The SPC Titan women's volleyball team finished third in the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) state volleyball tournament held in Bradenton Nov. 3-5. The Titans, ranked 11th in the country, now head to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division 1 tournament, for the first time in college history. The tournament starts Thursday, Nov. 16 in Kansas.
"Qualifying for the national tournament is a huge step for the program," said Head Coach Scott White. "We are looking forward to the national tournament to keep doing what we have done all year, battle one point at a time until the game is over."
The Titans kicked off their state tournament appearance Friday, Nov. 3 by beating Palm Beach State College 3-0. They advanced to take on Santa Fe College, beating them 3-0 to qualify the Lady Titans for the national tournament.
On Saturday, the Titans matched up against Miami Dade College, the undefeated, #1 ranked defending national champions. The Lady Titans fought for every point, but came up short losing in three sets: 22-25, 24-26, 21-25.
"We know if we see them again, we'll have a great chance," said SPC Athletic Director Davie Gill. "They played lights out and we had some injuries but they know we can keep it close."
Gill said nerves may have also played a part in the losses. In SPC's second match on Saturday, the Titans fell 3-1 to Polk State, who took second in the state tournament.
Prior to the state tournament, the volleyball team won the Suncoast Conference Division title for the second straight year. In addition, Head Coach Scott White was named back-to-back SunCoast Conference Coach of the Year.
"This group of girls has raised the bar here at SPC," White said. "It has been a pleasure to work with them."
