This week the Manhattan Christian College volleyball team travels to Kissimmee, FL to participate in the NCCAA Division II National Championship. This is the 14th time the Lady Thunder have qualified for Nationals under head coach Lauren Sanders. 

MCC got the overall #1 seed for the tournament and will open pool play Thursday, November 17 against the #8 seed and host Johnson University Florida at 9:30am (ET). They will play later that day as well against #5 Toccoa Falls College at 5:30pm (ET). Pool play will conclude Friday, November 18 where the Thunder will face #4 Maranatha Baptist University at 1:30pm (ET). 

Depending on how they finish in pool play will determine if they will play on Saturday. The top two teams from each pool will move on to the Final Four with games starting at 10:00am (ET). The Championship game will start at 5:00pm. 

Any tournament information can be found on the NCCAA website

Also check all of our MCC Athletics social media for updates. 

The Lady Thunder captured the NCCAA Southwest Regional Championship banner this weekend. This is the first regional championship since 2014 and the first championship since MCC has been in the Southwest region. This is the program's overall 8th Regional title under head coach Lauren Sanders. 

MCC came into the single elimination tournament as the #2 seed. The first round match up would bring on the #7 seed Ozark Christian College. The Thunder easily controlled the match winning in straight sets 25-10, 25-8 and 25-14. Freshman right side hitter Hali Bloomdahl had a breakout match leading the offense with 10 kills on 20 swings and two block assists. 

In the semi-final match the next morning, MCC would face the #3 seed Dallas Christian College. The Lady Thunder continued very strong play and swept DCC 25-12, 25-14 and 25-11. The offense was led by senior middle hitter Brenna McNellis and freshman outside hitter Liv Lubbers with 9 kills each. Lubbers and junior libero Dani Sinclair each contributed 10 digs and 2 aces. Junior outside hitter Roni Harris added another 12 digs to an outstanding defensive performance by the MCC squad, holding Dallas to a .021 attacking percentage on the match. 

The championship match would bring on a rematch with the #1 seed Arlington Baptist University. MCC had previously lost to ABU earlier in the season in a heart breaking 5 set match. The first set was a back and forth battle that MCC couldn't finish dropping the set 25-27. The team would regroup and rally in the second and third set winning 25-22 and 25-17. The third set would bring out the fire in ABU, the started out hot and pulled to a 21-15 lead looking to finish out the set to force a tie breaker 5th set. However, MCC was not going out with out a fight. Senior setter Elise Corbett would head to the serving line at 16-21 and the Thunder squad would go on a 9 point run to take the set 25-21 and win the match! 

MCC did not let up offensively or defensively with a total of 47 kills, 2 aces, 82 digs and 7 blocks as a team. ABU would be held to a just a .036 attacking percentage. 

"What an amazing tournament for our team! To be able to win the Regional championship, in our home gym ,in front of our families, friends and student body was incredible! I am so proud of our determination, fight, drive and joy that we saw on the court all weekend! We are looking forward to competing once again at the National Tournament, this time as the region representative! What a season for this group, so proud of each of them! 

All-Region Awards were handed out as well over the weekend. Senior Brenna McNellis was named to the First-Team All Region as well as Region MVP. Senior Elise Corbett was also named to the First-Team All Region. Freshman Liv Lubbers was named to the Second Team All Region. 

The team will anxiously wait for seeding information over the next week for the National Tournament in Kissimmee, FL. Information on the tournament will be released as we are able to. The tournament website can be found here: NCCAA DII Volleyball Championship 

Manhattan Christian College will host the NCCAA Southwest Regional Tournament this upcoming weekend. MCC will host 8 of the 10 teams from the SW Region in a single elimination bracket tournament beginning on Friday, November 4th. The winner of the tournament will automatically advance to the NCCAA National Tournament in Kissimmee, FL on November 17-19. 

The seedings are: 

1. Arlington Baptist University (17-2) 
2. Manhattan Christian College (23-4)
3. Dallas Christian College (10-19)
4. Champion Christian College (4-12)
5. Randall University (8-20)
6. Barclay College (9-9)
7. Ozark Christian College (11-15)
8. Spurgeon College (7-14)

The schedule for Friday, 11/4 is: 

• 12:00pm - #3 DCC vs #6 BC
• 2:00pm - #1 ABU vs #3 SC
• 4:00pm - #4 CCC vs #5 RU
• Immediately following 4:00pm match will be the Awards Ceremony
• 6:00pm - #2 MCC vs #7 OCC

Purchase tickets here: SW Regional Tournament Tickets 

Matches will be live streamed here: SW Regional Live Stream

Second round matches will continue on Saturday, 11/5 with matches at 10:30am and 12:30pm and the Championship match scheduled for first serve at 3:00pm. 

The Thunder volleyball team swept the competition and came away with the Midwest Christian College Conference (MCCC) Regular Season and Tournament Championship. MCC went undefeated in at conference play, only dropped 3 sets total over 12 matches. This is the fourth year in a row the team has won both regular season and the tournament and gone undefeated all four year. What an accomplishment for the Thunder! 

In this year's tournament, MCC started bracket play in the semi-final match taking on the #4 seeded Calvary University Warriors. MCC controlled the match from the start and never looked back, taking the set in three (25-18, 25-19 and 25-7). Junior outside hitter Roni Harris led the team with 12 kills, 16 digs and 2 block assists. Freshman outside hitter Liv Lubbers was close behind with 9 kills, 1 ace, and 12 digs. The team collectively finished with 43 kills and a .314 attacking percentage.

Next up would be the Championship match against the #2 seed and host school Faith Baptist Bible College. MCC started off incredibly hot with an unstoppable offense and strong serves from the serving line. In the first set MCC hit .242 and the second set an amazing .517. The third set would wake Faith up a bit and they would push MCC in a scrappy defensive battle. However, MCC would hold onto the match taking the third set 26-24. 

All Conference awards were handed out as well and MCC had six players earn All-Conference awards, the most of any team in the conference. 

Brenna McNellis - SR, Middle Hitter - Conference Most Valuable Player 

Elise Corbett - SR, Setter - 1st Team All Conference 

Liv Lubbers - FR, Outside Hitter - 1st Team All Conference 

Grace Walker - SR, Middle Hitter - 2nd Team All Conference 

Roni Harris - JR, Outside Hitter - 2nd Team All Conference 

Dani Sinclair - JR, Libero - Honorable Mention 

Next up for the Thunder will be the SW Regional Tournament which MCC will host November 4-5. 

Head coach Lauren Sanders earned her 400-career victory with a win over Calvary University in the Midwest Christian College Conference Tournament Friday night. The Thunder swept the Warriors in three (25-18,25-19, 25-7) to advance to the Championship game.

Coach Sanders started her coaching career here at Manhattan Christian College in 2005 with her husband Ray Sanders. In those 17 years at the helm, Sanders has been named Regional Coach of the Year 10x as well as National Coach of the Year 2x.

“I’ve had a chance to watch Lauren coach for many years and I’m constantly amazed with the discipline, energy and effort that her teams compete with. Those three things are necessary for any team to have sustained success and her teams have done just that. She is already a legend and I am proud to call her my friend,” commented Jordan Strom, VP for Student Life

Many young ladies have come through the Thunder Volleyball program that have all played an instrumental part in the great success over the years. Under Sanders, her program has brought home 10 Midwest Christian College Conference Regular Season Championships, 6 MCCC Tournament Championships, 7 NCCAA Central Regional Championships, 13 National Qualifications and 4 Final Four Appearances. Talented on the court was just half of it, as Sanders has coached many Scholar Athletes over the years.

“Coach Sanders reaching 400 wins is a well-deserved milestone! She is a great coach and has done an amazing job with our volleyball team for many years. Yet, what is even better is what’s more important to her than the wins are the ladies who play for her. Lauren helps volleyball players be their best on the court, and she also helps develop them into difference makers for Christ in life. She is truly an asset to MCC and is a great example of our mission coming to life. Through her coaching and life example, she helps MCC educate, equip and enrich the young ladies on her squad,” stated President Kevin Ingram.

 With the season in postseason play, MCC is looking to bring home more handwear as they continue to play in the MCCC Tournament and will be hosting the Southwest Regional Tournament November 4 & 5. The NCCAA DII National Tournament will be November 17-19 in Kissimmee, Florida.  

Congratulations Lauren your outstanding career, looking forward to many, many more wins!