Sports : 2012 Vikette Ashley Strong part of 5th place team at NJCAA Nationals

Former Vikette Ashley Strong serves for SWCC, which has earned a spot in the Nationals.

Ashley Strong, right, and her SWCC teammates celebrate earning a trip to Nationals.

Ashley Strong (No. 6) and the SWCC team celebrated its 5th-place finish at Nationals.

Former Vinton-Shellsburg athlete Ashley Strong has made college volleyball headlines twice this month

First, her team at SWCC (Southwest Community College) has finished fifth in the NJCAA Division II Volleyball National Championship in Ohio.

Second, Sttong has signed as a junior college transfer with Division II University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., and will play volleyball there next year.

A 2012 graduate of Vinton-Shellsburg High School, Strong took her skills to Southwestern Community College, where she is currently in her second year of competition. A versatile athlete, Strong is a member of both the volleyball team and the softball team. With a win over #7 Kirkwood on Nov. 9, Strong helped lead the Spartans to a 2013 NJCAA Division II Volleyball National Championship berth.

University of Mary Head Coach Steve Novacek had this to say about Strong:

"Ashley is coming to us with the determination to make an impact for herself and for our team. Ashley has been a standout at Southwestern Community College for the last two seasons and brings a ton of collegiate game experience with her. She makes playing a defensive position look easy and graceful. Ashley knows where she needs to be and she is able to make digs based on her ability to read and react. She will be joining us this spring to make her transition into Division II volleyball easier. We are very thankful to have someone like Ashley being able to join us at semester; it will only continue to make us a better ball control team."

About the University of Mary program
Graduating three seniors, U-Mary competes as part of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The NSIC is one of the top volleyball conferences in the nation with four teams currently ranked nationally, including three in the top-10.