The Hillsborough Community College Lady Hawks Volleyball team has been crowned the 2012 Suncoast Conference Champions.

  The Lady Hawks posted a 20-10 regular season record. The lead the coference in wins with a 7-1 record, which was two games better than anyone in the league.

  Gary Larkin had already claimed that the team is one of the best he has had in his ten year tenure as the volleyball teams as head coach and now his praise is backed up with a conference championship.

  The team is led by six sophomores, which include co-captains Outside Hitter Jenna Kirkwood who is 9th in the NJCAA in kills with 3.68 per set and Libero Yaidmar Santiago who is 4th in the country in digs per set with 5.44. This was also a great season for freshman standout Setter Carmen Fernandez who was sixth in the nation in assists per set.

  With so much potential surrounding the team, they have lofty expectations, “This year we’re trying to go to nationals, I definitely think we can do it. Kirkwood said, “It’s not just one star on the team we have multiple, we have a court full of talented girls, we all come together and hopefully we can make it happen.” She went on to say “I think if we peak at the right time we’ll make great things happen.”

  She also credits new workout regiments to their success “We didn’t have workouts last year during the season and now we’re lifting in the morning on game days, and everybody’s really enjoying it and everybody’s feeling stronger and really getting a lot out of the workout.”

  Hillsborough will be taking on Polk State in the first round of the NJCAA Region 8 tournament. Their first match will begin on Friday, November 2nd.