Holmes and Jones to battle in NJCAA Tournament semifinals

TUCSON, Ariz. --- The No. 4 Holmes Community College Lady Bulldogs are in the NJCAA Division II Women's Soccer National Tournament semifinals for the last three out of four seasons. Holmes played for the national championship in 2022 in Arizona and 2020 in Georgia.

Holmes, now 19-2, on the season will play Jones, 15-1-1, at 1:30 p.m. central time on Thursday. Phoenix and Johnson County, Kansas will play in the other semifinal prior to the Holmes/Jones match. Holmes was the No. 3 overall seed while Jones was the No. 5 seed. Jones finished the regular season as the No. 1 team. Holmes defeated Jones, 3-2, in the final MACCC game, and Jones fell to Pearl River in the Region semifinals since the poll came out.

The Lady Bulldogs defeated Cape Fear, North Carolina, 11-0 on Sunday and St. Charles, MO on Tuesday, 4-0.

Jones defeated Schoolcraft, Michigan, 3-1 and Northeast, NE, 2-0, to reach the semis.

Jaycelyn Russ (Madison Central) scored four goals against Cape Fear and Olivia Tribolet (Madison Central) scored three goals in the 11-0 win. Brianna Lopez (Fort Smith, Ark.), Bailee Fairley (West Lauderdale) and Sammi Doyle (New Albany) each added a goal.

Against St. Charles, Brianna Lopez (Fort Smith, Ark.), Kristen Phillips (West Lauderdale), K.K. Morris (Northwest Rankin) and Christina Guzman (Florence) each scored a goal.

Phillips leads the Lady Bulldogs in points with 72 (31 goals and 10 assists). She is followed by Lopez with 53 points (13 goals and 27 assists); Russ with 51 (20 goals and 11 assists); Tribolet with 44 (17 goals and 10 assists); and Fairley with 38 (14 goals and 10 assists).

Murphy has 25 saves on the season and has only given up three goals.

For Jones, Celine Ottah (Nigeria) leads with 40 points (17 goals and six assists); Gemma Whitchurch (England) with 38 points (15 goals and eight assists); Hilary Jaen (Panama) with 37 (14 goals and nine assists).

Jona Hennings (Germany) has 34 saves and has given up five goals.