INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – After finishing as runner-up in the regular season and advancing to the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament, the Anderson volleyball team has been chosen as one of five at-large selections to the 2018 Southeast Region Tournament, and has been seeded fourth in the event, as announced by the NCAA selection Committee late Sunday night.
Anderson (27-5) will square off against Peach Belt Conference-member Lander, which the Trojans have only met six times since the 2009 season. The Bearcats garnered the No. 5 seed in the opening round, with the matchup scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 15, in Wingate, N.C. Lander (22-7) fell to eventual tourney champion Augusta in the semifinals of the PBC Tournament.
Joining the Trojans at Cuddy Arena from the SAC will be host and top-seeded Wingate (29-1) and No. 7 seed Lincoln Memorial (20-9). The three-day event will begin Thursday, Nov. 15. The regional semifinals will take place on Friday, Nov. 16, with the regional title match on Saturday, Nov. 17.
The 24th-ranked Bulldogs (29-1) claimed their second South Atlantic Conference Tournament title in three years and 13th overall with a 3-1 win over Lincoln Memorial over the weekend. The Lady Railsplitters advanced to the SAC Championship tilt before falling to Wingate in four sets. Wingate is slated to wrap up Thursday's quarterfinal action against eighth-seeded Emmanuel (23-8) which won the Conference Carolinas Tournament earlier Sunday and will be making its first-ever appearance in the regional.
USC Aiken (21-4) grabbed the No. 2 seed after winning the Peach Belt regular-season title, while falling to Georgia College in four sets in the semifinals of the Peach Belt Tournament. The Pacers will face No. 7 seed Lincoln Memorial. Augusta (24-7) claimed the No. 3 seed after winning the Peach Belt Conference Tournament title and will square off against sixth-seeded Georgia College (16-12).
Anderson, a preseason selection to finish second in the South Atlantic Conference, finished the campaign as predicted and is just the second team in program history to earn 27 wins in a season and are only one victory shy of equaling last season's school-record 28 wins.
The contest will mark the second straight appearance and fifth overall by Anderson in the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship, and the third since the 2014 campaign. AU also earned berths in the 2008 and 2013 NCAA Southeast Region Championships.
The Trojans are 3-3 versus Lander over the past 10 seasons and have won two of the last three meetings, including a 3-1 (26-24, 25-19, 22-25, 25-12) decision over the Bobcats at last year's USC Aiken Invitational.
The winner of the regional quarterfinal contest will advance to meet the winner of the No. 1 seed Wingate/No. 8 seed Emmanuel match in Friday's semifinal round.
2018 NCAA Southeast Region Tournament
at Wingate University (Cuddy Arena)
Thursday, Nov. 15
Noon - #3 Augusta vs. #6 Georgia College
2:30 p.m. - #2 USC Aiken vs. # 7 Lincoln Memorial
5 p.m. - #4 Anderson vs. #5 Lander
7:30 p.m. - #1 Wingate vs. #8 Emmanuel
Friday, Nov. 16
5 p.m. - Augusta - GC winner vs. USCA - LMU winner
7:30 p.m. - Anderson - LU winner vs. WU - EC winner
Saturday, Nov. 17
7 p.m. - Region Championship Match
