Repeat Region 4 title leads DuPage back to national tournament

GLEN ELLYN, ILL. - The College of DuPage held off a stiff challenge from Joliet Junior College to repeat Region 4 Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament champions in 2025, winning their third in four years with a 3-0 sweep. The Chaparrals earned set wins of 25-22, 25-23, 25-13 and head coach Tolis Koskinaris was named Region 4 Coach of the Year. 

Top-seeded DuPage withstood every charge the #2-seeded Wolves put together to earn narrow sets wins by three and two points to open the match. The Chaparrals then slammed the door shut on JJC with a 12-point victory in set three to win the championship. Claire Rambasek had 13 kills, Ava Diaz and Jamie Volz registered 13 and 11 assists, respectively, and Francesca Brandonisio was tops with 20 digs. Diaz recorded a double-double as she added 12 digs to her double-digit assist total. (Recap: DuPage)

(Image courtesy of the College of DuPage Athletics)

Three days later, DuPage welcomed Region 11 winner Delta College to town for the NJCAA Great Lakes District Championship, and after dominating the opening two sets with back-to-back ten-point wins, the Chaps had to rally from down five in the third set and go to extra points to secure the 3-0 sweep (25-15, 25-15, 26-24). Claire Rambasek was tops again with seven kills, Jamie Volz reached 11 assists, and Francesca Brandonisio posted 11 digs. As a team, COD racked up 16 aces in the win. (Recap: DuPage)

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CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - Back at the NJCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championships for a second straight year, the College of DuPage was awarded the tournament's #6 seed and a first round match against #11 Caldwell Tech. The Chaparrals found themselves in a back-and-forth fight that resulted in a 3-2 (20-25, 25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 15-8) win. In the second round, COD squared off with #3-seeded Bulter County Community College and again went the distance in a match that saw three sets decided by two points. In the end, they outlasted the Pioneers 3-2 (25-20, 24-26, 27-25, 22-25, 16-14) with a dramatic fifth set win to advance to the national semifinals. The pursuit of a national championship ended there with a 3-0 (25-20, 27-25, 25-18) setback to #10-seeded Dallas College Brookhaven, who would go to lose in the national final. DuPage's remarkable season ended with a 3-1 loss to #4-seeded Rochester Community & Technical College in the 3rd place match. The Chaps finished the season with a 27-14 record. Sophomore middle hitter Megan Daca was named to the NJCAA All-Tournament Team.

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