Warhawks Jump to #23 in National Poll After 3-0 Week

Decatur, AL – Calhoun volleyball climbed into the NJCAA Top 25 this week, checking in at No. 23 after a dominant 3-0 stretch that included wins over two ranked opponents.

The Warhawks opened the week on Wednesday, September 24, with a sweep of then-No. 23 Wallace State, before returning home Friday for a tri-match with No. 24 Enterprise State and Chattanooga State.

In the opener against Enterprise State, Calhoun battled through four hard-fought sets, winning 3-1 (25-21, 25-22, 20-25, 27-25). Ava Boyll and Laney Kelley powered the offense, while setters Maddie Schwabe and Amber Holshouser combined for 37 assists. Ashtyn Douglas anchored the back row with 17 digs as the Warhawks closed out the fourth set in thrilling fashion.

Calhoun followed with a commanding 3-0 win over Chattanooga State (25-17, 25-21, 25-13). The Warhawks controlled the pace throughout, with Boyll and Alana Allison each reaching double figures in kills and hitting over .500. Kelley also added 10 kills on a .571 clip, while Schwabe dished out 27 assists.

Head Coach Jamiee Freeman said it was a breakthrough moment for the program. "This was a really great week that showed what our program and our team are capable of. We were anxious to see where we'd land in the rankings, and having to wait until Tuesday made the suspense even higher. But it was worth it to see our name break into the top 25 again."

With the sweep, Calhoun improved to 14-2 overall. The Warhawks will return to action on Tuesday, September 30, at 5 p.m. when they travel to Lawson State. See the full rankings here.