Brookhaven Finishes 3rd in Nation

Dallas College Brookhaven's volleyball team responded when its back was against the wall. The Bears have a third place finish to show for it.

Brookhaven finished third in the country in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III tournament, despite being a set away for settling for fourth. The Bears overcame a 2-1 sets deficit to beat Century College, 20-25, 25-21, 15-25, 25-21, 15-8, in the consolation championship in Rochester, Minnesota.

Ariel Austin had 14 kills, two aces, two blocks and 12 digs for the Bears, who put down 58 balls on 55 assists. Madison Beasley had 12 kills and three blocks. Kelsey Trevino had seven kills, 15 digs, two aces and three blocks. Natalie Hawkins had eight kills and four blocks. Asia Salter had eight kills, seven blocks and an ace. Cearria Traylor had seven kills, an ace and eight blocks. Camryn Dawley had 28 assists, 15 digs and three aces. Jordan Bruscato had 21 assists and eight digs. Jadyn Ketner finished with a season-high 30 digs and an ace.

Traylor's eight blocks marked the seventh time this season she's reached that number in a match. Her 167 blocks led NJCAA DIII this year. Ketner's 697 digs were second in the country. Austin's 516 kills were also second nationally.

Tied at two sets apiece after winning a crucial fourth set, the Bears banged nine kills for a .412 attack percentage in a runaway decisive fifth set to take the consolation title. Century College (24-7) was held to its match-low .053 attack rate in the fifth set. The Wood Ducks also hit .053 in the second set.

The Bears (25-10) hit .250 in the first set, banging down 15 kills, but Century attacked for a .429 rate with 15 kills and no errors. Brookhaven responded in the second set, pulling out another tight one where both teams combined for 21 kills and 16 errors – the Bears committing the lesser of the two. Their seven attack errors to Century's nine were critical in a set decided by four serves.

After dropping the third set, Brookhaven cruised to a 12-4 lead in the fourth when Salter banged home a ball. The Bears ran off five straight points on the heels of four service points, including an ace and a kill by Austin and a blast by Trevino, to take a 20-10 lead. Hawkins, Austin and Beasley each had kills down the stretch to even the match at 2-2.

Brookhaven won the first six points in the fifth set, using five service points from Dawley that were highlighted by three kills by Austin, to grab a 6-0 lead. With Ketner serving, Trevino converted a set from Dawley to push the Bears up, 9-4. The Wood Ducks cut the deficit to 12-8, bit Salter served the final three points, using kills by Beasley, a block by Beasley and Traylor and an ace to seal it.

It was the second time since 2019 Brookhaven won a five-set match to claim third place at the national tournament.