Lady Sharks Volleyball Team Qualifies For National Championship Tournament

The Lady Sharks are headed back to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Volleyball Championship Tournament. 

To qualify, Miami Dade College (20-5) defeated Monroe College 2-1 in a see-saw battle that was played throughout two days after a medical emergency caused the 2023 NJCAA Atlantic District B Championship match to be postponed and completed on Nov. 6. 

This year’s tournament will be played in Hutchinson, Kansas from Nov. 15-18. Opening round matchups have not been announced.

But Lady Sharks Head Coach Origenes “Kiko” Benoit, whose team lost in the national championship match last season, said his team is ready. 

“We’re going to take this day by day, working and fixing some things that we could’ve done better at the tournament,” Benoit said.

The Lady Sharks quest to return to the national stage started on Nov. 3 at the State Tournament in Fort Myers when they squared off against Daytona State College. Miami Dade College won the first two sets, 25-8 and 25-15, lost the third, 21-25, before wrapping the match up 25-22  in the fourth set.

Outside hitter Ana Tevdoradze led the Lady Sharks with 24 total points, 22 kills and 13 digs. Freshman Katielle Altagracia Alonzo Vargas added 19.5 points and 18 kills and defensive setter Mia Martinez had 30 digs. 

In the State Championship match, the Lady Sharks played Florida SouthWestern State College,  

the top-ranked team in the country.

The Buccaneers disposed of MDC 25-14, 25-20 and 25-15, avenging a Lady Sharks win two weeks earlier in Fort Myers. Outside hitter Alondra Alarcon led the Buccaneers with 15 kills, 10 digs and 15 total points.

With the loss, the Lady Sharks were forced to square off versus Monroe College on Nov. 5 in the NJCAA Atlantic District B Championship match. The Lady Sharks won the first set 25-17, the Mustangs took the second set 25-22 and MDC prevailed in the third set 25-21. 

The game was postponed in the fourth set with the teams knotted at 15-15 after Mustangs outside hitter Darlenys Olivo hurt her neck during a play. She was transported to the hospital. 

Play resumed the following afternoon with the Lady Sharks pulling off a 25-23 win to advance to nationals.

Middle blocker Esthefany Rabit led the Lady Sharks with 23.5 total points, 11 block assists and 16 kills. Tevdoradze added 17.5 total points, 17 digs and 14 kills and setter Nanyelis Sosa Moreno contributed 37 assists and 10 digs. 

Despite the win, the only thing on the two teams’ minds was Olivo.

“The only important thing for us at that moment was if Titi (Darlenys) was good,” said Lady Sharks outside/opposite hitter Beatrice Carulli. “We are happy that we won and made it to Nationals, but we are happier that she is OK.”

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