Salt Lake Community College advanced to the Region 18 Championship match on November 4, 2026, after defeating Snow College in four sets. The victory follows a regular season where the No. 3 ranked Bruins split a series with the Badgers back on September 22, 2026.
Bruins Secure Semifinal Victory
The Bruins secured the win with set scores of 25-16, 25-21, 20-25, and 25-20. In the opening set, Swayzee Mason's ace serve helped Salt Lake establish an early lead, resulting in 14 kills and a .258 hitting percentage for the Bruins. Salt Lake recorded six aces in the first set, with four different players contributing an ace.
In the second set, the Badgers held a 20-19 lead, but Salt Lake closed the set with three kills from Rylee Parkinson and two aces from Angelina Murase. Despite a third-set loss where Snow College won 25-20, Salt Lake responded in the final set to clinch the match. The deciding set was ended by another ace from Mason, securing the 25-20 victory.
Angelina Murase and Rylee Parkinson led the Salt Lake offense with 13 kills each. Cameron Zajer contributed 12 kills and 9 digs, while libero Daxlyn Robinson recorded a team-high 10 digs. Setter Swayzee Mason recorded a match-high 30 assists, and Teagan Sabillon added 13 assists.
Tournament Hosting and Rankings
The victory in the semifinals places Salt Lake in the Region 18 Tournament, which the Bruins are hosting. The tournament schedule includes a match on November 5, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. against the winner of the matchup between the College of Southern Idaho and USU-Eastern.
Salt Lake enters the tournament with a 25-5 overall record and a 10-2 mark in the SWAC. This performance earned them the title of Co-SWAC Champions alongside the team that defeated them in the regular season. Earlier in the season, Salt Lake concluded the regular season with a sweep over USU-Eastern to secure their championship status, as reported by Salt Lake Community College Athletics.
Regular Season Context
The match was a competitive rematch of the regular season encounters. During the regular season, Salt Lake and Snow College split their two matches, with each team winning four sets in their respective victories.
In their previous matchup, Salt Lake had ended the regular season with a sweep over USU-Eastern. The Bruins' performance throughout the season has been marked by strong statistical contributions from key players including Rylee Parkinson, who recorded 10 kills in the regular season finale, and setter Swayzee Mason, who achieved match-highs in assists and aces.
Historical Series Split
The matchup between the Bruins and the Badgers has been a recurring theme throughout the season. On September 22, 2026, Snow College and Salt Lake Community College split a two-match series. The Badgers won the first match 3-1 on a Friday, following a comeback in the first set where they overcame an 11-4 early lead to win the set 25-23.
Snow College responded on the following Saturday with a 3-1 victory, winning three consecutive sets of 27-25, 25-23, and 28-26. During that series, Aleah McDaniel recorded six aces for the Badgers, while Britani Stone led Salt Lake defensively with 37 digs across the two matches.
Coaching Leadership
The Salt Lake Community College women's volleyball team is led by head coach Shay Goulding Meurer. Goulding Meurer is in her second stint with the Bruins, having returned to the program in May 2020 after previously serving as head coach from 2003 to 2007.
A six-time NJCAA Region 18 Coach of the Year, Goulding Meurer has led the Bruins to seven NJCAA National Tournament appearances. Her coaching career includes a tenure as the head coach at Brigham Young University from 2008 to 2012 and a position as a volunteer coach for the USA Women’s National Team in 2012.
Upcoming Schedule
Looking ahead, the Salt Lake volleyball program has scheduled further play including a District Playoff match on November 9, 2026. If the team continues its successful trajectory, they are scheduled to compete in the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, on November 18, 2026.
Roster Details
The Snow College roster features players such as Aleah McDaniel, an outside hitter and sophomore from Pleasant Grove, Utah. McDaniel played club volleyball for 801 for four years prior to joining the Snow College program.
