Three KJCCC Volleyball Players, Two Coaches Set To Be Inducted Into NJCAA Volleyball Hall of Fame
NJCAA Release | Seward County Release | Cowley Release (Halacheva) | Cowley Release (Gream) | Johnson County Release
CHARLOTTE, NC – Three former Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference volleyball players and two coaches have been announced as honorees to be inducted into the NJCAA Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Included in the 2025 class from the KJCCC are former KJCCC student-athletes Dekyra Dennis (Coffeyville), Iva Halacheva (Cowley), and Preecy Seever Miller (Johnson County), as well as current Cowley College head volleyball coach Steven Gream and former Seward County Community College volleyball coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen.
In total, the KJCCC has had four players, nine coaches, and one contributor inducted into the NJCAA Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame since the induction of the first class in 1997 (a full list of KJCCC inductees can be found here: NJCAA Volleyball Hall of Fame – KJCCC Inductees).
Dekyra Dennis | Student-Athlete | Coffeyville (KS)
Dekyra Dennis is a former student-athlete for Coffeyville Community College. Dennis led Coffeyville to back-to-back national titles in 2017 and 2018. In 2018, she was a First Team All-America honoree and was named KJCCC Setter of the Year.
After Coffeyville, Dennis continued her collegiate career at Jackson State University, where she led the Tigers to earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament in 2021.
Iva Halacheva | Student-Athlete | Cowley (KS)
Iva Halacheva is a former student-athlete for Cowley College. Halacheva was a three-time NJCAA First Team All-American in the 2019, 2020, and 2021 seasons. In her time at Cowley, Halacheva broke both the career kills record (1,583) and kills per set record (5.03).
After her time at Cowley, Halacheva continued her competitive career at Missouri State University. Off the court, she was also known at Cowley for her community involvement. Halacheva was described as "more than a talented athlete… an all-around role model" by former coach, Steven Gream.
Steven Gream | Coach | Cowley (KS)
Steven Gream is in his tenth season leading the Cowley College volleyball team. Gream led Cowley to back-to-back undefeated national titles in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Through his first nine seasons, Gream tallied 307 wins while only having 46 losses.
Gream has had a decorated coaching career, tallying 14 Coach of the Year recognitions from various associations. In addition to his undeniable resume, Gream has a reputation for helping the game of volleyball grow for young athletes in various communities to increase both quality and participation in these areas.
Preecy Seever Miller | Student-Athlete | Johnson County (KS)
Preecy Seever Miller was a student-athlete at Johnson County, competing in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Preecy's career was highly decorated, earning multiple All-Region and Player of the Week honors in her two seasons. In 2013, she was named NJCAA First Team All-American. In that same season, she was named conference MVP.
Seever Miller saw continued success when she moved on to the next level at Rockhurst University. In her senior season, Preecy Seever Miller was named AVCA NCAA Division II National Player of the Year while leading Rockhurst to a 34-3 record. Preecy continued her All-American status at the NCAA Division II level, being named a First Team All-American in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Off the court, Seever Miller is described as "not only a student-athlete, but an incredible person and mom," by Jennifer Ei, the Head Volleyball Coach at Johnson County.
Thais Baziquetto-Allen | Coach | Florida SouthWestern
Thais Baziquetto-Allen served as the head coach of Florida SouthWestern for six seasons, as well as Seward County (KS) for three seasons. Coach Baziquetto-Allen holds an NJCAA head coaching record of 231-53 (.813 winning percentage) as well as claiming seven Conference Championships. In addition to being named Coach of the Year on multiple occasions, she led the Bucs to three consecutive national titles, the only coach in NJCAA Division I history to do so. Under her leadership, 11 of her players earned NJCAA All-America honors, three players earned NJCAA National Player of the Year Awards, her teams earned nine straight AVCA Team Academic Awards, and 5 players earned CSC/CoSIDA Academic All-American honors.
Thais started her NJCAA journey as a student-athlete at St. Petersburg College (FL) before becoming an assistant coach at Lamar (CO) where she then made the jump into her head coaching roles. Off the court, Coach Baziquetto-Allen is known for leaving a lasting impact on her players and the people with which she works. She is now in her first year as head coach at Florida Gulf Coast University.
