks fifth all-time in career assists with 2,665.
  • Sophomore Daniela De Los Santos Castillo currently boasts 138 total blocks on the year, just eight blocks away from cracking the top-five single season leaderboard.
  • Indian Hills Volleyball Record Book

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS

New Mexico Military has proven to be one of the hottest teams in the nation heading into the postseason as the Broncos have won 25 consecutive matches.

  • Ranked No. 3 in the final national poll, the Broncos captured the NJCAA Southwest A District Championship and own a 31-2 overall record.
  • Under the direction of 19th year head coach Shelby Forchtner, the Broncos are making their seventh apperance at the national tournament in the last 10 years, including a national runner-up finish in 2021.
  • Indian Hills and New Mexico have squared off five times, all since 2018 with the Warriors holding a 3-2 advantage.
  • Indian Hills won the most recent matchup when the unranked Warriors knocked off then-No. 10 New Mexico Military 3-2 on September 8, 2023 in Sterling, CO. Sara Van Gisteren prdouced 22 kills in the win while Ana Carolina Westerich added 51 assists.
  • The Broncos have seven players with at least 100 kills on the year, led by Allison Miller's team-high 313 finishers.
  • Dilean Bounds and Eduardo Bicalho pace the offense for the Broncos as the two setters have tallied over 500 assists each on the year.
  • The Broncos lead the nation with 20.5 digs/set on the year as sophomore Fuka Sekita's 688 digs rank fourth in the NJCAA this year.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

A berth in the quarterfinal round awaits the winner in the double-elimination style bracket. Wednesday's winner will take on the winner of No. 6 Barton Community College (KS) and No. 11 Navarro College (TX) at 4:00 PM on Thursday. The loser will drop to the consolation bracket and will take on the loser of Barton and Navarro at 10:00 AM on Thursday.

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