Official NCAA Announcement
Interactive Bracket
INDIANAPOLIS – Storming the court for the second straight year as Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament champions, Hillsdale earned an automatic qualifying bid into the NCAA DII Volleyball Championship Midwest Regional.
A total of 64 teams were selected in this year’s national tournament field from eight different regions across the country.
As the No. 8 seed, the Chargers (25-6 overall) will represent the league and head to Missouri to face region host Drury from the Great Lakes Valley Conference in the opening round on Thursday, Nov. 15, at a time TBA.
Hillsdale won the Great Midwest Championship on Saturday over Findlay, finishing a straight- set sweep in Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena.
Hillsdale completed an undefeated regular-season run through the league schedule at 19-0 and delivered a West Division title. It was a memorable Sunday for the Chargers as the football team also clinched a playoff spot earlier in the evening as the No. 5 seed in the championship bracket.
Hillsdale had six student-athletes make the all-conference first team this year, highlighted by two-time Great Midwest Player of the Year Paige VanderWall. Chris Gravel also earned back-to-back coach of the year honors.
Sophomore setter Lindsey Mertz quietly made history by tying the single-match conference record with 61 assists in the semifinals against Lake Erie. She is the only one to do so during the league’s seven-year history in a four-set match.
The Chargers have already faced six different nationally-ranked opponents this season and it won’t be any kind of change of scenery in the tough Midwest Region.
Hillsdale’s first-round opponent, Drury, is ranked 14th, while Ferris State is sixth, Lewis is No. 23 and Rockhurst is No. 25. Ashland and Illinois Springfield, both in the regional field, are also receiving votes.
Eight eight-team regionals will be played at on-campus sites. Regional competition will be single-elimination, best three-of-five-set matches and will not include a third-place match. The winners of each of the eight regionals will advance to the finals, Nov. 29-Dec. 1, at the A.J. Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Competition at the finals site will be single-elimination; best three-of-five-set matches.