CHARLESTON, W.V. – Parkland College volleyball places NJCAA Division II National Runner-Up for the 2019 season with a 57-3 overall record and its sixth National Championship Match appearance in the last seven seasons. The Cobras dropped Saturday's Championship match in five sets (21-25, 25-17, 25-16, 22-25, 8-15) to No. 4 seed Scottsdale Community College (Arizona). Scottsdale came into the championship match as the hottest team in the nation, on a 25-game winning streak, and finished with a record of 30-4.
 
"It's such a bummer to lose and not win it all, but we really fought the whole night and gave it our best," relayed head coach Cliff Hastings. "Sometimes it's just not meant to be. So, I'm certainly disappointed, and disappointed more so for the girls. But, wow, did we have a great season with a wonderful group of young women. They, and the coaches, put everything they had into each practice and each match. I'm so thankful that this group of young women chose Parkland as their place to come together and go fight together, win together, sometimes lose together, laugh together and love together. I will cherish every memory and appreciate this chapter in my life to the fullest."
 
Following the Championship match, sophomore middle hitter Paige Yoder and sophomore defensive specialist Brooke Norder were named to the 2019 NJCAA Division II National Tournament Team. Yoder, a Rockford, IL, product, recorded 36 kills and 21 blocks over the 3-day tournament. Norder, out of Grand Rapids, MI, averaged 18.7 digs in the final 3 matches and ended with a tournament total of 57.
 
On Yoder and Norder, Hastings added, "They were both incredible throughout the tournament and all season long. I'm proud of them for all their successes on and off the court. But as the announcers at Nationals said all week, we are 8 players deep that could be on an All-Tournament team."
 
Parkland seemed shaky at the beginning of the championship match, with 3 service errors helping Scottsdale remain in the lead most of set 1. The Cobras roared back in set 2, however, using a 4-point run and, soon after, a 5-point run to win decisively. An 8-point run in set 3 allowed Parkland to outscore the Artichokes 50-33 in those two sets. In a critical set 4, Parkland was up 4 points two different times, 5-1 and 12-8. Scottsdale then went on a 5-point run to take the lead, and after both teams battled back-and-forth through several points, the Artichokes scored 4 of the last 5 points to win and force a 5^th set. In set 5, the Cobras started strong, leading 5-2, but a 4-point run and then a devastating 7-point run by Scottsdale put the championship away.
 
Individually, setters Summerlyn Smith (27 assists, 10 digs, 4 blocks) and Rachel Verdun (18 assists) ignited an offense that featured 54 kills, led by Ryleigh Warfel (15 kills, 21 digs, 5 blocks), Abigail Burnett (14 kills, 5 blocks), and Paige Yoder (11 kills, 8 blocks). Gabby Wessels (3 aces, 13 digs) had all 3 of her service aces in the 8-point run in set 3. The Cobras defense was also impressive, led by Ellie Stone (22 digs), Brooke Norder (21 digs), and Warfel. At the net, Hannah Benson (8 blocks), Yoder, Burnett, and Warfel led the team to 19 total blocks.
 
Champions of District J and the Mid-West Athletic Conference (M-WAC), the Cobras won a program-best 57 matches this season, including 50 in straight-set sweeps. The season also featured a 35-match winning streak. Following the District Championship, five Cobras were named to the Region 24 All-Region team, led by Player of the Year Ryleigh Warfel. Joining Warfel was Abigail Burnett, Paige Yoder, Brooke Norder, and Rachel Verdun. Coach Hastings was named the Region 24 Coach of the Year.
 
Over a two-year span, sophomores Warfel, Burnett, Yoder, Norder, Verdun, Ellie Stone, Gabby Wessels, Amanda Greening, Hannah Benson, Maranda Day, Dakota Harmon, and Maddie Yocks, finish their Cobra careers with 113 wins in two seasons, while dropping just 6 matches, with back-to-back District J Championships, and two top-two NJCAA finishes.
 
The Cobras will return 8 players from this year's team in 2020. Those 8 returnees will look to build off the experiences of this season that saw the Cobras rank among the best in nearly every offensive and defensive category.