The Clarion

Issue date: 11/11/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Larry Chua Madison Area Technical College Volleyball player April Testman hits the ball past a pair of blockers in the NJCAA Regional IV Tournament semifinals.

Media Credit: Larry Chua Members of the Madison Area Technical College volleyball team celebrate winning the NJCAA Regional IV Tournament

Any time a sports team enters a tournament, you want the team to peak at the right time. If a team peaks too early in the season, they could make an early exit in the tournament. In the case of the Madison Area Technical College volleyball team, they are definitely playing at their best right now and, being tournament time, their exceptional level of play couldn't have come at a better time.

In the NJCAA Region IV Tournament, held on Oct. 31 in front of the home crowd at the H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium, the WolfPack were able to beat Harper College in the first round in three sets (25-21, 25-16, 25-18).

The WolfPack proceeded to knock off the No.1 nationally ranked Rock Valley College Golden Eagles in the title game. They were able to win the first and third sets, but Rock Valley took the second and fourth sets, forcing a fifth set. Madison College came out of the match on top by winning 15-13 in the fifth and final set, earning a trip to the national championship in the process.

The WolfPack's confidence couldn't be any higher, as the team will be making an appearance in the NJCAA Division III National Championship for the first time in the program's history. The tournament will be held on Nov. 13-14 in Rochester, Minn.

After overcoming the flu and injuries, Rock Valley College was the one hurdle that Madison College had yet to get over this season. The Golden Eagles proved to be a tough test for the WolfPack by winning all three matches in the regular season. However, the WolfPack came out on top in the fourth match, the one that mattered most.

"Beating Rock Valley is more than we can write down in words, and it takes a monkey off of my back," said volleyball coach Toby Parker.

Madison College went through a lot this year as a team. In addition to their opponents on the court, they had to battle the flu and injuries. The team is finally healthy and it is really showing up on the volleyball court. The evidence lies in the result of the NJCAA Region IV Tournament. Parker knew his team could always play the way they're playing right now.

Sharyn Jordahl, a defensive specialist and left outside hitter, couldn't agree more with Parker on how well the team is playing. "Definitely as a team right now, with each win, we become closer as a team."

Casee Simms, a middle blocker, also believes the team is playing their best volleyball right now. "Our hard work that we put in practice is paying off right now, the team tries to be positive and we try to look on the brighter side of things."

Jordahl and Simms both agree that the win over Rock Valley College helped boost the confidence of the team and of each individual player.

There are two important things the WolfPack volleyball team needs to avoid during the NJCAA Division III National Championship according to Parker.

The first one is they can't take a step backward in their play. "We're playing so well right now, I don't see us taking a step backwards, but you never know," said Parker.

The second one is avoiding injuries. The volleyball team is finally healthy and it would hurt the team's tournament hopes if anyone suffered an injury this late in the season.

However, it's tournament time for the WolfPack volleyball team and it's clear that the team has hit their peak at the right time as they get ready to play in their first ever NJCAA Division III National Championship.

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