The College of Southern Maryland women’s volleyball team secured a 3-0 victory over Chesapeake College on October 1, 2025, in a Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference match at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills. The Hawks won the sets 25-7, 25-6 and 25-9, improving their conference standing amid a competitive season.
Lelia Iafeta led Southern Maryland with 11 kills on 21 attacks for a .524 hitting percentage, adding one ace, one dig and one block. Deanna Kalkbrenner contributed nine kills on 13 attacks with a .538 percentage and one block. Taylor Hollinger recorded five kills on 11 attacks at .273, along with three aces and four digs. Donshae Walls added four kills on eight attacks at .250, with one ace and two digs. Amelie Lancioni had one kill on five attacks at .200, but excelled in assists with 26, plus three aces, one dig and one block. Mia Decarlo provided three aces and five digs without any kills. Ana Martinez contributed two aces and four digs. Amanda Stafford had one kill on one attack, and Kennedi Jones one kill on two attacks at .500. Jasmin Qalanawi played but recorded no stats in key categories.
The Hawks totaled 27 kills on 63 attacks with six errors for a .397 hitting percentage across the match. They recorded 27 assists, 19 aces, nine digs, two solo blocks and two block assists. Set-by-set, Southern Maryland hit .632 in the first, .333 in the second and .259 in the third.
This win positions Southern Maryland strongly in the Maryland JUCO Conference, where they entered the match with a conference record contributing to an overall mark of around 9-7 based on recent results, including wins over Anne Arundel Community College 3-1 on September 9 and Harford Community College 3-1 on September 16, but a loss to Montgomery College 3-0 on September 20. The team has played 16 matches this season, averaging 8.66 kills per set with a .107 hitting percentage overall. Chesapeake, meanwhile, has struggled with a 1-9 record through 10 matches, averaging 4.97 kills per set at .035 efficiency.
In the broader conference standings as of early October 2025, Montgomery leads at 8-0 overall in conference play, followed by Hagerstown at 8-1 and Carroll at 5-1, with Southern Maryland holding a spot in the upper half at approximately 5-3 after this result. The Maryland JUCO Conference, part of NJCAA Region 20 Division II, includes 10 teams and emphasizes development for student-athletes, many of whom are local to areas like Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties for Southern Maryland, or the Eastern Shore for Chesapeake.
This structure ensures fair play, with stats like kills (a ball hit into the opponent’s court resulting in a point), assists (passes leading to kills) and digs (defensive saves) tracked meticulously. Southern Maryland’s performance here highlights effective serving and attacking, areas where community college programs often focus training to prepare athletes for potential transfer to four-year institutions.
The conference schedule continues for Southern Maryland with a home match against Hagerstown on October 2, part of a slate aiming for postseason berths. Region 20 tournaments typically occur in late October, leading to nationals in November for qualifiers. This victory adds momentum, underscoring the program’s role in engaging local communities through accessible athletics.
