CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — November 19, 2025 — The No. 3-seeded Parkland College volleyball team made a strong statement to open the NJCAA Division II National Championship, sweeping St. Clair County Community College (25-10, 25-16, 25-19) late Wednesday night at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse.

Despite a two-hour delay, the Cobras showed no signs of fatigue, hitting .308 as a team and maintaining control throughout the match. Shay McMillen led the offense with 9 kills on .364 hitting, while Natalie Alexander added 8 kills at an impressive .571 clip. Bella McKinney chipped in 7 kills, and Riley Reis and Sammi Christman each added 5 and 6 kills, respectively, to round out a balanced front-line performance. 

Ashlee Freeman paced the offense with 16 assists, and Hailey Warfel distributed 14 assists and added a pair of service aces. Defensively, Anna McEwen tallied a team-high 10 digs, with Alexander and McKinney each contributing 4 block assists to keep St. Clair out of rhythm.

Up next, the Cobras will face No. 6 seed Cowley College tonight at 7:30 p.m. in a highly anticipated quarterfinal matchup. The two teams met earlier in the regular season, with Cowley handing Parkland one of its few losses this year—adding even more suspense to tonight's showdown.