Revenge Ready
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The field for the 2019 NCCAA DII Women's Volleyball National Tournament has been set, and the Sabercats have earned the #2 seed as they seek to reclaim the national title that was once theirs for three straight years.
OVERVIEW
- Dates: Wednesday, November 20-Friday, November 22
- Venue: Davis Field House, Bob Jones University
- Location: Greenville, S.C.
- Field: (below)
FORMAT AND SCHEDULE
The tournament holds two pools of four teams that play a round-robin format, and the top two teams from each pool will advance to the national semifinals.
Here is an overview of the field:
| Pool A | Qualifying Method | Location | Record | Power Rating | 2018 Finish |
| #1 Bob Jones | South Champion | Greenville, S.C. | 30-4 | 5.582 | Champion |
| #4 Johnson (Tenn.) | At-Large (Mideast) | Knoxville, Tenn. | 23-7 | 4.058 | First Round |
| #5 Arlington Baptist | Southwest Champion | Arlington, Texas | 18-6 | 3.613 | First Round |
| #8 Manhattan Christian | At-Large (Southwest) | Manhattan, Kan. | 17-10 | 2.886 | DNP |
| Pool B | |||||
| #2 Maranatha | North Champion | Watertown, Wis. | 23-4 | 4.615 | Runner-Up |
| #3 Geneva | Mideast Champion | Beaver Falls, Pa. | 24-9 | 4.789 | Semifinal |
| #6 Toccoa Falls | At-Large (South) | Toccoa Falls, Ga. | 17-10 | 3.202 | First Round |
| #7 Randall | At-Large (Southwest) | Moore, Okla. | 19-15 | 3.083 | First Round |
--
Maranatha is slated for the following schedule (all times Eastern):
- 11/20/2019 at 12:00 p.m. vs #7 Randall
- 11/20/2019 at 4:00 p.m. vs #6 Toccoa Falls
- 11/21/2019 at 10:00 a.m. vs #3 Geneva
- 11/21/2019 at 5:00/7:00 p.m. - NCCAA National Semifinal
- 11/22/2019 at 1:00 p.m. - NCCAA National Championship
The winners of each pool will face the runner-up of the other pool for the national semifinals, and the winners of each semifinal will advance to the national championship.
New this year, the seedings are determined based on the new NCCAA Power Rating System, which ranks teams based on win/loss record and strength of schedule. The Sabercats have earned the #2 seed despite having an inferior power rating than #3 Geneva, but since #2 and #3 are pooled together, the actual consequence of that flip-flop is virtually nothing.
Maranatha faced Geneva and Toccoa Falls in the 2018 National Tournament, and both of those opponents should be formidable ones. The advantage for MBU? Every single starter from the 2018 team is back for the 2019 tournament, and they will be hungry to reclaim what was once theirs.
--
To follow the matches live, follow @MBUSabercats on Twitter and visit mbusabercats.com/schedule for live coverage links.
