By: Mark Reinhiller
For the third straight season, the Chaparrals will complete their volleyball season at the NJCAA Championships.
Region 4 champion College of DuPage defeated Region 12 champion Delta College 3-0 in the Great Lakes District championship Sunday afternoon in University Park, Michigan.
The Chaps (21-14 overall) will determine their seed and first-round opponent during the NJCAA Division III Volleyball Championship Selection Show announcement Tuesday afternoon at 11 a.m.
The NJCAA championship is November 14 to 16 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
"I'm so proud of our team and that we get to continue our season at nationals,” head coach Tolis Koskinaris said. "We want to be playing our best at this time of the season, and we believe that we are playing at our best. Our defense kept the ball in play, and when we can do that, it gives our hitters a lot of confidence.”
Josephine Becker led the Chaparrals with 11 kills and Skylar Huffman added seven in the 25-23, 25-20, 25-23 victory. COD benefited from its 35 kills in the three-set victory, along with 11 service aces.
On the flip side, the Chaps took advantage of 22 Delta attack errors along with six service errors in their victory.
Christina Savaglio and Alexandra Hornbogen each had six kills as COD hit .131 in the match (35 kills/18 errors/130 attacks). Jillian Ross finished COD's kills with five. Setter Ava Diaz totaled 26 of the Chaps' 33 assists.
On serve-receive, Huffman dealt five of the Chaps' 11 aces with libero Francesca Brandoniso contributing four. Defensively, COD remained in control with 82 digs and led by Brandonisio's 29. Both Huffman and Rory Geroux had 13 each and Diaz 12.
Both Becker and Ross had one solo and a block assist.