DUBUQUE, Iowa – The University of Dubuque women's volleyball team travels to Oshkosh to compete in the NCAA Tournament this week. The No. 2 seed Spartans will take on the No. 7 seed Cornell College in the first round.
The #22 Spartans enter the national tournament with a 25-4 record and went a perfect 8-0 in regular season American Rivers Conference play. During the A-R-C Tournament, the Spartans defeated Central College in the semifinal and lost to fellow national tournament team Coe College in the championship game. The Rams amassed a 19-10 record overall and an unbeaten 8-0 in the Midwest Conference. The Rams defeated Illinois College in the semifinal and Lawrence University in the championship. During their regular season match, the Spartans defeated the Rams in four sets in Mount Vernon on September 3.
The Spartans and Rams have several common opponents by virtue of their proximity to each other. Both squads defeated Buena Vista, Macalester, Carroll, Loras, and Wartburg. The Rams lost to UW-Platteville, Calvin, and twice to Coe, while the Spartans defeated these teams during the regular season. Both the Spartans and the Rams dropped their regular season match against Gustavus Adolphus.
About the Spartans
The #22 Spartans enter the game fresh off the announcement of the A-R-C All-Conference team.
Delainey Winkel was named A-R-C MVP, while
Taylor Bechen received the Defensive Player of the Year award and the Spartans' staff received the Coaching Staff of the Year award.
Ashley Glennon and
Caitlin Jensen received all-conference awards, while
Megan Cooley and
Alexis Kammerer garnered honorable mention awards. The Spartans received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament by virtue of their NPI ranking.
About the Rams
The Rams advanced to the national tournament by earning the Midwest Conference's automatic qualifier and winning the conference tournament. Ella Becker, Nia Howard, Ally Olmstead, and Selia Stein all received All-MWC First Team honors, while Mia Tubbs and Hannah Cantwell received All-MWC Second Team honors. The Rams had four players named to the All-MWC First Team for the first time since 1988.
What's At Stake
The winner of Thursday's contest (2:00 p.m.) will face the winner of the No. 3 WashU/No. 6 Saint Benedict match on Friday at 4:30 p.m. The Spartans are looking to advance to the Second Round for the second consecutive year, while the Rams are looking to pull the upset.
