Ladyjacks Lose Final Game 3-2 on Sophomore Night

The 2019 DCB Volleyball sophomores were recognized on Monday at the Woodshed. It was the final match for these 8 sophomores in a DCB uniform.
The 2019 DCB Volleyball sophomores were recognized on Monday at the Woodshed. It was the final match for these 8 sophomores in a DCB uniform.
Posted: Oct 29, 2019

The DCB Ladyjacks volleyball team can look back at three MonDak conference matches that they lost in five sets as the difference between qualifying for the playoffs and not qualifying.  

They started the season losing a five set heart breaker to Lake Region State College, a match they had won the first two sets in.  Last week they dropped a five setter to Miles Community College after leading 12-6 in the final set.  Last night they fought hard but again fell in the fifth and deciding set as they finished the season 9-21.

The Ladyjacks finished last season 5-25 and have improved their play this season to the point of being competitive even against the top teams.  They took a set from the NJCAA Div. II's 15th ranked team Bismarck State College just a few weeks ago and defeated Dawson College 3-1 last week, the first win against the Buccaneers in many years.  

The night started with recognizing the 8 graduating players.  Karrien Marteniuk, Sarah Marshall, Cassandra Nagy, Michelle Krahn, Lexi Gullett, and Taryn Roberts all played their last games for the Ladyjacks.  Tiandre Stuart played a season of club volleyball in Barbados and will graduate in the spring so her eligibility at the Junior College level is exhausted.  Kiara Hamel sat out the year because of an injury but will graduate in the spring.  She will still have three years of college volleyball eligibility.  

This group has helped DCB volleyball become a team that will continue to challenge the bigger schools in the MonDak and Head Coach Mike Smith feels the team has turned the corner from being competitive to being able to challenge for a Region berth next season.  

"We felt at the start of the season we could make the playoffs.  This conference is so tough.  We fell only a couple of sets short of qualifying but our girls played hard every night and I am excited for the future for both our program and for these sophomores that will go on and continue their student athlete careers."

The scores were very close until the final set.  25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 19-25, 3-15.  "I think the emotion of the night got to us a bit in the final set.  The nerves set in and when we got behind we just couldn't get out of it.  The building was so loud and it was an incredible atmosphere to play our final game in.  Just came up a little short", added Smith.

Smith is already hard at work assembling next year's squad and helping the graduating sophomores on their journey towards finding a four year opportunity.  "I have been talking to a lot of coaches the last week or so.  It's easy to stand up for this group as they are talented, have been great in the classroom and are everything any coach would want as far as their dedication and attitude.  Their parents should be very proud of their accomplishments to this point here at DCB.  I know the leadership here and the faculty are very aware and appreciative of the citizens of DCB they have become and will continue to be until they walk across that stage in May.  I know it's a cliche but they really have made my job pretty easy.  I will miss them."