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DOWAGIAC — Second-year Southwestern Michigan College Volleyball Coach Jenny Nate and her team will face some stiff competition during the course of the 2023 season.

The Roadrunners, who posted a 14-20 overall record in their first season back on the court in more than 26 years, will face NJCAA Division II No. 17-ranked Rock Valley this weekend in Rockford, Illinois.

Southwestern Michigan will also play home-and-home matches with No. 9-ranked Muskegon Community College. The Roadrunners host the Jayhawks on Oct. 26.

Southwestern Michigan could face another ranked team depending on the draw at the Raider Challenge hosted by Grand Rapids Community College, which is ranked No. 6 in the preseason poll.

The Roadrunners will be looking to improve on last year’s overall record and Michigan Community College Athletic Association Western Conference record of 5-7, and its four-place finish in league play.

The Roadrunners did qualifier for the NJCAA Great Lakes A District Tournament in its first season of competition.

This weekend, Southwestern Michigan hopes to duplicate the success if found at the Opening Weekend Tournament, where the Roadrunners went 5-1 with a roster completely made up of freshmen. The OWT is the largest junior college tournament in the country.

The Roadrunners will open play on Friday at noon against College of Lake County. Southwestern Michigan will also play at 4 p.m. against Joliet Junior College.

On Saturday, the Roadrunners will square off against Southwestern Illinois College at 4 p.m. before facing Rock Valley at 6 p.m.

Southwestern Michigan will wrap up competition with back-to-back games at 10 a.m. and noon against Morton College and Olive Harvey.

Lake Michigan College, which is the defending MCCAA Western Conference champion, is also competing this weekend at OWT.

The Red Hawks face McHenry at noon and Spoon River College at 6 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, LMC will play RCTC at noon and Carl Sandburg at 4 p.m.

Live scoring can be found at allin.volleyballlife.com/tournament/9853?tab=information