In 2022, Juniata College women’s volleyball middle hitter and blocker Courtney Williams made history by becoming the first Tyrone High School graduate to win an NCAA National Championship.
In 2023, Williams made history again by being the first Tyrone graduate to win two NCAA championships.
In 2024, Williams and her teammates put an exclamation point on their amazing run when they received their 2023 national championship rings on March 27 at a Juniata men’s volleyball match in Huntingdon.
Juniata won 62 straight matches with Williams, going undefeated for two consecutive seasons, ending with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-21) sweep of Hope College on December 2, 2023, to win their second consecutive national championship title, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in NCAA Division III volleyball since the 2000 season.
Courtney was a huge contributor on the court. She started the whole year and has worked very hard to earn that spot. At times when other people were not playing well, Courtney stepped up her game and came through when it was needed
— Associate Head Coach Casey Dale
Williams was a key contributor in both national championship matches.
In the 2023 championship match she accounted for four of the Eagles’ kills, and had a 0.308 hitting percentage, and in last year’s championship she had the good fortune to score match point in their win over Trinity.
“Courtney was a huge contributor on the court,” said Juniata Associate Head Coach Casey Dale. “She started the whole year and has worked very hard to earn that spot. At times when other people were not playing well, Courtney stepped up her game and came through when it was needed. She had to work hard in the practice gym to keep earning that starting spot and did a great job of providing a great work ethic to the rest of the team.”
Head Coach Heather Pavlik noted that in addition to being tremendous athletes, her team also excels in the classroom.
“I could not be more proud of them. They had a 3.68 GPA as a group this fall so they are achieving at a high level in both arenas,” Pavlic said, “It has been an amazing experience to win the back-to-back championships.”
Wiliams is a junior majoring in psychology and is on the pre-pharmacy track.
“Winning a national championship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To be able to win it two years in a row was such an unbelievable feeling,” Williams said.
With the previous season’s win under her belt, Williams said she was much less nervous heading into the tournament the second time.
Last year as a team they were kind of new to the national tournament and didn’t know what to expect. But this time they knew people would give them everything they’ve got and that they were ready.
There are many differences in the level of play from high school to college, and the way an athlete handles this change says a lot about their mentality for the game. But according to her coaches, Williams has very successfully made the transition.
“Courtney brings a lot of fun off of the court. She can keep things light and is great at making some really funny and sarcastic comments when we all need a good laugh,” Dale said.
Winning a National Championship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To be able to win it two years in a row was such an unbelievable feeling
— Courtney Williams
Williams credits her family for her success on and off the court. “They are a huge part of what has gotten me to where I am today.” Williams said, “They show up to every game and they help motivate me when I’m not feeling the best about how I performed in a game or practice.”
After graduation, Williams would like to attend Duquesne School of Pharmacy and pursue a doctorate in pharmacy.
But before that, she’s excited to get the opportunity to three-peat as DIII national champions next season as a senior.
“Every year we have team meetings where we talk about the team goals,” Williams said, “Of course, winning a three-peat would be the main goal for my senior season, but we always say that we have to take the season day by day and never take a day off because that is what will lead up to the big goal.”
Williams said that her experience in college athletics has been challenging but fun.
She encourages other athletes who love their sport in high school to set their goals high and do their best to make them happen.
“I just want to say that for anyone considering playing any sport in college, do it. You learn so much more than you think when you are a part of teams like this. Just work hard and the best things will come,” Williams said.
