Trojans Claim 3rd Place at the NJCAA National Championship

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Colby Community College defeated sixth-seeded Barton Community College to claim 3rd place at the NJCAA D1 Volleyball National Championship. The Trojans entered the championship bracket as the 13th seed and went 3-1, including victories over fourth-ranked Blinn College and fifth-ranked Northeastern Junior College. Colby's third-place finish is the best in program history, as the Trojans bring home the 3rd place trophy.

The Trojans sophomore outside-hitter Celia Mbaya was named to the NJCAA All-Tournament Team for the second straight year. 

Colby had many outstanding performances this past week during the National Championship matches. The Trojans freshman setter Amanda Caputi had 143 assists, averaging 35.75 per match and 11 per set. Celia Mbaya had 46 kills, averaging 11.5 per match and 3.5 per set. Freshman Karlotta Kattai had 42 kills, averaging 10.5 per match and 3.23 per set. Defensively, sophomore Camila Canedo had 61 total digs, averaging 15.25 per match and 4.6 per set.   

Colby had 47 service aces as a team, while Chiara Binda tallied 12 in the tournament, Canedo had 11, Kattai had 8, and Boglarka Kiss added seven. 

In the third-place match, the Trojans faced off against the Barton Cougars for the fourth time during the season. The Trojans came out early with momentum and won the first set 25-17. The Cougars had a late surge in the second set and went on to even the match at a set piece with a 25-22 victory.

The third set was a tightly contested battle, as Colby trailed 21-15 to the Cougars after a kill by Barton's Kassidy Nixon. Karlotta Kattai started a Colby rally with a kill to cut the lead to five points, 21-16. Chiara Binda served three aces, and the Trojans scored seven straight points to tie the match at 22-22. Barton had set point at 24-23, but Alexandra Workman scored to tie the match again at 24. The Trojans took a 28-27 lead, and Boglarka Kiss served an ace to seal the third set 29-27. 

Colby trailed early in the fourth set 4-2 but then scored six straight points to take a 10-4 advantage. The momentum continued for the Trojans, and they took a 21-16 lead after back-to-back attack errors by the Cougars. Kattai finished the fourth set with a kill as the Trojans won the set 25-18 and the match 3-1.

Colby's Karlotta Kattai led the team with 17 kills, while Celia Mbaya added 13. Amanda Caputi recorded 42 assists for Colby, contributing significantly to the team's success. Chiara Binda and Viola Giangreco also made vital contributions, with eight kills each.

Colby finished the 2024 season with an overall record of 29-5 and finished third in the NJCAA.