RCTC Advances to NJCAA Semi-finals After Dominant Opening Round and Quarterfinal Wins

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) punched its ticket to the NJCAA Division III Volleyball Semifinals with two impressive victories on Thursday, sweeping Brookdale Community College in the round one and outlasting Sandhills Community College in a thrilling four-set quarterfinal.

Round one: #4 RCTC vs. #13 Brookdale (3-0)

The Yellowjackets opened the day with a commanding performance against Brookdale Community College, cruising to a 3-0 sweep (25-5, 25-5, 25-10). From the first serve, RCTC controlled the pace, overwhelming Brookdale with aggressive attacking and relentless serving.  The Jackets lead in the first set 19-0 behind the serving of Carmen Nerison.

RCTC hit .276 in the opening set, led by outside hitter Lily Holtan, who tallied 12 kills on 27 swings for a .370 hitting percentage. Holtan also added three aces. Outside hitter Kylie Minnich was equally dominant, recording eight kills (.316) and three service aces. Setter Carmen Nerison orchestrated the offense brilliantly, dishing out 26 assists and adding six aces of her own.

Brookdale struggled to find rhythm, finishing with a negative hitting percentage in all three sets (-.200, -.348, -.054). The Jersey Blues managed just 6 kills for the match compared to RCTC's 35. Defensively, the Yellowjackets dug 50 balls, with libero Jayda Bednarek leading the way with 14 digs. RCTC also controlled the net, posting four total blocks, including two solo stuffs from Morgan Hansen.

The lopsided victory highlighted RCTC's depth and balance. Seven different players recorded kills, and the team served 15 aces while committing only four errors. The sweep advanced RCTC to the quarterfinals.

Quarterfinal: #4 RCTC vs. #5 Sandhills (3-1)

The quarterfinal matchup against Sandhills Community College proved to be a much tougher test. Sandhills entered with a 34-4 record and pushed RCTC to its limits before the Yellowjackets prevailed in four sets (24-26, 25-23, 25-22, 25-19).

The opening set was a back-and-forth battle, with Sandhills capitalizing on RCTC's late errors to steal a 26-24 win. RCTC hit just .096 in the first frame, committing 10 attack errors. However, the Yellowjackets regrouped quickly. In set two, they improved to .159 hitting, with Holtan and Minnich sparking the offense. Holtan hammered down key kills late, while Minnich's steady presence on the outside helped RCTC edge out a 25-23 win.

From there, the Yellowjackets found their rhythm. Set three saw RCTC hit .293, fueled by Minnich's dominance. The sophomore outside was unstoppable, finishing with 20 kills on 55 attempts (.309) and adding a service ace for a match-high 21.5 points. Holtan bounced back from a slow start to contribute 13 kills, while outside hitter Abby Evans added 11 kills at a .308 clip.

The fourth set was RCTC's best, as they hit .341 and closed out the match 25-19. Nerison once again directed the Jacket offense, delivering 58 assists and keeping Sandhills' blockers guessing. Defensively, Bednarek was a rock in the back row, piling up 29 digs, while Carly Matthees chipped in 13 digs. Hansen added nine kills and two solo blocks, giving RCTC a balanced attack across the front line.

Sandhills put up a fight, led by Katelyn Bunting's 13 kills (.464) and Brooke Emore's 14 kills, but RCTC's depth and serving pressure proved decisive. The Yellowjackets out-hit Sandhills .215 to .170, recorded more digs (83 to 77), and limited errors in the final two sets to secure the win.

Key Performers Across Both Matches

• Kylie Minnich: 28 kills combined, including 20 vs. Sandhills; .309 hitting in quarterfinal.
• Lily Holtan: 25 kills over two matches; added seven aces.
• Carmen Nerison: 84 assists on the day; six aces in the opening match.
• Jayda Bednarek: 43 digs across both matches; steady serve receive.
• Morgan Hansen: 16 kills, four blocks in two matches.

What's Next

With the quarterfinal victory, RCTC improves to 24-8 and advances to the NJCAA Division III Semifinals against Defending National Champion and #1 seed Dallas Eastfield. The Yellowjackets are aiming for their first national title since 2019.

Head coach's perspective? The team showed resilience after a shaky first set against Sandhills and demonstrated why they belong on the biggest stage. "We stayed composed, trusted our system, and our outsides really showed up and played well when we needed them," the coach noted post-match.