All-Americans return to lead NJC into 2018 volleyball season
By Ken McDowell
Special To Northeastern Athletics
A solid nucleus of sophomores, led by a pair of All-Americans, combined with a talented freshman class gives Coach Jessica Squier and the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) Plainswomen high hopes for the 2018 volleyball season.
NJC returns four sophomores from last year's team that posted a 24-9 mark and won the Region IX South title.
Those sophomores are outside hitter Sara Antic from Serbia; setter Sofija Pajevic from Serbia; middle/right side hitter Ashlyn Martinez from LaSalle and outside/right side hitter Kacey Jaeger from Ogallala, Neb.
Antic earned National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American First Team honors and was an All-Region selection last year after finishing sixth in the nation in kills with 489.
She was also selected First Team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), along with being named Freshman of the Year in the Region.
Pajevic will set up the offense again this year, after being selected NJCAA Second Team All-American, AVCA Third Team All-American, All-Region IX and Setter of the Year in the Region.
Last year she had a total of 1,253 assists, along with 118 kills, 58 aces, 299 digs and 74 total blocks.
Both Antic and Pajevic will give the Plainswomen another potent offense attack this season for Coach Squier, who enters her seventh season at the helm with an impressive 127-83 career mark.
This also marks the first time ever that NJC returns two players from the previous season who are All-Americans.
"Sofija does does have a little bit of a back injury that we are having to battle right now but we do have high expectations from her and are excited to get her back," Squier reported.
"We are seeing a little more consistency with her jump serve and she is phenominal on defense and blocking so we are expecting those same things this season.
"Sara is showing signs of getting better on the back row and consistency on serve receive and defense, so that's good to see and it's great to have her back."
Squier said that Martinez is fighting a hamstring injury but expects a full recovery from the former Valley Lady Vikings star. She had 261 kills last season along with 88 total blocks.
"Ashlyn is coming into the season really strong," Squier said. "She is one who really surprised us last year and she is coming back with that same work ethic and competitive spirit and we expect good things from her.
"She is really strong offensively in the middle and her blocking has improved."
Jaeger joined Antic and Pajevic as an All-Region selection last season by blasting 253 kills with 95 total blocks and will give NJC added strength at the net once again this season.
"Kacey played middle for us last year and is really good on the back row and is getting her timing down with our setters," Squier said. "She is doing some really good things right now and boy she hits the ball really hard!"
Squier added, "It's really nice to have these four returning sophomores back. Not only are they great athletes but also great leaders.
"When you have that great leadership it makes the overall season for the coaching staff easier. They learned a lot from last year's sophomores and they are carrying that over into this season, which will be very good for us."
However, the big part of the success for NJC this season will also rest on a big freshman class, consisting of 12 players.
Freshmen are defensive specialist Cierra Williams from Cenntenial; defensive specialist Courtnie Herman from Kennesburg; outside/right side hitter Ravyn Burns from Aurora; middle hitter Ryan Nelson from Aurora; outside hitter Makenna Hittson from Des Moines, N.M.; outside hitter Kinley Coe from Colorado Springs; middle hitter Riley Grosbol from Loveland; defensive specialist MacKenzie Wells from Fruita; outside hitter Hailey McNichols from Kremmling; middle hitter Taylor Burns from Aurora; outside hitter/defensive specialist Larissa Fritzler from Merino and setter Julia Gutierrez Mas from Barcelona, Spain.
Squier is impressed with the talent and work ethic of all of her freshmen, but is quick to point out there will be a fast adjustment period from the high school level to the JUCO ranks.
"It's really hard to say right now which freshmen will step up," she said, "because they are coming in with freshman shock. They have never been through anything like this, such as being away from home for the first time and there are a lot of factors involved.
"Hopefully we will see them develop a little bit more as they get to know each other and coming out of their shells.
"I think right now they are afraid of making early mistakes. Once we see them stepping out of their shells a little more we will see what they can became.
"This is a great freshman class talent-wise and we are seeing them learn and grow each day. That's not always the case every year. Sometimes we see girls who get stuck and never really progress but this year we are seeing each and every freshman girl progress with each practice and that's really exciting for a coach."
Squier added that the competition for starting spots is healthy among the freshmen.
"I do expect a lot of competition among the freshmen and I really don't know when we will have a set lineup," she said. "It's fun, but also overwhelming sometimes when you don't know what your lineup is going to be, and sometimes it takes a whole season, sometimes it's half the season and sometimes it's pre-season.
"So everybody is different and we just have to allow them to progress and hopefully it's sooner than later. Knowing that we as coaches care about them also helps to allow them to step out of their shells."
One of the big strengths for NJC this year, according to Squier, is the competitiveness among the players.
"We are very competitive," she observed. "I can see it in every drill and this is so far one of the easiest pre-seasons our girls have seen because they are getting their drills done and mastering them pretty quick.
"So I'm going to have to pull some tricks out of my coaching hat to keep them interested and growing volleyball-wise," she laughed.
NJC opens the 2018 season in the Casper, Wyo. College Tournament Aug. 23-25. NJC will net up against tough teams right away to start the season, including Casper, Colorado Northwestern College, Sheridan, Wyo. College, Salt Lake City, Utah College and Northwest College.
"This will be a tough tournament to start off with," Squier predicted. "It will be an eye-opener for the girls to see that there are other teams instead of scrimmaging against themselves, so it will be good for them."
Since 2004, NJC and Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) have met in the Region IX South Tournament with WNCC winning each time, including last season.
Squier explained that this season the format has changed as the tournament will feature all of the Region IX North and South teams, with the top two finishers advancing to the NJCAA Tournament.
"This will be the first year that there will be a combination of the North and South teams in the Region IX Tournament," she said. "We will be competing against the North for the two bids for the NJCAA Nationals with a potential third bid."
NJC will still compete in Region IX South with WNCC, McCook, Neb., Community College, Trinidad State College, Otero Junior College and Lamar Community College.
"How we finish in the conference still means something when it comes to qualifying for the tournament," Squier explained. "The top two seeds from the North and the top two teams from the South get byes in the first round of the Region IX Tournament and then the bottom four seeds in the North and South will do playoffs to get into the tournament."
Squier said she likes the new format of the Region IX Tournament.
"I was a big advocate for this and I was the one who pushed for it," she said. "I think overall if you want to have a strong National Tournament you need to have a strong Region.
"By doing the two separate tournaments like we have in the past I don't think it helped anybody who went to the National Tournament when it came to standings.
"I think this will make our region much more stronger because now we have to focus on all of the other teams instead of just six or seven."
But first of all, NJC needs to focus on repeating as Region IX South champions, a feat the Plainswomen accomplished last season.
"It will be a tough region again this year," Squier predicted. "I think every team is dangerous and I respect every coach in our region.
"We will be looking out for everybody. I think the South is the strongest it's ever been. I really don't see a weak team, which is scary, but exciting at the same time.
"It will keep us engaged as coaches and I think whoever at the end of the year is playing their best will have the opportunity to go to the Nationals.
NOTE: NJC will play its first home match Thurs., Sept. 13 against Sheridan. Twenty years ago on Sept. 15, 1998, the NJC volleyball team officially opened the Bank of Colorado Event Center with a sweep over McCook by scores of 15-1, 15-2, 15-0.