Entering the Region XVI tournament, St. Louis Community College’s volleyball team knew it had its work cut out for itself in the tourney’s first round. Slated to face top-seeded East Central College, a perennial regional power, it was among the toughest of draws for a team that had just recently begun to find itself in the latter weeks of the season.
The Archers saw East Central live up to its billing as the region’s top seed, as STLCC fell in straight sets, 14-25, 5-25, 11-25. The loss was the second of the year to East Central, who also defeated STLCC in straight sets in the two teams’ previous meeting, on September 16.
In the program’s return season after a one-year hiatus, the Archers concluded 2015 at 3-27. The Archers rebounded briefly from a difficult opening month to tally a pair of victories at the Blackhawk East College on October 10. All three victories came in tournament play.
Despite the first-round exit from the Region XVI tournament, the Archers did not leave the regional tournament empty-handed, as STLCC received a pair of All-Region selections. Freshman outside hitter Alyssa Sarandos and freshman blocker Kellie Schramm were each named second-team All-Region. Sarandos accounted for a team-most 111 kills, and Schramm led the Archers with 18 total blocks, including seven solo blocks.
Head coach Chris Arbini will return nearly his entire roster in 2016, with outside hitter Megan Ramsey accounting for the team’s only sophomore.