Nov. 12, 2007

Complete Release in PDF Format

Bracket

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Having received the No.2 seed, matching its highest in school history, the Western Washington University volleyball team faces No.7 seed Chico State in an opening-round match Thursday (2:30 p.m.) at the NCAA Division II Pacific Regional at Coussoulis Arena in San Bernardino, Calif.

It is the second straight trip to regionals and the fifth overall for the Vikings during coach Diane Flick's (170-46, .787) eight-year tenure. They are 21-4 overall this season, riding a 16-match winning streak, and won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship with a 17-1 record, their fourth crown overall and first since winning three straight from 2001-03.

Chico State is 16-12 and tied for fifth (9-9) in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Following a 13-4 start, the Wildcats have lost eight of their last 11 matches and enter the post-season with a four-match losing streak.

"I'm very excited about the next phase of this season for our team," said Western coach Diane Flick. "They've worked very hard to become consistent."

"I believe this is the most prepared team I've had and the reason is that our conference has been stronger from top to bottom. We've had to play tough teams every single week, and every single night."

Host and No.1 seed Cal State San Bernardino (25-2), the CCAA champion (17-1), plays No.8 seed Western Oregon (16-9), the GNAC runner-up (13-5), at 7:30 p.m. The Coyotes, who are ranked No.4 nationally in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll, hosted the regional tournament last year when they reached the title match for the seventh straight season. The Coyotes, who took regional championships in 2003 and 2004, also were the regional host in 2001 and 2002.

Last year as the No.7 seed, Western lost to eventual champion UC San Diego in the opening round. The Vikings were the No.2 seed in 2002 (lost in first round) and the No.3 seed in both 2001 (lost in semifinals after opening-round win) and 2003 (lost in semifinals after receiving first-round bye).

UC San Diego (19-7, tied for second in CCAA at 13-5) is the No.3 seed and faces No.6 seed Northwest Nazarene (18-8, tied for third in GNAC at 12-6) at 12 noon. No.4 seed Cal Poly Pomona (21-6, tied for second in CCAA at 13-5), ranked No.22 nationally, meets No.5 seed Cal State L.A. (16-9, placed fourth in CCAA at 12-6) at 5 p.m.

The four first-round winners advance to Friday's semifinals, with UC San Diego or Northwest Nazarene going against Western or Chico State at 5 p.m., and Cal Poly Pomona or Cal State L.A. facing Cal State San Bernardino or Western Oregon at 7:30 p.m. Saturday's final is slated for 7 p.m. with the Pacific Region winner advancing to the NCAA II Elite Eight.

Western is led by All-American senior libero Courtney Schneider (Snohomish), who is the national leader in digs per game for the second straight year. Her 7.70 average is on pace to break the national record she set last season, and her 678 total digs broke the school and GNAC mark of 666 that she established in 2006.

Schneider has had 20 or more digs 22 times this season, breaking her own GNAC record, and ranks sixth among NCAA II career leaders with 2,522. Her career average of 6.95 will shatter the national record.

Besides Schneider, the Vikings have two other league leaders. Middle blocker Tiana Roma (Jr., Edmonds/Edmonds-Woodway) tops the GNAC in attack percentage at .376, and setter Katie Robinson (Sr., Everson/Nooksack Valley) leads the league in assists at 11.94. Robinson also is sixth in service aces (0.50).

Middle blocker Angie Alvord (Jr., Laurel/Meridian) ranks second in the GNAC in blocks (1.35), third in aces (0.68), and fourth in hitting percentage (.322). Outside hitter Jaime Anderson (Sr., SeaTac/Mount Rainier) is third in kills with a 4.03 average.

Western led the GNAC in five team statistical categories - hitting percentage (.257), opponent hitting percentage (.135), assists (13.99), kills (15.47) and aces (2.22). The Vikings were second in the other two, blocks (2.55) and digs (19.50).

Tickets go on sale Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the Coussoulis Arena box office.

Prices range from $10 for reserved seats to $8 for general admission. Students with ID, children 12-under and senior citizens will be admitted for $3.

INDIANAPOLIS--The NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Committee announced the field of 64 teams for the 2007 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship. The committee selected eight teams from each of the following regions to participate in the championship: Atlantic, Great Lakes, North Central, Northeast, Pacific, South, South Central and Southwest.

Eight eight-team regionals will be played at on-campus sites. Regional competition will be single-elimination, best three-of-five game matches and will not include a third-place match. The winners of each of the eight regionals will advance to the finals, November 29-December 1, which will be played on the campus of a participating institution. Competition at the finals site will be single-elimination, best three-of-five game matches.

The dates, sites and team match-ups are:

Atlantic Region: November 15-17 at California, Pennsylvania *California (Pennsylvania) (Host) (33-3) vs. *Fayetteville State (26-11); Kutztown (27-9) vs. Shippensburg (30-11); Edinboro (26-10) vs. Slippery Rock (22-14); *Lees-McRae (26-11) vs. Clarion (27-5)

Great Lakes Region: November 15-17 at Allendale, Michigan *Grand Valley State (Host) (30-3) vs. *Charleston (West Virginia) (28-11); Southern Illinois Edwardsville (26-6) vs. Northern Kentucky (26-8); Indianapolis (32-3) vs. Hillsdale (26-7); Ashland (26-5) vs. *Lewis (30-3)

North Central Region: November 15-17 at Duluth, Minnesota *Minnesota Duluth (Host) (27-1) vs. South Dakota (23-8); Augustana (South Dakota) (19-10) vs. Nebraska-Omaha (16-8); Southwest Minnesota State (25-7) vs. Minnesota State Mankato (19-8); *Wayne State (Nebraska) (24-11) vs. Concordia-St. Paul (30-4)

Northeast Region: November 15-17 at Oakdale, New York *Dowling (Host) (36-7) vs. Merrimack (19-13); *Georgian Court (30-8) vs. Bentley (23-9); New Haven (23-6) vs. C.W. Post (17-15); Adelphi (27-7) vs. *Bryant (30-12)

Pacific Region: November 15-17 at San Bernardino, California *Cal State San Bernardino (Host) (25-2) vs. Western Oregon (16-9); Cal State L.A. (16-9) vs. Cal Poly Pomona (21-6); UC San Diego (19-7) vs. Northwest Nazarene (18-8); Cal State Chico (16-12) vs. *Western Washington (21-4)

South Region: November 15-17 at Tampa, Florida *Tampa (Host) (28-2) vs. *South Carolina-Aiken (24-4); Lynn (21-11) vs. Eckerd (23-10); Nova Southeastern (25-9) vs. *Wingate (33-1) Saint Leo (24-13) vs. Florida Southern (24-8);

South Central Region: November 15-17 at Kirksville, Missouri *Truman (Host) (34-5) vs. *Albany State (Georgia) (21-14); Pittsburg State (28-8) vs. Emporia State (26-8); West Florida (32-6) vs. Central Missouri (30-6) *West Georgia (27-11) vs. Washburn (34-3);

Southwest Region: November 16-18 at Kearney, Nebraska *Nebraska-Kearney (Host) (31-4) vs. Mesa State (15-13); Fort Lewis (21-7) vs. Central Oklahoma (31-6); Colorado-Colorado Springs (20-11) vs. Metropolitan State (15-14); Midwestern State (27-5) vs. *West Texas A&M (32-7)

* Denotes conference automatic qualification

In the 2006 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship, top-ranked Tampa rode the net play of Katelen Dixon and Danielle MacDonald to win its first volleyball crown with a four-game conquest of North Alabama. The duo combined for 31 kills and six solo blocks to propel the Spartans to a 30-25, 27-30, 30-21, 30-17 victory after finishing as the national runner-up in 1996 and 1999. Tampa finished the season 35-1.