Warhawks Close Season at NJCAA Tournament

Cedar Rapids, IA — Calhoun Volleyball's historic season came to a close on Thursday morning, as the Warhawks fell 3–1 to No. 18 Davidson-Davie in the NJCAA National Tournament consolation bracket. Set scores were 14–25, 25–17, 18–25, 15–25.

Davidson-Davie, coming in with extra rest after playing only one match on Wednesday, showed fresh legs from the opening serve. Calhoun, meanwhile, entered the morning noticeably fatigued following a grueling five-set win over Monroe and a hard-fought matchup against No. 1 Kirkwood the night before. The Storm took full advantage, exploding for a blistering .500 hitting percentage in the first set and outpacing the Warhawks 19 kills to 9 en route to a 25–14 win.

True to form, Calhoun answered immediately. The Warhawks, like they have all season, responded with composure and aggression in the second frame. Behind 14 kills and a .258 team hitting percentage, Calhoun leveled the match with a 25–17 victory while holding Davidson-Davie to .214.

The third set saw the Warhawks fight to stay alive after trailing early. Calhoun clawed back to within 17–14, but a Storm timeout reignited their surge. Davidson-Davie regrouped and closed the set with a decisive run to win 25–18.

In the fourth, both sides traded points early, with the Storm edging ahead 10–9. From there, momentum slipped from Calhoun's grasp. Davidson-Davie pieced together a dominant stretch to pull away and close the match 25–15, ending the Warhawks' remarkable postseason run.

For the final time in her career, Maddie Schwabe led the team with 18 assists, while Avery Boyd tallied 15 kills, and Lucy Means added 16 digs.

Head Coach and NJCAA Region 22 Coach of the Year Jamiee Freeman reflected on the emotional end to a groundbreaking year for the program. "Obviously this hurts, this one stings, and it's tough to have the season end today," Freeman said. "We're going to sit with this for a moment, then look back and really embrace the year we had. We've never been here before, and this group of girls has set a brand-new standard at Calhoun. I'm incredibly proud of them. I can't wait for the day they come back to visit and realize just how much they helped shape where this program is going. This team is special."

Davidson-Davie (33-6) moves on to play No. 9 seed Mesa in the consolation bracket. 

Calhoun concludes their season with a record of 32–5, the best record in program history. The Warhawks finish ranked No. 20 in the nation, champions of the ACCC, NJCAA Region 22, and the NJCAA Gulf South District, and earned the college's first conference title and first national tournament win in 25 years, an unforgettable chapter in Calhoun Volleyball history and a pivotal moment that marks the beginning of what's to come at Calhoun.