Kenny Hernandez
WEST PLAINS, MO. – Seward County Community College falls in the first round of the 2022 NJCAA National Tournament to Miami Dade in straight sets 3-0. The No. 11 Lady Saints fell with set scores of 25-18, 25-22, and 25-10 to the No. 4 Sharks. With the loss in the first round, the Lady Saints will compete in the consolation bracket tomorrow at 10 a.m. against No. 14 Eastern Arizona Community College. The last time Seward County lost in the first round was during the 2016 National Tournament when they fell to Polk State 3-0.
Seyun Park led the Lady Saints with ten kills and a .500 hitting percentage in the contest. Rafaela DaSilva, Aubreigh Haxton, and Jessica Sales added four kills of their own for Seward County.
In the first set, the Lady Saints took the lead over the Sharks 8-7 after a kill by DaSilva. Miami Dade regained the lead 15-12 and forced a Seward County timeout. The Lady Saints continued to trail in the set as the Sharks took their largest lead of the opening set, 22-17. Seward County fell in the first set 25-18 and trailed Miami Dade 1-0 in the match.
Seward County came out in the second set with gusto and determination to tie the match back up. With Logan Dodge serving, the Lady Saints took an early 5-1 lead. The Sharks used an early timeout after back-to-back kills for Seward County, and the Lady Saints led 8-3. But the Sharks circled back and took the lead 12-11 after a 9-3 run by Miami Dade. Seward County continued to trade off points with Miami Dade but trailed 16-14 after a kill by Seyun Park. Seward County fell in the second set 25-22 as Miami Dade took a 2-0 match advantage.
The Sharks started the third set on a 7-0 run, forcing the Lady Saints to use a timeout early to regroup. Seward County faced a 17-6 deficit as the Sharks continued to separate themselves in the third set. Miami Dade ended the match on an 8-3 run to win the set 25-10 and defeat Seward County 3-0.
The Lady Saints will now face Eastern Arizona in the consolation bracket at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 18th, in West Plains, Missouri.