NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., August 22, 2024 – A new season of Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball begins Thursday evening with a season-opening trip to Florida for the St. Johns River Viking Invitational, hosted by St. Johns River State College. 2024 will be Monroe's first year competing in the NJCAA Division II level.
 
The Mustangs had a new challenge in 2023 after redistricting changed their path toward the NJCAA Championship tournament. The Mustangs had another strong season, eventually traveling down to South Carolina to compete in the Region 10 Championship for a chance to advance to the Atlantic District Championship.
 
The Mustangs rolled to a Region 10 Championship Tournament victory, making them the top team out of the region heading into the Atlantic District Championship down in Florida, where the top two teams from the Region 10 tournament met the top two teams in Region 8 to determine the two automatic bids into the NJCAA tournament. While Spartanburg Methodist College, Region 10's runner-up, had to take on Florida's top team in Florida Southwestern State College, the Mustangs went head-to-head with Region 8's runner-up, Miami Dade College. The Mustangs had a strong match against the Sharks, but ultimately both Florida teams came out on top, eventually both making a run to the championship match of the NJCAA Championship against each other.
 
The Mustangs enter 2024 with an entirely new roster from a year ago. 13 athletes come together from eight different nations to make up the 2024 Monroe women's volleyball squad looking to establish itself at a new level.
 
The new-look Mustangs' journey begins with the St. Johns River Viking Invitational with five matches from Thursday, Aug. 22, through Saturday, Aug. 24. Monroe opens its season tonight against the College of Southern Maryland at 6 p.m. The Mustangs will take on Palm Beach State College and Cape Fear Community College on Friday, and then wrap up the weekend against USC Lancaster and host St. Johns River State on Saturday.
 
The Mustangs will then welcome Raritan Valley Community College, Montgomery College and Fayetteville Technical Community College at the Monroe Athletic Complex for the annual Monroe College Volleyball Invitational on Aug. 30-31. The Mustangs will play each opponent at least once across the two days.
 
The Mustangs then get into the thick of their schedule with road matchups against rival Harford Community College on Sept. 8, and then a trio of matches in Fayetteville, N.C. against Richard Bland College, Bryant & Stratton College (Va.) and Fayetteville Tech on Sept. 13-14. Monroe returns home to host Queensborough Community College on Sept. 19 before going back on the road for a tri-match at Raritan Valley on Sept. 21 in which they'll play both the Lions and Atlantic Cape Community College.
 
Monroe plays its final regular-season home match of the year on Sept. 24 against Harford. They will then hit the road for 11 more matches to wrap up the regular season, beginning on Sept. 27 with a match at Harrisburg Area Community College. Sept. 28 will see the Mustangs compete in a tri-match at Garrett College that will also include Pennsylvania Highlands Community College.
 
The travel continues with matches at Raritan Valley on Oct. 5 and Montgomery College on Oct. 8. The following weekend sees the Mustangs visit Southern Maryland for a tri-match with the Hawks and Westmoreland County Community College. Monroe then makes one final trip to Florida for four matches across three days. The Mustangs visit Warner University in Lake Wales, Fla., on Oct. 17, and then St. Petersburg College on Oct. 18. The regular season ends on Saturday, Oct. 19, with matches at Palm Beach State College and Indian River State College in different locations on the same day.
 
The Mustangs will then have to work through a new region and district to reach their ultimate goal of the 2024 NJCAA Div. II Women's Volleyball Championship. The NJCAA Division II Championship tournament will be hosted at Alliant Energy Powerhouse Arena in Cedar Rapids,  Iowa, from Nov. 20-23.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 28 teams competing across nine sports. There are 20 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well the Monroe College marching band, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven 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).