Prior to the tournament, the NJCAA released their DII Volleyball preseason rankings and placed PSC at no. 10. The Pirates entered the tournament with high anticipation for strong competition against other teams in the top 10. 

#10 Pensacola 0 #7 Kirkwood 3

(21-25, 20-25, 21-25)

The Pirates kicked off their first day of the tournament with a match against the strong no. 7 Kirkwood. The reigning 2024 ICACC Champions hold a strong reputation in the NJCAA, and are familiar with PSC Volleyball, as the two teams both appeared at the NJCAA National Tournament in 2023 and 2024. Pensacola struggled to find their mojo throughout the entire match, but clawed their way to stay in the fight every single set. Kirkwood maintained a solid offense, hitting a .298 team average on the match, while holding the Pirates at a .196. Although the outcome was not what the Pirates fought for, the team learned from the loss and translated it into the remaining three matches. 

#10 Pensacola 3  Neosho 0

(25-21, 25-17, 25-7)

Pensacola had no choice but to bounce back immediately after falling to the Eagles, as they took the court again to face Neosho County. The Pirates made adjustments after their loss and kicked things into gear early on in the match. Suffocating the Panthers with their play and energy, the Pirates made it nearly impossible for them to gain momentum. PSC hit a whopping .472 as a team. Sophomore rightside hitter Danielle Lee led the crew with 15 kills hitting a .500. Behind her was sophomore outside hitter Catie Woolf with 13 kills (.500), nine digs and four aces. Two more sophomores made their marks as weapons; middle hitter Reece Varden with 11 kills hitting a .588 and outside hitter Laila Greene with 11 kills hitting a .500. Sophomore Lauren Schuessler set up the unstoppable offense for the Pirates and tallied 45 assists and six digs in the three set match. Sophomore libero Olivia McDaniel handled the defense by dishing out 12 digs. Freshman defensive specialist Addison Danforth also made an appearance with 9 digs for her team. 

#10 Pensacola 3 #2 Johnson County 0

(25-18, 25-23, 25-19)

The Pirates went into the second day of the tournament knowing it would be a tough fight first thing in the morning against no. 2 Johnson County. Battle tested from the day before, Pensacola went into the match confident and prepared. The Pirates found themselves on fire again, holding onto the momentum and ceasing to let go. Taking the match in three, PSC showed up offensively, hitting a .352. Laila Greene grabbed the torch for her team, bringing 13 kills and five digs, with a .379 average. Danielle Lee followed up with 12 kills (.450). Woolf brought in eight kills, while Varden contributed six kills against the Cavaliers. McDaniel led the defense with 14 digs along with four assists. Schuessler commanded the floor and racked up 36 assists and seven digs. 

#10 Pensacola 3 #9 Iowa Central 1

(25-12, 25-19, 19-25, 25-18)

The final match of the tournament for PSC was a highly anticipated face off between the Pirates and the no. 9 Tritons. The two teams last saw each other across the net in the 2024 Opening Weekend Tournament, with a match resulting in Iowa Central's favor. The year prior, the Pirates had faced and knocked out the Tritons for the first time in the 2023 NJCAA National Tournament. With the ongoing history between the two programs, tensions remained high. Right out of the gate, the Pirates came out swinging. Schuessler worked to put her team in optimistic scoring situations, which paid off with 45 assists, 14 digs and a team attacking average of .339. Aside from the third set when Iowa found traction, Pensacola owned the momentum of the match. Leaders for the Pirates' offense were Greene with 17 kills (.438), Lee right behind with 14 kills (.435) and Woolf with a double-double of 11 kills (.273) and 13 digs. McDaniel brought in 13 of her own digs and two aces against the Tritons. 

Pensacola State walks away from their first weekend of trials and successes as a team, proud and hungrier for more competition. The Pirates return home for their Pensacola State Invitational, August 29-30 in the Hartsell Arena.