By: Mark Reinhiller
The defending NJCAA champion College of DuPage Chaparrals will chase another national championship Thursday Nov. 9 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The 11th seeded Chaparrals received one of four at-large berths to the NJCAA Division III Volleyball Championship and will take on No. 3 seed Finger Lakes New York.
The 16-team tournament field is comprised of 12 regional champions and the Chaps received an at-large berth based on their overall record and strength of schedule.
COD, ranked 12th in the latest top 15 poll, takes a 22-16 overall record into the tournament.
The Chaps played a schedule that included teams from all three NJCAA divisions. They went 0-2 against Division I foes that included a match versus No. 11 Blinn College (34-4). The Chaps were 11-5 against Division II opponents and 11-9 against Division III foes.
Against this year’s tournament field, the Chaps played five participants, with victories against Harper and Century College.
“It’s great to be recognized by the NJCAA committee for having a competitive season,” head coach Tolis Koskinaris said. “We really tried to do it the best way we could by playing the best teams in the NJCAA. Having played against five teams in the tournament field has prepared us to be at our best for a national championship tournament.”
COD will have the honor of defending its national championship from a year ago when the Chaps won their third title in school history, finishing the season 32-3 overall.
“This was always our goal from the beginning of season, to have a shot at returning and defending our championship,” Koskinaris said. “I’m thrilled for our young women who have worked hard and maintained such a high level all season long. We kept it realistic, kept it alive and now we have a chance for another national championship.”
The Chaps rank second in the division in total kills (1,560), second in total attacks (5,117), second in assists (1,485), fifth in service aces (375) and second in points (2,109.5).