Champaign, Il - November 7, 2026 - The #4 Parkland College Volleyball team is heading back to the NJCAA National Tournament after winning the Central District Tournament on Saturday in Champaign. The Cobras swept Danville Area Community College and Metropolitan Community College to punch their ticket to Cedar Rapids, marking the program's 18th straight National Tournament appearance. In addition to the Central District Championship, Parkland College was also awarded the Region 24 title.


Semifinal Match: Parkland 3, DACC 0 (25-11, 25-13, 26-24)
The Cobras faced off against Region 24 rival Danville Area Community College in the semifinal. The Cobras took control of the match early, winning the first two sets 25-11 and 25-13. The Jaguars kept it close in the third match, but the Cobras came out on top to earn the sweep. The Cobras were led by Jillian Schlittler, who finished with 10 kills and 16 digs with .500 hitting. Alayna Briggs added 9 kills and 9 digs, while Bella McKinney added 8 kills and 3 digs. Khloe Stear finished with a team-high 20 digs and Chloe Eeten dished out 28 assists for the Cobras, who hit .186 as a team and moved one step closer to the District Championship.

Championship Match: Parkland 3, Metropolitan 0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-17)
The Cobras advanced to the Championship match where they faced Metropolitan Community College. Despite several lead changes and the Wolves keeping it close, the Cobras came out on top to clinch the District Championship in a sweep. Reis McFarland led the Cobra attack with 13 kills, while Kendall Stotlar added 11 and Alayna Briggs had 10. Khloe Stear once again led the defense with 20 digs, with Reis McFarland adding 12 and Alayna Briggs and Bella McKinney adding 7 each. Chloe Eeten finished with 33 assists while the Cobras hit .353 as a team for the match to earn the Central District Title and punch their ticket to Cedar Rapids.

"I think we had a good day," head coach Cliff Hastings said, "We played very well for a majority of the day, and that's a big confidence boost for us heading into Nationals. I think we're as ready as we're gonna be."

The Cobras improve to 46-3 on the season as they prepare to play on the national stage.

Up Next:
The Cobras will make the trip to Iowa for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament, which will run Wednesday November 18th through Saturday November 21st at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse Arena in Cedar Rapids.