UMSL volleyball players react with applause during the NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Selection Show after learning they received the top seed in the Midwest Region Tournament. (Photo by Patrick Clark/Ahtlete’s Eye Photography)
By Luke Rinne, UMSL Athletics
For the first time ever the fourth-ranked University of Missouri–St. Louis volleyball team has been selected as the top seed and will host the NCAA Midwest Region Tournament as announced in the NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Selection Show on Monday night. The Tritons will face eighth-seeded Missouri S&T in the quarterfinal on Nov. 30 at 5 p.m.
UMSL, who was ranked first in each of the last two Region Rankings, held onto the top spot in the region but fell from second to fourth in the AVCA Poll after losing for the first time this season in the final of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.
The Tritons have made it into the NCAA Tournament field seven times, including four straight under Coach Ryan Young. UMSL is the defending Midwest Region champion and advanced to the national semifinals last season.
The tournament field is comprised of five teams from the Great Lakes Valley Conference, two from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and one from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. UMSL is joined by GLVC Tournament champion Lewis as the third seed, Quincy as the four seed, Rockhurst as the sixth seed and eighth-seeded Missouri S&T. Lewis received the GLVC’s automatic bid while UMSL, Quincy, Rockhurst and S&T all earned at-large bids.
Ferris State, the GLIAC Tournament champion, earned the second seed while fifth-seeded Grand Valley State, the GLIAC regular season champion, earned an at-large selection. Hillsdale claimed the G-MAC Tournament crown to earn an automatic bid and the seventh seed in the regional.
The Tritons and Miners will meet for the third time this season with UMSL winning the first two matches in four sets.
2023 NCAA MIDWEST REGION TOURNAMENT (all matches at the Mark Twain Athletic Center)
Quarterfinals, Thursday, Nov. 30
12 p.m. – No. 3 Lewis (26-6) vs. No. 6 Rockhurst (21-7)
2:30 p.m. – No. 2 Ferris State (25-7) vs. No. 7 Hillsdale (27-6)
5 p.m. – No. 1 UMSL (30-1) vs. No. 8 Missouri S&T (18-10)
7:30 p.m. – No. 4 Quincy (24-5) vs. No. 5 Grand Valley State (26-4)
Semifinals, Friday, Dec. 1
5 p.m. – Lewis/Rockhurst winner vs. Ferris State/Hillsdale winner
7:30 p.m. – UMSL/S&T winner vs. Quincy/Grand Valley winner
Championship, Saturday, Dec. 2
7 p.m. – Semifinal winners
