Saints Volleyball Projected 7th in KJCCC Preseason Coaches Poll
COLBY, Kan. – The Seward County volleyball team was selected to finish seventh in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Division 1 Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll.
Seward was picked seventh out of nine competing schools in Division 1 of the KJCCC. In 2024 the Saints finished 8-19 overall and 4-12 in league play, good for a seventh place finish.
Colby was picked to win the league, followed by Barton and Dodge City rounding out the top three vote getters.
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH (AS VOTED ON BY KJCCC COACHES)
1) Colby
T2) Barton
T2) Dodge City
4) Butler
5) Hutchinson
6) Garden City
7) Seward County
8) Pratt
9) Cloud County
Jelana Cohadarevic (formerly Simic) begins her first season as the head coach for the Lady Saints in 2025 after being hired in January. Cohadarevic played at Seward County for two seasons, 2008 and 2009, and is the Saints all-time leader in kills with 1,380 and is sixth in digs with 1,004. She is only Lady Saint to record both – 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.Following her career at SCCC, Cohadarevic went on to play at Florida Gulf Coast University from 2009-11, earning first team All-Atlantic Sun honors as a junior as well as A-Sun Volleyball All-Tournament team recognition.
Cohadarevic spent last season coaching at Liberal High School and has earned an associate's degree from Seward County (2009), bachelor's degree in business from Florida Gulf Coast University (2011) and a master's degree in education from Fort Hays State in 2022.
Cohaderevic is joined by assistant coach Leslie Polanco Delgagdo on staff. Polanco Delgado spent the 2024 season with the Saints as an assistant and prior to that was a graduate assistant at Northwestern Oklahoma State. She also holds playing experience in the Jayhawk as she played at Highland Community College, being named the KJCCC DII Player of the Year in 2017.
The Saints return just two student-athletes from a season ago. Outside hitter Mariana Silva, the Saints kills leader (2.98 K/S) in 2024, returns for her sophomore season after being an honorable mention All-KJCCC pick. Ana Nikolic also returns for her sophomore season after logging 2.29 kills per set and 79 digs.
Seward opens the 2025 season in North Platte, Neb., as part of the NPCC Tournament from Friday, Aug. 22nd to Saturday, Aug. 23rd. The first match of the season will be Friday at 5 p.m. vs. Gilette College.