Lakers Capture Historic Fifth-Straight Region III Championship
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — The Finger Lakes Community College women's volleyball team etched its name in history, capturing a fifth consecutive NJCAA Region III Championship, a feat no Division III program has achieved since regional play began in 1975.
The Lakers dominated the weekend from start to finish, sweeping both of their opponents to secure the 2025 Region III title and a return trip to the NJCAA National Tournament. Finger Lakes opened the semifinals with a 3–0 win over Genesee Community College on Saturday, then followed it up with another commanding 3–0 sweep over Fulton-Montgomery in the championship match on Sunday.
The performance extended the Lakers' winning streak to 22 straight matches, improving their overall record to 27–3 (7–0).
Finger Lakes opened with a 25–11, 25–17, 25–17 semifinal win over Genesee. Anna Kurtzhalts (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island) logged 8 kills and 10 points, while Olivia Scheuer (Constantia, N.Y./Paul V. Moore) ran the offense with 27 assists, adding 5 kills and 2 aces. Allyson St. Germain (Cincinnatus, N.Y./Cincinnatus) added 9 kills and 2 aces. Kayce Hennekey (Irondequoit, N.Y./West Irondequoit) was efficient at 7 kills (.667) with 5 block assists, and Ava Van Antwerp (Walworth, N.Y./Gananda) hit .667 with 5 kills and 3 block assists. The Lakers totaled 8 service aces and hit .233.
In the final, the Lakers defeated Fulton-Montgomery 25–21, 25–22, 25–12. Anna Kurtzhalts hammered 16 kills, and Kayce Hennekey stayed red-hot with 9 kills on .750 with 3 block assists. Olivia Scheuer delivered 31 assists with 2 aces and 6 kills, while Allyson St. Germain added 6 kills and 3 aces. Aubrie Tomlinson (Buffalo, N.Y./Frontier) anchored the back row with 14 digs and chipped in 4 aces. Finger Lakes finished with 12 aces in a strong showing from the service line.
Kayce Hennekey was named the Region III Tournament Most Valuable Player, with Anna Kurtzhalts, Olivia Scheuer, and Aubrie Tomlinson earning All-Tournament Team honors.
Up Next:
The Lakers advance to the NJCAA Division III National Championship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, held November 13th–15th. Seeding and matchups will be announced this Tuesday, November 4th, via the NJCAA Network.
