Margaret BauerThe Washington University women’s volleyball team will head to Pella, Iowa this weekend to compete in the Central Regional of the 2004 NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament. Their entry in the tournament will mark their 18th consecutive tournament berth.
The Bears garnered the top seed in the Regional by virtue of their 28-6 record and number six national ranking. The team received an automatic entry into the tournament thanks to winning the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship. The Bears went undefeated in UAA play at 12-0. Their unblemished UAA record included wins over 11th ranked Emory University and a then number-one ranked and undefeated New York University.
The stakes are high for the Bears, who are seeking a record ninth Division III national championship. Behind the top-seeded Bears are no. 2 Central College, no. 3 Elmhurst College, no. 4 Nebraska Wesleyan University, no. 5 Calvin College, and no. 6 Fontbonne University. Thanks to their top billing, the Bears, along with Central College, will receive byes for the first round. Central brings a 28-8 record into the tournament along with a no. 12 national ranking.
With the bye in the first round, the Bears will play the winner of Calvin and Nebraska Wesleyan in the tournament semifinals on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Calvin is 27-8 for the season while Nebraska Wesleyan is 17-11. If the Bears win, they will advance to the Regional championships, which will be played on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. The Central Regional champion will advance to the National quarterfinals, which will be played on November 20.
The Bears’ tournament appearance comes after another highly successful season for the team. After winning the UAA Championship, the Bears had five players win all UAA honors, with three of those players being named to the all UAA first team. Senior Colleen Winter and juniors Kara Liefer and Megan Houck all were awarded first team honors. Winter also won the UAA Most Valuable Player Award. Rounding out the Bears contingent of UAA honorees were junior Nicole Hodgman and sophomore Whitney Smith, who won honorable-mention awards. The final individual award given to the Bears was the UAA Rookie of the Year award, which freshman Emilie Walk added to the Bears’ trophy haul. Finally, Bears Coach Rich Luenemann and his staff were given the UAA award for Coaching Staff of the Year.