The 2010 San Jacinto College volleyball team is ranked eighth in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I preseason poll. Photo credit: Rob Vanya, San Jacinto College marketing department.

 Amanda L. Booren, Aug. 23, 2010

Volleyball ranked eighth in NJCAA preseason poll

Season begins Aug. 27 at Texas Tornado tournamentThe San Jacinto College (SJC) volleyball team will open the 2010 season Aug. 27 ranked eighth in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) preseason poll. With six returning players from last season’s team that finished 10^th at the national tournament, San Jacinto College is preparing for a sixth-straight trip to the NJCAA national tournament.

“Our schedule is packed full of tough competition,” said Head Coach Sharon Nelson, who is beginning her ninth season at the helm of the San Jac program. “We’re looking forward to hitting the ground running and seeing very early where we stand and what we’ll need to do to achieve our ultimate goal.”

This marks the third time under Nelson’s tutelage that San Jac has been ranked in the preseason top 10. SJC opened the 2004 season ranked seventh and last season ranked ninth.

In 2010, San Jac will face four teams that appeared in last year’s NJCAA national championship tournament, including the defending national champion, College of Southern Idaho, at the Willowbrook Patriot’s Day Tournament Sept. 10-11. In addition, SJC will face Hillsborough Community College, Miami-Dade College, and Salt Lake City Community College, each of which participated in last year’s national tournament.

Returners from last year’s squad that went 32-9 include three all-conference selections in Alyssa Dibbern (Bay City / Bay City HS), Amanda Deem (Pearland / Pearland HS), and Candace Soares (Mililani, Hawaii / Mililani HS). SJC also returns Bruna Menezes (Sau Paulo, Brazil / Colegio Campos Salles), Lauren Curley (Corona, Calif. / Corona HS), and Jyoti Ruffin (Katy / Taylor HS).

Dibbern, a middle blocker, was the 2009 Region XIV freshman of the year. She finished second on the squad in total kills (404) and kills per set (2.83), and led the team in blocks (127), blocks per set (0.89), and service aces (54). Deem, a second-team all-conference selection at libero, led the team in digs with 492 last season. Soares was a first-team all-conference selection. The outside hitter ranked third on the team in kills per set (2.30), digs per (2.84), and total digs (392).

In addition to its six returning players, San Jac welcomes five newcomers. Included in that group is sophomore transfer Brittany Weiler, a setter / defensive specialist who played last season at Lamar University in Beaumont.

SJC opens the 2010 season Aug. 27 and 28 at the Texas Tornado tournament in Houston. San Jac will host Lon Morris in the home opener Tuesday, Aug. 31, in Anders Gymnasium on the Central campus located at 8060 Spencer Highway in Pasadena. San Jac’s schedule includes eight home games this season. SJC will once again participate in the Dig Pink initiative for breast cancer awareness. This season’s Dig Pink match will be Saturday, Oct. 23 against Coastal Bend Community College. The Region XIV tournament is November 5 and 6 at Lee College in Baytown. San Jac will vie for its sixth-straight trip to the NJCAA national tournament, which is scheduled for November 16-21 in West Plains, Mo.

San Jacinto College serves a diverse population of more than 27,000 students in over 140 degrees and certificates in university transfer and technical programs. The College also serves the community through workforce training. Students come with various goals and aspirations and we are committed to their success. San Jacinto College. Your Goals. Your College.

For more information about San Jacinto College, please call 281-998-6150.