The Jamestown Community College volleyball team swept Monroe CC, 25-12, 25-18, 25-23, in an NJCAA Region 3 Division III match Tuesday evening. The victory raised the Jayhawks’ record to 15-4 overall, 10-0 in Region 3 Division III and 4-0 in the Western New York Athletic Conference.

Here’s what it means.

Jamestown CC’s stellar play of late will likely only bring more attention to Coach Ashley Lund’s perennially strong program. In fact, before the team even took the court at the Physical Education Complex last night, it had already received votes in this week’s NJCAA Division III rankings, and sophomore Jenna Caskey was the recipient of Region 3 Athlete of the Week honors.

But as cool as all that news is for Lund and company, the figurative headline emanating from their victory over the Tribunes was how the Jayhawks embraced freshman Jennah Starkweather in her time of need.

Jamestown Community College’s Megan Gominiak (9) and Jenna Caskey (10) go up for a block during NJCAA Region 3 Division III volleyball action Tuesday at the Physical Education Complex.

Starkweather’s mother, Clara Costner, died last week at UPMC Hamot in Erie. She was 46. To honor her memory, fans were encouraged to wear purple, which was Clara’s favorite color. The nice-sized crowd didn’t disappoint.

With a strong contingent of Jamestown CC students rooting on the Jayhawks, the team had a relatively easy time with Monroe CC (15-3) — it didn’t trail until early in the third game — and it appears to be peaking at precisely the right time.

“We just came off playing them (last) weekend, and I was scared to play them again, because I knew they were good,” Lund said. “We’re playing our game right now. As long as we’re playing solid, I’m not worried about what’s going on on the other side of the court.”

While the Tribunes, who also received votes in the national rankings this week, played well at times, they didn’t have an answer for the power of Caskey, who delivered 15 kills and only one error.

“You can’t ask for a better performance from your outside (hitter),” Lund said.

Jamestown CC’s Alexys Marsh goes high for a ball.

The veteran coach couldn’t ask any more from her team off the court either as all the girls attended Costner’s funeral on Monday and the lunch that followed.

“They wanted to be there for every second of it,” Lund said.

Three hours after the funeral, the team had a scheduled practice.

Starkweather was there, too.

“She showed up … after burying her mom,” Lund said in a halting voice. “I had told her, ‘Do what you need to do and come back when you’re ready.’ For her to show up yesterday, walk through that door and say, ‘I’m ready to go, Coach …'”

Above, fans rally around Jamestown Community College’s Jennah Starkweather following an NJCAA Region 3 Division III volleyball match Tuesday at the Physical Education Complex.

Lund didn’t finish her sentence.

Then again, the enthusiastic student section made most of the noise anyways.

“The men’s soccer team has been amazing,” Lund said. “They organized a lot of what happened today. Everyone seems to be really engaged in being part of the Jayhawk experience, giving their everything to all the games. It’s awesome. That’s what we hope for and that’s what I remember when I was here (as a student). To see that come back and be part of that on the other side is really awesome.”

NOTES: In addition to her 15 kills, Caskey finished with one ace, six digs and one block; Maddy Russo had two aces, 36 assists and eight digs; Karleigh Haines added two aces, nine kills and five digs; Alexys Marsh chipped in eight kills; Cameryn Hawkins contributed one ace, two kills and 14 digs; and Starkweather had an assist, a kill and a dig. … Jamestown CC returns to action Saturday when it travels to Tompkins Cortland CC for a POD tournament that also includes Corning CC and Broome CC.

The Jayhawks’ Cameryn Hawkins celebrates.