Five SAC Teams Earn Bids to NCAA Volleyball Championship
INDIANAPOLIS - Five South Atlantic Conference schools have earned selections to the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship, it was announced on Sunday night. The SAC's representation in the Championship field more than doubles that of the other two conferences in the Southeast Region.
Leading the SAC into the Championship is Wingate, which earned the region's No. 1 seed and will be the host institution. The Bulldogs enter the event at 30-0 after sweeping through the SAC regular season and Food Lion SAC Championship.
Wingate will look to improve upon its performance in last year's NCAA Volleyball Championship, where it advanced to the quarterfinals before being eliminated. The Bulldogs will face No. 8 seed and Conference Carolinas champion Lees-McRae in the first round, a team they defeated 3-0 in the season's opening week.
Catawba is the region's No. 4 seed and Lincoln Memorial is the No. 5 seed, meaning the two schools will face one another in the Championship's first round. Catawba and LMU, which finished tied for second in the SAC regular season standings, split their two matchups earlier this year.
Earning the region's No. 6 seed is Tusculum, which enters the Championship with a record of 18-12. The Pioneers will face third-seeded Armstrong in the first round.
Finally, Newberry is the No. 7 seed, marking its first NCAA Championship bid in school history. The Wolves, currently 16-15 overall, will face Peach Belt Tournament champion Flagler in their first match.
Play in the NCAA Championship Southeast Region will take place Nov. 18-20 at Wingate. Match times are still to be determined.