OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) announced its preseason poll Thursday, with the Johnson County Community College volleyball team leading the way. The Cavaliers look to defend its conference title and win its 24th overall this season as the team was selected the favorite in the 2023 KJCCC East Volleyball Preseason Poll.
Head coach Jennifer Ei returns five members from the 2022 team that finished 36-5, won conference and district titles, and placed fourth at the NJCAA D-II National Tournament. Headlining the returnees is outside/right side hitter Sophia Ewy. Last season, Ewy earned honorable mention All-Kansas Jayhawk D-II Conference and honorable mention All-Region 6/District A honors. She was the only freshman on the roster to earn postseason honors last year.
JCCC will welcome 10 new student-athletes to the program this fall as the Cavaliers prepare for another strong season in the Kansas Jayhawk Conference while looking for a run to a NJCAA D-II national championship.
Entering her 16th year at head coach, Ei has amassed a record of 419-129 (.764) and led teams to national tournament appearances in 11 of her 15 seasons, with a national championship in the spring of 2021, runner-up finishes in 2008 and 1010 and third place finishes in 2013, 2018 and 2021. Her 11 tournament appearance are second only to Kansas Jayhawk Conference and Barton Community College legendary coach Ray Bechard. Also in those 15 seasons, Ei has had her team appear in 135 of 144 NJCAA Coaches Polls, including 92 times in the top five, and 13 weeks at No. 1, including seven weeks in the 2022 season. Her team also finished in the top five in seven of the 15 season ending polls.
Ei's Cavaliers are also perennial powers in the Kansas Jayhawk Conference East Division, winning 81 percent (127-30) of her conference matches over 15 seasons. She also guided her team to the Kansas Jayhawk Conference East Division crown in 2010, 2015, 2020, 2022, and runner-up finishes four times. Her 419 wins currently rank fourth among active conference coaches, and are second most all-time in team history. She also is just the second JCCC volleyball coach to be selected as KJCCC East Division Coach of the Year, earning the honor following the 2010, 2020 and 2022 campaigns. She was also selected the NJCAA D-II Coach of the National Tournament and the NJCAA D-II National Volleyball Coach of the Year in 2020-21.