NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.., August 17, 2023 – The 2023 Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball season kicks off this weekend with the annual Monroe College Volleyball Invitational at the Monroe Athletic Complex. Coming off its sixth straight trip to the NJCAA Div. I Women's Volleyball Championship, the Mustangs face a new set of challenges this season on their journey back to Hutch.
The road to Hutch went through Alabama for the Mustangs each of the last four seasons, but the Mustangs persevered in each of those seasons, twice as the Gulf Atlantic District B Champions (tournament runner-up) and by most recently claiming back-to-back Gulf Atlantic District A titles by winning the tournament. Due to more redistricting, the Mustangs now face a new path to get back to the national tournament.
In 2023, the Mustangs will compete in the Region 10 Championship, with the top two teams from the tournament advancing to the new Atlantic District Championship. The Atlantic District will consist of Regions 8 (Florida), 10 (Carolinas), 15 (Monroe) and 17 (Georgia), making the road to Hutch a bit bumpier for all teams involved. The 2022 NJCAA Championship Final took place between a pair of Region 8 teams: Florida Southwestern State College and Miami Dade College, with Florida Southwestern State claiming the title.
The Mustangs are coming off a season in which they finished 36-8, their best mark since going 28-3 back in 2015. The Mustangs had one of the longest winning streaks in the NJCAA last year, rattling off 22 straight victories before seeing the run come to a halt in the opening round of the NJCAA Championship. After claiming the Region 15/20 Championship over Harford Community College, the Mustangs went a perfect 4-0 at the Gulf Atlantic District Championship in Alabama to take home the Gulf Atlantic District A Championship for the second straight year. The Mustangs opened the NJCAA Championship against No. 2 Indian Hills Community College, falling to the Warriors in the First Round. They then dropped a four-set match to No. 10 New Mexico Military Institute in a Consolation Round matchup to see the team's run come to an end.
The Mustangs open up 2023 by hosting the Monroe College Volleyball Invitational on Friday, Aug. 18, and Saturday, Aug. 19, welcoming Raritan Valley Community College, Atlantic Cape Community College, Nassau Community College and the Monroe Express to the MAC for a seven-match tournament. The Mustangs will play twice over the weekend, taking on Raritan Valley on Friday at 1 p.m., and Atlantic Cape on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Mustangs then get a taste of potential postseason competition with their first of two trips down to Florida, playing a trio of matches during the week before competing in the Adventures in Paradise Battle at the Beach, hosted by Florida Southwestern State, over the weekend. Monroe returns home for a tri-match with Fashion Institute of Technology and Harford on Saturday, Sept. 2, before taking another trip down to Florida the following weekend for the Hillsborough Hawks Florida Challenge.
Monroe stays in the northeast for the next month, first hosting Northampton Community College at the MAC on Saturday, Sept 16, for the team's final scheduled home match of the season. They then make stops in Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey over the next few weeks. The regular season will conclude for the Mustangs with the Dennis South Memorial Classic, hosted by Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Mustangs will then be set for the postseason, where they will first visit the Carolinas for the Region 10 Championship. Should they advance, they will compete in the Atlantic District Championship, with the top-two teams advancing to this year's NJCAA Div. I Women's Volleyball Championship at its traditional home in Hutchinson, Kan.
Monroe's roster features nine returning athletes, including eight sophomores and a redshirt freshman. The Mustangs also welcome five freshman newcomers to the lineup this season to bolster a talented group of student-athletes. This year's squad represents eight countries and territories, including the United States, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Italy, France, Poland and Serbia.
The Mustangs will look to continue a strong history of success this season. The team has made it to the national tournament in six straight seasons, and eight times since moving up to NJCAA Division I in 2012. They have won a District Title every year since 2016, and have never lost a Region Championship since moving up to Div. I.
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 (
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