TAYLORSVILLE – The Lady Bruins earned an impressive No. 4 National Junior College Athletic Association ranking this weekend after big wins over Snow College and College of Southern Nevada.
Winning isn’t something new to Salt Lake Community College volleyball. Coach Sue Dulaney brought home a Scenic West Athletic Conference Championship in 2017 and has led the team to five Region 18 titles and four runner-up finishes.
This season, the team is 20-1 overall, 4-0 in conference play and is moving closer to a high seeding in the 2018-2019 NJCAA National Tournament.
The Bruins played a nail-biter against Snow College Friday night, playing all five games to emerge victorious in the final set. Going into the match, the Bruins were down five games to six in the heated rivalry. Swept last year against the Badgers, the Bruins delivered consistency on the court, a deciding factor in the close win.
“Due to our poor performance last year, we had to prove ourselves for our No. 15 ranking in preseason,” says Dulaney. “It all comes down to winning the conference. The SWAC is a tough conference to play in with three of the six teams in the top 10. You’ve got to play your best ball in conference for a good seed in the national tournament.”
With six of the next eight games in conference play, it’s pivotal the Bruins keep riding the winning wave.
While the team is focused on building skills on the court, it is also looking to grow its fan base in the stands. Fewer than 100 people were in attendance on Saturday’s game against College of Southern Nevada at Bruin Arena.
The previous night, 236 fans showed up to the arena, though there appeared to be more Snow fans clad in blue and orange than Bruins supporters.
Sophomore Jensyn Turner, returner, racked up 14 kills against Snow Friday.
“When we’re on the road, every gym has a presence, and we know when we’ve walked into someone else’s house,” says Turner. “I know [SLCC] is a commuter school, but it would be nice if our student body showed up and had that same energy.”
In an effort to draw attention to the team, the Bruins will host “Dig Pink” night on Oct. 5. The fundraiser supports National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with the team holding a silent auction for the pink jerseys they’ll wear at the event. Free pizza and plenty of swag will also be handed out to help bolster fan numbers.
On Oct. 23, Bruins Volleyball will host Western Wyoming Community College and honor sophomore players in their last home game at SLCC. Admission is free for students or $5 at the door for general admission.
Visit SLCC Athletics for more information on Bruin volleyball.
Additionally, the location of the region championships was misidentified. SLCC plays in Region 18, not Region 9. We apologize for the errors.
