Volleyball Qualifies for First-Ever Postseason Tournament
WINTHROP, Mass. – Emmanuel College has earned the top seed in next week's GNAC Women's Volleyball Tournament, which begins with quarterfinal play on Tuesday evening at higher seeds.
The Saints rounded out their conference schedule with a 10-1 mark, wrapping up the regular-season title with a pair of wins on Saturday to clinch the top seed.
Defending GNAC champion Rivier University also finished at 10-1, but Emmanuel received the No. 1 seed as a result of its head-to-head victory over the Raiders back on October 11.
Emmanuel will host eighth-seeded Lasell College (4-7) on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., while second-seeded Rivier will welcome Anna Maria College (4-7) on Tuesday, also at 7:00 p.m.
Anna Maria qualifies for the GNAC tournament for the first time in program history. The AMCATS had a historic season, as the team has posted a record-setting 13 wins this season and earned the program's first-ever GNAC Rookie of the Week honor earlier this season in freshman Rebecca Foti(Bedford, N.H.).
Simmons College (9-2) earned the No. 3 seed in the tournament and will take on sixth-seeded Norwich University (5-6) Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m.
The final Tuesday quarterfinal matchup will see fifth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (8-3) travel to fourth-seeded Johnson & Wales University (8-3) for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
Semifinal action is scheduled for Thursday, November 6, with the title match slated for Saturday, Nov. 8.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
Quarterfinals - Tuesday, November 4
Match 1: #8 Lasell at #1 Emmanuel - 7:00 p.m.
Match 2: #5 Saint Joseph (CT) at #4 Johnson & Wales - 7:30 p.m.
Match 3: #6 Norwich at #3 Simmons - 7:00 p.m.
Match 4: #7 Anna Maria at #2 Rivier - 7:00 p.m.
Semifinals - Thursday, November 6
Match 5: Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner
Match 6: Match 3 winner vs. Match 4 winner
Championship - Saturday, November 8
Match 7: Match 5 vs. Match 6 winner
