Cowley volleyball team presented national championship rings during ceremony

Honored for capturing its fourth national championship in program history and back-to-back undefeated championships, members of the Cowley College volleyball team were presented national championship rings during a ceremony held Saturday inside the Robert Brown Theatre. 

On November 23, 2024, the Lady Tigers defeated Jayhawk Conference rival Johnson County in four sets to claim the 2024 national championship. It had been 133 days between the championship match and the ring ceremony, and the program was excited that the day had finally arrived.

"This day is the day that our players have been anxiously waiting for since we won the national championship," said head coach Steven Gream.  

The team accomplished numerous feats throughout the 2024 season, including the first back-to-back undefeated championship seasons in NJCAA history, the second undefeated championship season in Cowley history, and the third in NJCAA history. The team posted the best winning percentage (1.000) in school history, posted the third most wins by a Cowley volleyball team, won the conference championship by being unbeaten in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division (10-0), and won the Plains A District championship. The Lady Tigers finished the season with a record of 40-0 and lost only five sets during the season. The 40-0 record extended Cowley's consecutive winning streak to an NJCAA record 81 matches. These honors and more made the 2024 season one of the most dominant seasons in NJCAA history.

The voice of the Tigers, Scott Gurnee, was the MC of the event and was joined by Cowley President Dr. Michelle Schoon, Cowley Athletic Director Jeff Fluty, and head coach Steven Gream, the AVCA Two-Year College and NJCAA Division II National Coach of the Year, to speak. The crowd also had an opportunity to relive Cowley winning the national championship as they watched the highlights of the national championship match against Johnson County (KS). Then, the rings were presented to Cowley administrators and staff, followed by the players and coaches of the 2024 volleyball program.

Gream thanked the Cowley community for their support of the program. He also thanked the Cowley Sports Network for their work in promoting the program through their CSN broadcasts and providing an excellent volleyball experience for the fans. Coach Gream and the team then surprised Scott Gurnee with a ring of his own in appreciation for broadcasting the program's matches and all of his support of the program since 2013.

The rings were created with careful attention to a variety of principles. Style, size, type of metal, and aspects from the 2024 season were all considered in crafting the championship rings.

"There was a lot of pressure when designing these rings. We wanted it to be very special, not only because it was the fourth national championship in Cowley volleyball history, but because 2024 was such a special and historic season," Gream said. "We also wanted it to be a ring that would be comfortable to wear, would be a great representation of the season, and would be beautiful to look at. We told the players that they were going to show these rings to people and were going to remember all that went into it. We are going to remember what we learned along the way. We are going to remember the memories, experiences, and relationships we had from the season. So, we wanted to make sure we got the rings just right. Like during the season, the players were on the same page on what they wanted on the rings. There were no long discussions; there was just 'here is what we want,' and everyone was on the same page about it."

Each ring has the Cowley Tiger C logo on top and in the center, with nine orange stones on each side edge representing the 17 players and one student assistant on the roster and national champions on the top and bottom edges. On one side, at the top, is "UNDEFEATED," representing the 2024 undefeated national championship season; below it is "BACK 2 BACK," representing the back-to-back undefeated national championships in 2023 and 2024, and below that is the NJCAA national championship trophy in gold. The other side, at the top, has "DIG OR DIE," which is named after the team's favorite defensive drill and also represents its "All In" mentality; below it is each person's name with a gold volleyball. Besides, the gold volleyball has the players' numbers or a position for non-players. The bottom of the ring has 40-0 to commemorate the record of the second undefeated season in Cowley history. The team's motto of "WHATEVER IT TAKES" and the team's "Lucky Banana" are engraved inside the shank.

"This ring is so much more than just something pretty to look at. For us, it is a symbol of our hard work and our determination that we had since day 1," Cowley volleyball co-captain Sadie Lewis said. "From the very beginning, everyone bought into the program and what it means to be a member of Cowley volleyball. We didn't let anything stop us, and the whole season, we stuck to our motto: Whatever it Takes."

Fellow co-captain Laura Bonomi said the ring represents far more than a national championship.

"It's a reminder of all the hard work we put on and off the court," Bonomi said. "It carries every serve, every dive, every huddle where we were together and looked at each other, knowing our goal. Last season, we were a perfect 40-0, but we didn't just win games; we built a family and stood together as one. We spent a lot of hours in the gym, practicing, doing mental training, traveling, and working on our skills and our relationships. This ring is a symbol and proof that if you work hard and play with your heart for your team, anything is possible. I am so proud of each girl on this team and thankful to have had the opportunity to share these two amazing years with them."