As the top seed in the 2026 ECNC volleyball tournament, JCC earned a first round bye before defeating Falls City in four sets to advance to the tournament final against Elmwood-Murdock.
Riley Wellenseik and Brynn Weber each had 19 kills to lead the Thunderbirds against the Tigers. Wellenseik also had a team-high 13 kills against the Knights in the championship game.
JCC was within striking distance in each set of the final, but Elmwood-Murdock won all three sets by a combined eight points, taking the conference crown, while the Thunderbirds were runners-up.
Auburn opened the tournament with a win over Weeping Water in straight sets. The Bulldogs were also defeated by the Knights in the semifinal round but took the game to five sets before the Knights won set five by a score of 17-15.
The Bulldogs would finish third in the tournament after defeating Falls City in the third place game in five sets.
After the conference tournament, the Thunderbirds moved to 21-4, while Auburn improved to 18-11 on the year.
