Volleyball Wraps Up Preseason with 5-3 Record

Pensacola State College Volleyball closed out the opening chapter of their season this past weekend at the annual Pensacola State Invitational Tournament. The Pirates finished the tournament with a 2-2 record and now sit at No. 8 in the NJCAA Division II rankings, concluding preseason play at 5-3 overall.

Pensacola State Invitational Recap

Day One: Dominant Start

PSC opened the tournament with commanding wins over Roane State and Pearl River, sweeping both opponents in straight sets.

Pensacola State 3, Roane State 0
(25-9, 25-12, 25-10)
The Pirates hit an impressive .329 as a team, led by Danielle Lee with eight kills and Catie Woolf with seven. Libero Olivia McDaniel anchored the defense with 15 digs. Setter Lauren Schuessler orchestrated the offense with 23 assists, while Kendall Judge added six.

Pensacola State 3, Pearl River 0
(25-18, 25-11, 25-19)
PSC's defense held Pearl River to a .046 hitting percentage, racking up 45 digs and four blocks. McDaniel again tallied 15 digs, and Woolf recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs. Lee led the attack with 12 kills, while Reece Varden was nearly unstoppable, contributing eight kills with a .667 hitting average.

Day Two: Tough Battles

The Pirates faced two formidable opponents on the final day—No. 2-ranked Kansas City Kansas and a strong Calhoun Community College squad.

Pensacola State 0, Kansas City Kansas 3
(22-25, 20-25, 17-25)
PSC fought hard but couldn't overcome the Blue Devils, who hit .258 as a team compared to PSC's .170. Kansas City's aggressive serving and passing disrupted the Pirates' rhythm and proved decisive.

Pensacola State 2, Calhoun Community 3
(25-18, 25-17, 25-27, 22-25, 13-15)
Despite a strong start, winning the first two sets, PSC couldn't hold off Calhoun's comeback. The Warhawks seized momentum with a gritty third-set win and carried it through the final two sets. Although PSC outperformed Calhoun offensively, they couldn't string together enough points to close out the match.

Looking Ahead: Conference Play Begins

With preseason behind them, PSC Volleyball now turns its focus to Sun-Lakes Conference competition. The Pirates kick off conference play with a three-match road trip:

• Thursday, Sept. 4 vs. St. Petersburg
• Friday, Sept. 5 vs. State College of Florida
• Saturday, Sept. 6 vs. Pasco-Hernando

Photo Courtesy: Dan Farley