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DOWAGIAC — As the Southwestern Michigan College volleyball team is gearing up for its second season by hitting the recruiting trail, Roadrunner Head Coach Jenny Nate landed one of southwest Michigan’s premier players Tuesday.

Nate announced that Buchanan All-State outside hitter Josie West has signed a National Junior College Athletic Association letter of intent to play for the Southwestern Michigan this coming fall.

“I am absolutely thrilled to welcome all-state hitter Josie West to the Southwestern Michigan College volleyball team,” Nate said. “I have been watching, and coaching against, teams that Josie has been on throughout the past four years, and she is truly a dynamic leader with incredible court presence and the ability to score from literally every spot on the floor. She is outstanding at reading the opposing attackers and is as dynamic defensively as she is offensively. She is the type of player you give the ball to when a game is on the line, and she knows how to win.”

West, who earned first-team All-BCS/Lakeland Conference honors all four years for the Bucks, helped Buchanan win the league championship, as well as the Division 3 District title. The Bucks advanced to the regional championship match before falling to Grand Rapids South Christian in four sets.

Beside first-team all-conference, West was a BCS Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player, first-team all-district, all-region and Division 3 Academic All-State.

During her senior season at Buchanan, she surpassed the 1,000 kills plateau and became the Bucks’ all-time leader in kills with 1,142.

“Her accolades, records, and accomplishments, both on the individual front as well as with her team, speak for themselves,” Nate said. “Not only is Josie one of the top players in the state of Michigan, but she shows the same dedication to excellence as a teammate and in the classroom as she does on the court.  Josie will play a major role in continuing to build our SMC volleyball team into the championship team and program I know it can be.”

Buchanan Coach Shelly Bossert looks forward to watching her former player compete at the collegiate level.

“I’m so happy for Josie that she decided to continue her athletic and academic future at SMC,” she said. “She is going to do great things next year, and I’m excited I’ll be able to cheer her on from the stands.”

West, whose mother Letha West was a member of the Roadrunners’ 1993-94 women’s basketball team that went 29-6 and won the NJCAA Division II National Championship, joins Niles setter Anna Johnson in the 2023 SMC recruiting class.