COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA -- The Spartanburg Methodist College Lady Pioneers volleyball team ended their appearance in the National Junior College Athletic Association's National Volleyball Tournament on Friday, after suffering an 0-3 loss to seventh-seeded Barton Community College.

The Lady Pioneers suffered three losses in the elimination round to Barton, 30-18, 30-21, and 30-15.

The Pioneers end their season 25-4, a new single season volleyball record for SMC. This was the first trip to the nationals for the SMC volleyball program since 1984.

‘I am so proud for our volleyball team to have won the region and for them to have represented SMC at the nationals. I think we’ve turned the page as far as another successful team at SMC going to a national level event. Hopefully we can go back next year and play even better,” says SMC athletic director Mark Perdue.

“They had an awesome year – and everybody here at SMC is extremely proud of them. They’ll be expecting a lot out of themselves next year, but to end the year like this is phenomenal,” he adds.

Spartanburg Methodist College has 14 intercollegiate teams that compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association, which includes colleges in the Carolinas, Virginia, and West Virginia.  

The College is in its 97th year of providing a quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning. 

For more information, contact volleyball coach Brittany Harry at (864) 587-4008 or athletic director Mark Perdue at (864) 587-4237. 

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