1975 11th-place NJCAA Division I

JCCC qualified for the NJCAA National Volleyball Championship in only their second season of competition.  Leading the Kansans that season was Marcia Riniker, who earned first-team NJCAA All-Region VI and second-team NJCAA All-America honors.  Riniker was also selected as the team’s MVP.

1981 13th-place NJCAA Division I

In her first season as head coach at JCCC, Susan Brown helped the Kansans return to the national tournament.  Led by sophomore all-region performers Kathy Meehan and Jana Tally, JCCC won the conference and region titles en route to a 3th-place national finish.  The Kansans opened with a 8-15, 6-15, 14-16 loss to Illinois Central, and followed with a 7-15, 2-15, 1-15 loss to a powerful Miami Dade squad.  JCCC closed out the tournament with a 15-17, 15-1, 15-6 win over Rhode Island.  Johnson County finished the season with a mark of 34-14.  

1982 4th-place NJCAA Division I

Under the direction of second-year head coach Susan Brown, JCCC won the conference and region titles, and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament.  The Kansans entered the tournament ranked 12th in the NJCAA poll, and had an overall record of 42-9-3.  Led by All-Region VI picks Jan Hunt and Ruthie Bresette, and NJCAA All-Tournament selection Diane Martincich, the Kansans registered a fourth-place finish in the tournament, the best in the program’s history.  JCCC won its pool defeating Erie 15-9, 9-15, 15-11, Rhode Island 16-14, 15-2, 15-1, Miami-Dade 15-0, 5-12, 3-15.  JCCC then advanced to the semifinals with a 10-15, 15-4, 15-8, 17-15 win over Northeastern Colorado.  However, the Kansans dream of winning a national title came to an end, as they fell 5-15, 2-15, 1-15 to eventual national champion Scottsdale.  The loss set a rematch with Miami-Dade, a team JCCC defeated in the pool play portion of the tournament.  In one of the best matches of the tournament, Miami-Dade edged JCCC in five games, 6-15, 15-10, 15-4, 14-16, 15-3.  JCCC finished the season 46-11-3.  Their 46 wins are still a school record today.

1983 5th-place NJCAA Division I

For the third straight season, Johnson County won the Region VI Tournament and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament.  JCCC got a bad break in the quarterfinal round of the tournament at Cantonsville, Md., and returned home with a fifth-place finish.  The Cavaliers won their pool, beating Nassau, N.Y., 15-10, 15-2, 15-7; Boone, N.Y., 15-6, 15-14, 15-6; and Jefferson, Mo., 15-13, 15-8, 8-15.  There were four pool winners and second-place teams placed in the eight-team tournament.  JCCC had the misfortune to play second-seeded Miami-Dade, which had been upset in its pool, in the quarterfinals.  Johnson County was defeated 9-15, 10-15, 6-15 and with the loss could finish no higher than fifth in the tournament.  They almost didn’t finish.  In the consolation semifinals they lost the first two games to Lake Michigan, 9-15, 11-15, but rebounded to win the next three 15-9, 15-12, 17-15 to advance to the fifth-place game.  JCCC defeated Ricks, Idaho, in three games 15-12, 15-5, 15-9 to claim fifth.  Sophomore Amy Borders, who was named to the NJCAA and CVCA All-America teams before the tournament started, was named to the All-Tournament team for her play at nationals.  She had a team-leading 71 kills and 77 blocks during the tournament.  Third-year Cavaliers coach Susan Brown said that all three of year sophomore played well, and believed that Michelle Mazza should also have been named all-tournament.  Mazza had 57 kills, 53 blocks and 36 digs in the tournament.  Chris Haller led the team with 39 digs and had 53 blocks.  Jill Steever led the team in assists with 74.  JCCC finished an amazing 43-3 overall.

2003 9th-place NJCAA Division II

JCCC ended a 20-year drought, qualifying for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament in 2003.  Led by All-Americans Meghan Pudliner and Courtney Aguilar, and All-Region VI pick Amanda Koetting, JCCC won the East Jayhawk Conference Championship, posting a perfect 9-0 record. The Cavaliers opened postseason play with an amazing come-from-behind victory over 2002 Region VI Champion Hesston.  After losing the first two games 29-31, 27-30, JCCC rebounded for three straight, winning 30-25, 30-22 and 15-13.  JCCC won the District K title by sweeping Meramec in three straight games, 30-27, 30-24, 30-21.  The Cavaliers opened play in the National Tournament in Toledo,Ohio, with a loss to nationally ranked Kirkwood, 21-30, 25-30, 20-30.  JCCC bounced back with a three-game win over Hagerstown, 30-19, 33-31, 30-21.  That would be JCCC’s only success, losing its next three matches to Kishwaukee, Scottsdale and Northwest Shoals, finishing with a 27-10 record and tied for ninth in the NJCAA.

2006 9th-place NJCAA Division II

JCCC returned to defend their national crown, but fell short, finishing ninth overall. JCCC opened the national tournament with a tough 3-1 loss to Illinois Central.  Falling to the loser’s side meant the best JCCC could finish was ninth.    Many teams could have packed it in after losing out on their dream of winning another national title, but JCCC proved why they are one of the top volleyball programs in the NJCAA.  JCCC stormed back with a 3-0 victory over Williston College.  They followed with a 3-1 win over Iowa Central, and secured ninth place with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Des Moines Area, avenging a loss the Bears earlier in the season.

2007 2nd-place NJCAA Division II

The JCCC volleyball team placed second at the 2007 NJCAA Volleyball Tournament in Scottsdale, Ariz. JCCC fell 3-1 to No. 1 ranked Kishwaukee Community College in the championship match. Their second place finish is the second-best finish in championship play. The Cavaliers won the 2005 national title. JCCC finishes the season 28-5, and they defeated 13 ranked teams during the campaign. In addition, head coach Jill Stinson stands 299-119-1 in 11 years as the Cavaliers’ head coach.  JCCC began the tournament with a 3-0 win over No. 15 North Dakota State College of Science. The Cavaliers won by the scores of 30-22, 30-16 and 30-27. They followed with another 3-0 win over No. 10 ranked Des Moines Area Community College. JCCC won by the scores of 30-20, 30-15 and
30-15. In the semifinal match, JCCC again swept their opponent, this time downing No. 6 Southwestern Illinois College, 30-21, 30-23 and 30-27. That victory earned JCCC a shot at its second national championship in three years.  In addition to the team’s success, two individuals were honored for their performance in this championship event. Sophomores Jackie Swab and Stephanie Wright were selected to the 2007 NJCAA All-Tournament Team.

2008 2nd-place NJCAA Division II

To quote Yogi Berra, “This is like deja vu all over again”, the Johnson County Community College volleyball team finished runner-up to Kishwaukee College at the NJCAA D-vision II Volleyball Championship for the second straight year.  JCCC, the No. 3 seed in the championship, fell 3-1 to the nation’s top team, the same score as last year’s championship match.  This was JCCC’s third appearance in the championship match in the last four years.  The Cavaliers won the NJCAA title in 2005.  JCCC opened the 2008 national tournament with a 3-1 win over No. 14 Grand Rapids Community College. The Cavaliers advanced to the semifinals with a 25-23, 25-21, 25-23 hard fought win over No. 6 Scottsdale Community College.  JCCC followed with another 3-1 win over No. 7 Illinois Central College, a team that knocked off No. 2 Cowley College earlier in the tournament. JCCC lost the opening game, 18-25, then roared back with three straight wins, 25-23, 25-17 and 25-21, setting up a title match with Kishwaukee for a second consecutive year. The Cavaliers lost the first game, 22-25, then evened the match with a 25-22 victory in game two.  Kishwaukee showed why they held the nation’s No. 1 spot for eight straight weeks, downing JCCC with back-to-back 25-18 games to claim the 2008 national title. In addition to the team’s success, two individuals were honored for their performance in this championship event.  Sophomore Syndey Pemberton, a 2007 All-American, and freshman Emily Forbes, were named to the 2008 NJCAA D-II All-Tournament Team.

2009 6th-place NJCAA Division II

JCCC entered the 2009 NJCAA D-II Tournament vying to reach the final match for the fourth time in five years, but fell shy, finishing sixth overall.  The road to the championship is always a tough trip, but this championship may have been toughest field in the tournament’s history.  Thirteen of the 16 teams that qualified were ranked in the NJCAA top 20, including the Cavaliers at No. 5.  The other ranked teams were Parkland College (No. 1), Cowley College (No. 2), Illinois Central College (No. 3), Kishwaukee College (No. 4), Columbus State Community College (No. 6), Kalamazoo Valley Community College (No. 8), Des Moines Area Community College (No. 9), Hagerstown Community College (No. 10 ), Glendale Community College (No. 11), McHenry County College (No. 13), North Platte Community College (No. 18) and East Central College (No. 20). Monroe College (27-2) received votes. The two non-ranked teams in the field are Catawamba Valley Community College and JCCC’s first round opponent Iowa Lakes Community College. JCCC had defeated Iowa Lakes in three straight games earlier this season, and but had to come-from-behind to capture the victory at nationals.  JCCC lost the first two games by identical 22-25 scores, then reeled off three straight wins, 25-20, 25-15 and 15-9.  That set a rematch of the last two championship matches against Kishwaukee.  JCCC’s dream of a title was dashed with a three-game sweep by Kish.  The Cavaliers rebounded with a  a three-game sweep of their own over Kalamazoo Valley, 25-17, 25-19 and 25-20.  JCCC settled for sixth place overall dropping three games to Des Moines Area, 17-25, 19-25 and 22-25.  Sophomore Jordan Lockwood was JCCC’s representative on the all-tournament team.

2010 2nd-place NJCAA Division II

For the third time in four years, the Johnson County Community College volleyball team finished second in the country. The Cavaliers lost its bid for a second national championship, falling in a thrilling five-set match with Pasco-Hernando Community College in New Port Richey, Fla. The Conquistadors became the first college from Florida to capture the NJCAA D-II Championship. Pasco-Hernando won the first set 26-24, but Johnson County roared back with a 25-13 victory in the second set. The Conquistadors won the third set 25-21, but again, JCCC responded with a hard-fought 25-23 win the fourth to force a fifth and final set for the championship. Pasco-Hernando jumped out to a 12-8 lead, and was able to hold of JCCC for a 15-12 win. Johnson County finished the season with a 30-6 record. The Cavaliers opened the 2010 championship with a 3-0 victory over Hagerstown. JCCC won the by the scores of 25-21, 25-16 and 25-22. Johnson County advanced to the semifinals and rematch with conference rival Cowley College by downing Illinois Central, 3-1. JCCC won the first set 25-18, but fell in the second 22-25. They came back to take the match with wins of 25-20 and 25-22. Friday night’s match against Cowley may have been the biggest of the tournament. Cowley entered the tournament No. 1 in the country and was a favorite to win the title. The Tigers took the first set 25-22, but JCCC evened the match with a 25-23 win in the second. Cowley again took control with a 25-15 victory, but again, JCCC fought back to even the match, 2-2. In the final set, Cowley appeared on its way to the final. The Tigers were within one point of closing out the match, leading 14-11, before JCCC took control. Johnson County won six of the next seven points for a 17-15 win and berth in the title match. In addition to the team’s success, three individuals were honored for their
performances in this championship event. Sophomores Nicki Specht and Shannon Majors and freshman Tayler Geer were named to the 2010 NJCAA D-II All-Tournament Team. Specht recorded 32 kills and 10 blocks in the four matches. Majors compiled 47 kills and 45 digs, and hat an attack percentage of .429 in the title match. Geer finished with 24 kills, 34 digs, six aces and 13 assists.

2011 10th-place NJCAA D-II

The Johnson County Community College volleyball team came away with a 10th place finish at the 2011 NJCAA Division II Championship in Perrysburg, Ohio on the campus of Owens Community College. Johnson County finished 2-2 in the tournament, and finished the season with a 26-13 overall. Johnson County opened the tournament against Kishwaukee, a team the Cavaliers have struggled with over the years. JCCC had lost three times earlier this season to the Kougars, and stood 1-11 all-time entering the match. JCCC opened with a convincing 25-16 win the game one, but Kishwaukee evened the match with a 25-21 win in game. The Kougars closed out the match with win of 25-12 and 25-19, ending any hopes of a national title in 2011. After seeing those hopes dashed, it would have been easy to pack it in, but JCCC fought back with two impressive wins over Hagerstown and Illinois Central, advancing to the ninth-place match. Johnson County defeated Hagerstown 3-0 (25-16, 25-14, 25-11) and Illinois Central 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-16, 25-22). Parkland took an early lead on JCCC in the ninth-place match, winning game one 25-17, but the Cavaliers pulled even with a 25-16 victory in second game. Parkland took back its lead in third with a 25-21 win, and closed out the match with a 25-16 victory in game four.

2013 3rd-place NJCAA D-II

The 2013 Johnson County Community College volleyball team came away with a third place finish at the NJCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament in Toledo, Ohio.  It marks the fifth time since 2005 JCCC has finished among the top three nationally. JCCC won a national championship in 2005.   Johnson County began the tournament with a 3-0 win over Hagerstown, Community College and followed with a 3-1 win over Des Moines Area Community College later on opening day. In the semifinal round Nov. 22, the Lady Cavaliers fell in four sets to No. 2 seed Parkland College, but rebounded for a 3-1 win over Oakland Community College in the third place match on Nov. 23. 

“I felt like the team played really well against Hagerstown,” Ei said. “Then we had to play against Des Moines Area who is a good team and pushed us. In the end, we played together to reach our goal of making it to the final four. We played hard against Parkland in the semis, but we made a few too many unforced errors to get the job done. I am very proud of this team and how resilient they have been all season. It is very tough to compete the next day for third place once you have lost the opportunity to play in the national championship, but they played with pride to capture the third place in the nation.” 

Sophomore hitter Preecy Seever was named to the all-tournament team after an impressive performance in all four matches. She recorded 64 kills in the tournament, and hit over .500 in three of the four matches, including kill percentage of .667 in opening match against Hagerstown. 

2015 5th-place NJCAA D-II

Once again this fall, the Lady Cavaliers proved to be quite formidable on the court as they tallied an overall record of 35-7, won the East Jayhawk Conference and District M titles and placed fifth at the NJCAA Division II National Tournamentat Phoenix College in Phoenix, Ariz. This was the 21st confernce title in team history and the eighth time in the team finished among the top five nationally.

“We have a goal every season to win conference and compete for a national title,” said Ei. “We also had a goal of getting better each day at practice and prove it in the matches. I believe we accomplished that.”

The Lady Cavaliers entered the tournament as the third seed and opened play with an efficient 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-17) win over No. 14 seed Muskegon Community College on Thursday, Nov. 19, the first day of the tournament.  Johnson County followed with a hard-fought 3-1 loss (23-25, 25-18, 28-30, 23-25) to the eventual national runner-up finisher, Lincoln Land Community College. The Lady Cavaliers responded with a 3-1 win (25-22, 29-27, 20-25, 26-24) over Central Community College-Columbus and finished off the tournament with an impressive 3-0 win (25-16, 25-14, 25-23) over Jayhawk Conference rival Cowley College to take fifth place in the championship. It marked the third time Johnson County defeated Central and Cowley in the season. Johnson County closed out the season at 35-7, giving Ei the most wins in a season under her watch.

JCCC freshman libero Tori Kerr put together a sensational tournament and was named to the all-tournament team. She finished the tournament with 122 digs and recorded a season high 41 digs in the win over Central and 35 digs, her third-best effort, against Cowley. She finished the year with 782 digs, the most by a freshman in school history and third highest season total ever.

2016 9th-place NJCAA D-II

The Johnson County Community College volleyball team shook off a first-round loss to win three straight matches and take ninth place overall in the NJCAA Division II National Volleyball Tournament at the Charleston Civic Center in the Charleston, W.Va.,  Nov. 17-19. Seeded seventh in the 16-team field, Johnson County drew 10th seed Sauk Valley Community College in the opening round. The Skyhawks took the first set from Johnson County with a narrow 26-24 win. The Lady Cavaliers rebounded with a 25-16 victory in the second set, but were not able to maintain that momentum, falling 25-19 and 25-21 in sets three and four, ending any national title aspirations.

Despite that disappointment, the Lady Cavaliers responded with inspired and solid play, winning nine of their next 10 sets, downing Potomac State College of WVU 3-0, MCC-Longview 3-0 and Grand Rapids Community College 3-1 in the ninth place match.

Meghan Tauke led all hitters with 55 kills over the tournament, an average of 3.9 per set. She also hit .385 for the tournament. Bree Schmidt tied her career high with 32 digs, and ended the tournament with 100 total, an average of 7.14 per set.  Stevie Sherard collected a tournament high 49 assists, giving her 144 for the tournament and a 10.3 per set average.

2018 3rd-place NJCAA D-II

The Johnson County Community College volleyball team's quest to capture its second national championship came up short, but the Cavaliers managed to close out the NJCAA D-II Tournament with a third place finish.  This is the sixth time in team history they have finished among the top three at nationals. Four of those six have come under the direction of head coach Jennifer Ei. 

Johnson County opened the tournament on Thursday, Nov. 15 with a 3-1 win (25-15, 22-26, 25-23, 25-13) over No. 14 seed Oakland Community College, and followed later in the day with a 3-1 win (30-28, 23-25, 25-22, 25-17) over No. 6 seed Lincoln Land. That victory advanced them to the national semifinals against no. 2 seed Parkland College, a team the Cavaliers defeated earlier in the season. 

However, Parkland was the better team on Friday evening, sweeping Johnson County in three sets (25-15, 25-16, 25-11). 

Johnson County rebounded on Saturday, Nov. 17 with a 3-2 win over No. 5 seed Kirkwood (25-17, 25-23, 22-25, 21-15, 15-10) to earn a third place finish in the tournament.  The Cavaliers finished the season with a record of 30-8. 

Individually, sophomore middle hitter Anna Hester was selected as an all-tournament performer. She finished the tournament with 51 kills and an attack percentage of .299.  Hester finished the season with 463 kills, which ranks as the third-best season in team history. She finished her career with 707 total kills, tying her for fifth all-time. 

Sophomore setter Jade Askren, freshman libero Rylie Barnum sophomore hitter Ciarra Valadez had impressive efforts during the tournament. Askren tallied 170 assists in the four matches to bring her season and career totals to 1,337 and 2,122. Both totals rank third on the season and career charts in team history. 

Barnum recorded 85 digs in the tournament which raised her season total to 743, also the third-best season in Johnson County history. 

Valadez led the Johnson County with a total of 56 kills over the four matches. She led the Cavaliers with 17 kills in in opening win of tournament against Oakland. In the third place win over Kirkwood, Valadez again led the team with 18 kills. That effort is the second-best of her career, just one shy of her personal-best. For the season, Valadez finished second overall with 325 total kills. 

2020 NJCAA D-II National Champions

JCCC is the champion of NJCAA Division II volleyball - again!  The Lady Cavaliers completed its amazing run through the NJCAA Division II Tournament with a 3-1 (25-15, 22-24, 25-18, 25-19) victory over No. 2 seed Parkland College in the national title match at Alliant Energy Powerhouse Arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The Lady Cavaliers (27-2) swarmed the middle of the court after sophomore right-side hitter Mikayla Powell’s game-high 19th kill hit the floor close out the match and seal JCCC’s first national championship since 2005. 

“This is the most amazing group of women – character-wise – that I’ve ever coached,” JCCC head coach Jennifer Ei said. “Not just successful here (on the court). Every single one of them got honors academically. They just are good people.”

Powell, who was named MVP of the tournament, had 19 kills and a hitting percentage of .351 in the championship match. She finished the tournament with 57 kills and a .339 kill percentage. She would later be selected first-team All-American and the NJCAA D-II National Player of the Year.

Sophomore Shannon Riley and freshman Sydney Healy, both members of the all-tournament team, combined for 19 kills against Parkland. Riley tallied 51 total kills and a .314 kill percentage, and Healy added 42 kills over the four matches.

Sophomore Gracie LaForge put up solid numbers at the net over the tournament. She contributed nine kills and a team-high seven blocks in the championship, and closed out play with 37 total digs and 15 blocks. Setters Kallie Fenske (Broken Arrow, Okla.) and Ryleigh McBurney (Blue Springs South/Blue Springs, Mo.) combined for 44 assists.  For the tournament, they tallied 110 and 97 respectively. On the back row, sophomores Makenzie Griffel, Alyssa Smith and Maddie Steiner combined for 38 digs. Griffel led JCCC 88 total digs in tournament play, followed by Smith with 64 and Steiner with 39.

JCCC’s ride to the championship was quite bumpy at the beginning.  The Lady Cavaliers survived two five-set matches against Pima and Kirkwood, fighting off six match points against the Eagles just to reach that point. Then JCCC caught fire. They took six of seven sets from the top-two seeded teams, sweeping No. 1 Illinois Central and went 3-1 with Parkland.

2021 Third-place NJCAA D-II

JCCC came away with a third-place finish at the 2021 NJCAA D-II Championship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Saturday, defeating Iowa Central in five sets (17-25, 24-26, 25-19, 25-20, 15-5). The Lady Cavaliers finish the season with a mark of 32-7. In third place match, sophomore Alyssa Smith led Johnson County with a double-double of 17 kills and 11 digs. Freshman Jadyn Troutman followed with 14 kills and posted a kill percentage of .323.Troutman was solid throughout the tournament, earning a spot on the all-tournament team. Sophomore Lexi Lueger was also in double digits finishing with a career-high 12 kills. Sophomore Maddie Steiner and freshman Baily Hughes were one-two in digs, finishing with 19 and 12 respectively. Freshman Lauren McClure directed with the offense posting 36 assists. This was the fifth time this season she topped 30+ assists in a match. Johnson County had hoped to reach the championship match to have a shot a defending their national title, but fell to a strong Cowley squad 3-0. The Lady Cavaliers opened play with a dominating effort over No. 13 seed Cape Fear, winning 3-0.  Their quarterfinal match was much tougher, as JCCC held one to win in five sets over No. 5 seed Sauk Valley.  In the opening match, freshman hitter Dejah Miller led the way with 16 kills. She also hit an impressive .560 for the match. Steiner and Kylie Gregory each registered 10 digs and Ryleigh McBurney led the way with 28 assists. In the win over Sauk Valley, Miller was again the top hitter with 17 kills. Carley Spachman followed with 12 kills and Sample and Smith each tallied 11. Steiner led the team in digs with 14 and McBurney posted a double-double with 32 assists and 10 digs. McClure also hit double figures in assists with 21. 

2022 Fourth-place NJCAA D-II

The Johnson County Community College volleyball team capped another successful season by placing fourth at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament over the weekend in Grand Rapids, Iowa.  This marked the seventh time in 15 seasons that head coach Jennifer Ei led her team to a top four national finish.After opening the tournament with a pair of sweeps to reach the semifinals, the Lady Cavaliers lost a tough five set match the eventual national champion Richard Bland College. They followed with a 3-0 loss to Parkland to finish the season 36-5. 

Sophomore outside hitter Taylor McCarthy was named to the all-tournament team. She was in double figures in kills in three of the four matches and posted a kill percentage of .243. Sophomore outside hitter Jadyn Troutman also had a solid performance in the tournament. She posted double digits in kills in all four matches and finished with a kill percentage of .340. Sophomore setter Lauren McClure tallied 112 assists, which rank as the ninth most recorded in a national tournament by a JCCC setter, and sophomore libero Addyson Mock was solid in the back posting 46 total digs.