HANCEVILLE, Ala., November 5, 2021 – The No. 20-ranked Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball team is bound for Hutchinson, Kan., once again, as the Mustangs clinched their spot at the 2021 NJCAA Div. I Women's Volleyball Championships by winning their first two matches at the 2021 Gulf Atlantic District A/B Championships on Friday. The Mustangs picked up a three-set victory over No. 2-seed Snead State Community College in the opening round, and then defeated No. 1-seed, and No. 12-ranked Wallace State Community College in the winner's bracket.
 
The Gulf Atlantic District A/B Championships send two representatives to the national tournament each year, one representing District A, and the other representing District B. With two wins on Friday, the Mustangs cannot finish worse than runner-up, meaning they will take home one of the district titles. With one more victory on Saturday, the Mustangs can take home the District A Championship for the first time.
 
FIRST ROUND: Monroe 3, Snead State 1 (25-19, 25-19, 22-25, 25-21)
The Mustangs got out to an early lead in the first set against Snead State, taking five of the first six points of the day. What was a five-point advantage soon swung the other way, as the Parsons used a 5-0 run to go up, 14-11. The Mustangs turned it right back around, scoring 9-of-10 points to pick up a 20-15 edge. Snead State scored the next four to get within a point, but the Mustangs responded with six in a row to close out the set with a 25-19 win, going up, 1-0, in the match.
 
Much like the first frame, the Mustangs once again jumped out to a 5-1 lead in Set 2. They pushed the lead to six points at 10-4, but Snead State looked as if it was about to make a run after cutting the deficit to three at 11-8. The Mustangs then went on a 6-1 run to go up, 17-9. The Parsons managed to chip away a bit at the deficit, but the Mustangs managed to keep their distance and secure another 25-19 win to go up, 2-0.
 
Not to go down quickly in their own state, the Parsons opened up the third game with a 6-2 edge over the Mustangs. Monroe got back within a point numerous times, but Snead State did not forfeit the lead at any point during the set. The Mustangs scored two points while facing set point, but the Parsons picked up a 25-22 win to keep the match going.
 
Neither team was able to gain a significant amount of momentum in the fourth frame, as they traded small leads back and forth and continuously saw the score even up. The Parson grabbed the largest lead of the set at 12-9, but Monroe soon tied it up at 14-14. A 17-15 lead for Snead State soon became a 21-17 advantage for Monroe after six straight points. The Mustangs did not waiver from there, holding on for a 25-21 win for a 3-1 victory in the match, advancing them into the winner's bracket.
 
Leanisse Solano had arguably her best match of the season, throwing down a season-high 22 kills to go with 13 digs and four aces in the win. Yaliancis Flores registered 14 kills and six digs, as well as two blocks. Alisha Callender did it all with five kills, 21 assists, two aces and 14 digs. Lyanis Rios led with 26 assists, adding three aces and seven digs. Laura Paniagua picked up a team-high 30 digs and dished out five assists.
 
WINNER'S BRACKET: Monroe 3, Wallace State 2 (23-25, 25-15, 25-14, 13-25, 15-11)
Facing the 12th-ranked team in the NJCAA, the Mustangs got off to a slower start against the Lions. Wallace State jumped out to an 8-3 advantage in the opening set, but the Mustangs soon jumped ahead, 10-9. The Mustangs held a 21-17 edge late in the frame, but the home team was able to pull even at 22-22. After a 23-23 stalemate, Wallace State managed to pick up the final two points to claim a narrow 25-23 win to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Monroe came out with a vengeance in the second set, running out to an 8-1 lead. The Lions got back within three at 13-10, but the Mustangs soon made that a 21-12 advantage as they continued to have full control of the set. The lead reached its peak with the final point of the game, as the Mustangs made a statement with a 25-15 win to tie the match up at 1-1.
 
The Mustangs kept the momentum going in the third frame and took an 8-3 lead early on. The home team turned it around and managed to take a 13-11 lead. The Mustangs completely turned the tables from there, rattling off eight straight points to take a 19-13 lead. From that point on, they allowed just one more point, claiming a 25-14 win to go up, 2-1.
 
After a pair of dominant sets for the Mustangs, the Lions turned the tables to open the fourth game, taking a quick 10-2 lead. Unfortunately, that trend continued for the rest of the set, as Wallace State tied the match up with a 25-13 win, forcing the deciding fifth set.
 
The Mustangs rebounded to take a 4-0 lead to open the final frame. They continued to keep their distance, leading 12-6, before three straight by the Lions made it a three-point game. Monroe reached match point at 14-10 before Wallace State scored one final point, but the Mustangs then closed it out on a kill by Solano to earn the victory and lock up their spot at the national tournament.
 
Flores led the way this time with 25 kills in the win, adding five digs and a block. Solano followed up a big first match with another one, totaling 19 kills and 16 digs. Callender also did it all once again with six kills, 24 assists, four aces, four blocks and 11 digs. Rios dished out another 25 assists and picked up six digs. Paniagua scooped up 26 digs to lead the team, while also handing out seven assists and serving up two aces.
 
The Mustangs will now await their next opponent, which will be either Snead State or Wallace State. Snead State remained alive at the tournament by defeating Coastal Alabama Community College-South in the first elimination match. Snead State and Wallace State will play on Saturday, Nov. 6, at 11 a.m. EST. The winner will take on Monroe, needing to defeat the Mustangs twice to take home the District A crown. The Mustangs will need to win just once to claim District A, while the loser of the championship round will represent District B at the national tournament.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 39 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 18 teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).