(Butler, PA) The Butler County Community College volleyball team Saturday secured a second consecutive trip to the national championship tournament for the first time in program history by winning a fifth and deciding set against a higher-ranked opponent and simultaneously presenting Rob Snyder with his 500th victory as the Pioneers’ coach.
The 21-0 Pioneers in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Mid-Atlantic District championship faced a perennial North Carolina powerhouse known to end BC3’s unbeaten seasons or deny the Pioneers a chance to compete on the postseason’s brightest stage.
BC3 won the first two sets Saturday, then dropped two in a row for the first time this season. Sandhills Community College had gained momentum to force a tiebreaker set to 15 points to determine the district champion and to decide which squad received an automatic berth to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Pioneers’ All-American middle hitter Josie Russo in the tiebreaker set had seven of her career-high 23 kills as BC3 rallied for a 15-10 win in BC3’s Field House, moved to 22-0 and provided head coach Rob Snyder with a milestone victory 27 seasons in the making.
The Butler County Community College volleyball team celebrates after winning National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Mid-Atlantic District championship Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, against Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, N.C., in BC3’s Field House in Butler Township. The Pioneers moved to 22-0, earned a berth to the national championship tournament in Iowa from Nov. 13-15 and presented Rob Snyder with his 500th victory as BC3’s coach. From left, Summer Haney, 2, of Portersville; Sarah Lucas, 3, of Butler; Snyder; Kristen Gallagher, of Saxonburg; Marly Koleno, of Apollo; Josie Russo, of Sarver; and Emmy Fisher, of Harmony.
“This is the way to do it”
BC3’s 25-14, 25-9, (20-25), (17-25), 15-10 victory snapped an eight-match winning streak for Sandhills (33-3), which in district championship tournaments beat the Pioneers 3-0 in 2024 – handing the Pioneers their first loss of the season after a 22-0 start -- and 3-1 in 2022.
“There’s not a better way to do it,” Snyder said. “I don’t care about my individual numbers, but if you are going to do it, this is the way to do it.”
Sandhills entered BC3’s Field House ranked No. 2 among 86 Division III programs and the Pioneers, ranked No. 4.
The Pioneers never trailed in the first two sets, then in the third lost outside hitter Dakota Weldon to illness for the remainder of the championship.
“Josie played amazing,” said Anora Robare, who had career highs Saturday with 46 assists and 19 digs. “She really picked up our slack. We were really struggling in the front row. She was confident and she was able to take care of the ball and that is what we needed at that time.”
Josie Russo, of Sarver and a Butler County Community College volleyball player, is shown Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, against Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, N.C., during the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Mid-Atlantic District championship in BC3’s Field House in Butler Township. The Pioneers won the title, moved to 22-0, earned a berth to the national championship tournament in Iowa from Nov. 13-15 and presented Rob Snyder with his 500th victory as BC3’s coach.
“She was just killing balls left and right”
Russo played “lights out,” said Sarah Lucas, a defensive specialist who had 27 of BC3’s 95 digs.
“She kept her energy up,” said outside hitter Molly Bissell, who had a career-high 19 digs. “We could not have won without Josie. She did great, especially in that fifth set. She was just killing balls left and right.”
Russo added five digs, four solo and three assisted blocks.
“I really wanted to win,” Russo said. “I really wanted to win. I want to go to Iowa. I think that’s really important. We have such a great team this year and we truly deserve to win. Sandhills is a great team and I knew we needed to play great to beat them. And we did.”
Weldon has averaged 9.8 kills in 2025.
“One of our best players was out for the last three sets,” Snyder said. “The fact that we came back and won … I don’t have the words for the amount of heart that showed, that we were able to pull it out. Especially after losing two sets in a row, they could have quit. And they came out and got that fifth set. I’m just so proud of that team.”
The Butler County Community College volleyball team celebrates a final point Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, to win the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Mid-Atlantic District championship against Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, N.C., in BC3’s Field House in Butler Township. The Pioneers moved to 22-0, earned a berth to the national championship tournament in Iowa from Nov. 13-15 and presented Rob Snyder with his 500th victory as BC3’s coach. From left, Sarah Lucas, 3, of Butler; Maeggie Wysocki, 10, of Apollo; and Molly Bissell, 21, of Slippery Rock.
“Her sets were phenomenal today”
Robare has averaged 29.9 assists in 2025 and 34.8 in her past six matches.
Robare, Russo said, “is a great team leader and her sets were phenomenal today. Molly (Bissell) an all-around player. Hitting from the back row whenever we needed her to. Really, really good play by her.”
Taylor Miller led Sandhills with 14 kills and Olivia Rosy with 21 digs. Reagan Malpass and Averi Cuddeback had 20 assists each.
The Pioneers reached the Mid-Atlantic District championship by defeating Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in the NJCAA Region 20 title match Oct. 25. Sandhills swept Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute, Hudson, N.C., on Oct. 25 in the Region 10 final.
Liam Robare, of Slippery Rock and brother of Butler County Community College volleyball player Anora Robare, cheers during BC3’s National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Mid-Atlantic District championship against Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, N.C., in BC3’s Field House in Butler Township. The Pioneers won the title, moved to 22-0, earned a berth to the national championship tournament in Iowa from Nov. 13-15 and presented Rob Snyder with his 500th victory as BC3’s coach.
“All Top 10 teams at nationals”
The 16-team national championship tournament will be held Nov. 13-15 in the Alliant Energy Powerhouse Arena, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“Sandhills is second in the nation and there is going to be all the Top 10 teams at nationals,” Bissell said. “Today just shows us how much we can accomplish if we put our minds to it.”
BC3 has been ranked in the Top 15 in Division III in 35 of 39 polls dating to Oct. 4, 2021.
The Pioneers’ appearance in the national championship tournament will be the program’s fifth. BC3 placed fifth in 2002, sixth in 2021 and in 2009, and ninth in 2024 – when it received an at-large invitation.
Seedings and brackets will be announced at 6 p.m. Nov. 4 on the NJCAA Network.
Members of BC3’s Mid-Atlantic District championship team are Emmy Fisher, Summer Haney, Kristen Gallagher, Marly Koleno, Marissa Metzka, Maeggie Wysocki, and Bissell, Lucas, Robare, Russo and Weldon.
Robare, a setter, Metzka, a middle hitter, and Bissell, an outside hitter, are Slippery Rock Area High School graduates. Weldon, an outside hitter, and Haney, a defensive specialist, Laurel; Koleno and Wysocki, defensive specialists, Apollo-Ridge; Russo, middle hitter, Freeport; Lucas, defensive specialist, Butler; Gallagher, Knoch, setter; Fisher, Seneca Valley, opposite hitter.
Haney, Koleno and Russo are registered nursing students; Bissell and Weldon, business administration; Fisher, Gallagher and Metzka, general studies; Lucas, technical trades-cosmetology management option; Robare, medical coding and billing specialist; and Wysocki, business management.
Snyder’s record is 500-172.