Location: Joe & Barbara Schwartz Center - Wilmington, NC
Updated Record: 21-3
The Sea Devils returned to the Schwartz Center on Saturday morning as CFCC hosted the Region 10 Tournament Semifinals and Championship matchups. The winners of the Region 10 Championship also win the Southeast District title, meanwhile, the runners-up have the opportunity to compete against other top teams in the Southeast District Tournament with a shot at the Division II NJCAA Tournament on the line. The Sea Devils persevere through two matches in a row to solidify their spot as Region 10 and Southeast District Champions and are immediately headed to the Division II NJCAA Tournament.
Semifinal Match vs. Catawba Valley
Score: CFCC 3, Catawba Valley 1
In Short: The Sea Devils' defensive fortitude shined through and won them the semifinals over the Catawba Valley Red Hawks
Highlights: The Red Hawks put immense amounts of pressure on the Sea Devils defensively as their deceptive and fast-paced attacks were challenging to combat as the match progressed. The Sea Devils finished the first set with a narrow 25-23 lead as the Red Hawks put CFCC's defensive communication and mobility to the test. The Red Hawks kept things close throughout the match - including a 25-20 win over the Sea Devils in the Third Set to keep themselves in the game. However, the Sea Devils stuck with their game plan and finished the Fourth Set strong.
Kara Walker (Fr.) and Charly Meade (Fr.) earned key points throughout all four sets while Grace Pulido (Soph.) and Claire Smith (Soph.) held down the fort on the defensive side of the ball. The Sea Devils' offensive communication continues to improve with every passing game played - proving to be most important when returning the Red Hawks' illusive kill attempts. While Catawba's players fought valiantly, the Sea Devils were able to finish the match in Four Sets and immediately began preparation for the Championship match against the Richard Bland Statesmen.
Championship Match vs. Richard Bland
Score: CFCC 3, Richard Bland 0
In Short: The Sea Devils persevered through their final match of the tournament to sweep Richard Bland in a 3-0 Championship victory
Highlights: The Richard Bland Statesmen put up a strong united front against the Sea Devils early on in the match. With a team composed of multiple sharp-shooters serving on the backline and solid blocking on defense, the Statesmen kept the Sea Devils honest especially with their side-out game. However, the Sea Devils carried their same communicative and strong-willed strategy from their previous matchup into this Championship faceoff with the Statesmen. The Sea Devils were able to utilize various deceptive attacks - featuring workhorse Freshman Madie Ballou as she finished the match with a high kill count. Freshman Isabella Yedo lead the charge with the Sea Devils' blocking pairs as she shut down numerous attacks from the Statesmen throughout the match.
The Sea Devils' team cohesion was on full display overall as they finished the day as Region 10 Champions on their home court. The team looks forward to showing that they are a force to be reckoned with as they travel to Cedar Rapids, IA in the coming weeks for the Division II NJCAA Tournament.
