DUBUQUE, Iowa - The No. 1 seed University of Dubuque women's volleyball team is set to battle with No. 4 seed Central College on Thursday night in the semifinals of the A-R-C Volleyball Tournament.
The Spartans, ranked 18
th nationally, enter the match at 24-3 with a perfect 8-0 record in A-R-C play. The Spartans only dropped five sets in conference play all season. The Dutch achieved a 22-8 record with a 5-3 record in the A-R-C. Central enters Thursday's match off a clean sweep of No. 5 seed Nebraska Wesleyan on Tuesday in the first round. During their lone regular season meeting, the Spartans took the final two sets in a five-set thriller in Pella.
About the Spartans
The No. 1 Spartans enter Thursday's contest ranked 18
th nationally and first in Region IX. The Spartans also possess a 17-game home winning streak entering the A-R-C Tournament. Led by
Delainey Winkel and five-time A-R-C Defensive Player of the Week
Taylor Bechen, the Spartans are loaded with talent at all positions. Winkel led the conference in kills (353) this season and
Caitlin Jensen led the conference in hitting percentage amongst qualifying players at .353. The Spartans look to repeat as A-R-C Tournament champions and reach their second consecutive national tournament.
About the Dutch
The No. 4 Dutch advanced to Thursday's contest by defeating No. 5 Nebraska Wesleyan 3-0 on Tuesday. The Dutch are led by Leslie Snow, who tallied 343 kills this season, good for second in the conference. During the regular season, the Dutch dropped matches against Simpson College and Coe College to enter postseason play at 5-3. The Dutch also held opponents to a hitting percentage of .125, the lowest in the conference.
What's at Stake
The winner of Thursday's match will advance to the A-R-C Championship on Saturday evening. If the Spartans win, they will host the championship game. The Spartans and Dutch will battle on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. on Jon Davison Court.
