NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., August 18, 2022 – The Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball team returned to action in 2021 after a hiatus in 2020. The Mustangs did not skip a beat, having a typical stellar season to once again reach the NJCAA Championship tournament. Monroe looks to keep that momentum going and capitalize on it in 2022, beginning with this weekend's Monroe Preseason Invitational at the Monroe Athletic Complex.
 
The Mustangs totaled 33 victories last season, their highest total since winning 38 matches in 2015. The Mustangs rolled through the season and the Region Championship to return to the Gulf Atlantic District Championship in Alabama. In Monroe's previous two trips to the District Tournament, the Mustangs finished at the runners-up, earning the Gulf Atlantic B District Title to earn their spot in the national tournament. This time around, the Mustangs swept the field, winning three straight matches to take home the Gulf Atlantic A Championship and enter the NJCAA Championship as the district's higher seed. With a tough draw down in Hutchinson, Kan., the Mustangs were unable to come out on top in their two matches on the national stage.
 
The Mustangs open 2022 at home at the Monroe Athletic Complex, welcoming in Nassau Community College, Raritan Valley Community College, Frederick Community College and St. Johns River State College to New Rochelle for the Monroe Preseason Invitational. The tournament will feature five matches each day on Friday, Aug. 19, and Saturday, Aug. 20, beginning at 9 a.m.
 
The regular season continues with a trip to Florida next weekend for the Mustangs. They will compete in the Daytona State College Tournament on Wednesday, Aug. 24, and Thursday, Aug. 25, with matches against Eastern Florida State College and Daytona State College on Wednesday, and a match with Coastal Alabama Community College on Thursday. Monroe then heads to Gainesville, Fla. for the Campus USA Credit Union/Redpoint Apartments Santa Fe Classic, hosted by Santa Fe College. The Mustangs play twice on Friday, Aug. 26, against Pensacola State College and Spartanburg Methodist College, followed by a Saturday match against host Santa Fe.
 
The Mustangs are back at home the following week, first with a match against St. Joseph's College-L.I. on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 7 p.m. The Mustangs then host the Monroe College Volleyball Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 3, and Sunday, Sept. 4. In the same format as the preseason tournament, the Mustangs will host Montgomery College, Fashion Institute of Technology, Fayetteville Technical Community College and Harford Community College for a 10-match tournament at the Monroe Athletic Complex.
 
The Mustangs follow up the week at home with back-to-back tournaments on the road the following two weeks. First, they will play in the Starr Corporation Invite, hosted by the College of Southern Idaho. They will take on Southern Idaho, Western Wyoming Community College, Missouri State University – West Plains, Snow College and Salt Lake Community College between Thursday, Sept. 8, and Saturday, Sept. 10, in Twin Falls, Idaho.
 
Monroe will then visit Spartanburg, S.C. on Friday, Sept. 16, and Saturday, Sept. 17, for the Spartanburg Methodist College Classic. Monroe plays Friday evening against USC Sumter, then competes twice on Saturday against Spartanburg Methodist and USC Lancaster.
 
The Mustangs take a couple weeks off before hitting the road again for all of October to wrap up the regular season. On Oct. 1, they go to Rockville, Md., for a tri-match at Montgomery College with Montgomery and Potomac State College of WVU. The next weekend, they head to Virginia to play Bryant & Stratton College (Va.) and Northern Virginia Community College for a tri-match at Northern Virginia. Another week later, the Mustangs go back down to Virginia, first for a match at Bryant & Stratton on Oct. 14, followed by a tri-match at Richard Bland College with Richard Bland and Montgomery.
 
The regular season wraps up for Monroe at the St. Johns River Viking Invitational down in Orange Park, Fla. The Mustangs will play matches against Spartanburg Methodist, Andrew College, Lurleen B. Wallace Community College, St. Johns River State and Lake-Sumter College across Friday, Oct. 21, through Sunday, Oct. 23.
 
The postseason slate for Monroe will see them first compete in the Region XX Championship. Should the Mustangs advance, they will head back down to Alabama for this year's Gulf Atlantic District Championship tournament. If the Mustangs earn a bid to the 2022 NJCAA Div. I Women's Volleyball Championship in West Plains, Mo., they will once again compete on the national stage from Nov. 17-19.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 35 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well 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 11 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).