Gaston College sets school history with 10th place 2023 NJCAA national tournament finish

Gaston College set history this weekend with the school's first-ever National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament postseason victory and a 10th-place finish in the inaugural beach volleyball championships in Tavares, Fla.

The Rhinos split Friday challenges - beating Trinidad State of Colorado 3-1 before losing 3-0 to Mesa, Ariz. Community College - then knocked off Bryant & Stratton of Wisconsin 3-0 in Saturday's consolation final before losing to Region 10 rival Spartanburg Methodist 3-0 in the 9th place match.

"I'm so proud of this team and our first, historic season," Gaston College coach Rachel Noreika said. "Playing three consecutive days in the warm Florida weather pushed everyone out of their comfort zone but they all stepped up and pulled together for a great overall effort."

In Friday's historic Rhinos' victory in a match at Hickory Point Beach, the pairs of Elizabeth Jones and Emma Downey (21-19, 15-12, 15-10), Cristina Rotola and Naomi Hilliard (21-20, 21-12) and Carli Phillips and Bianca Bowland (21-15, 21-17) posted victories and the team of Leilani Nolasco and Kristy Seifert was in their third set when the match victor was determined.

In Saturday's consolation semifinal win, the pairs of Rotola and Hilliard (21-6, 21-15), Phillips and Bowland (21-8, 21-10) and Nolasco and Seifert (21-9, 21-17) won their matches to advance to the Consolation Bracket 2 championship match.

The other competing pair for the Rhinos was Cameryn Reavis and Millea Styles. Also, the pair of Jones and Downey had a win in Saturday morning's victory but it happened simultaneously with the Nolasco-Seifert victory and wasn't counted since NJCAA rules count scores until the winning team takes three wins.

Gaston College was one of four Region 10 teams that qualified for the inaugural NJCAA beach volleyball championships; region champion Richard Bland went 4-2 and finished 5th, region runner-up Spartanburg Methodist went 3-3 and finished 9th, 3rd place Gaston College went 2-4 and finished 10th and 4th place Bryant & Stratton of Virginia went 2-4 and finished 8th.

When Gaston College had athletics from 1964 to 1972 before suspending the program, no team had ever advanced to a NJCAA national tournament event.

This school year, the first with the Rhinos eligible for NJCAA postseason competition, women's cross country runner Victoria Perez became the first individual qualifier for a NJCAA national championship.

"We spoke on the bus before we departed on Tuesday about bringing the energy and effort to match our expectations and our gratitude and I think each and every individual did that this week," Noreika said. "I'm just so grateful to have been part of this journey this season. Go Rhinos!"