In 2009, the Washington University volleyball team claimed its 10th national title, a NCAA Division III record. Four disappointing postseason campaigns later, the No. 7 Bears are looking to recapture the national dominance that has defined the program for the last 20 years.

Before the Red and Green can think about their potential matchups in sectionals, however, they must take advantage of their home-court advantage to advance past the regional stage for the first time since 2010.

The Bears begin postseason play against Bluffton University on Friday at 8 p.m., with the winner facing the winner of Hendrix College versus Maryville College in the regional semifinals on Saturday. If the Bears can win their first two games, they could face University Athletic Association rival and No. 5 Emory University in the regional championship on Sunday at 4 p.m. Here is a rundown of the St. Louis Regional.

Washington University

After a disappointing 2013 season that saw the Bears lose in the second round for the first time in school history, the Red and Green (33-5 record) enter the postseason as winners of 13 of their past 14 matches, with an 8-2 record against ranked opponents. Wash. U. nabbed an at-large bid to the tournament despite finishing third in the UAA Championships last weekend.

Sophomore libero Kalehua Katagiri led the defense with 612 digs this season while junior outside hitter Nkiru Udenze and sophomore middle hitter Caroline Dupont topped the offense with 333 and 320 kills, respectively. Katagiri, Dupont and junior middle hitter Jackie Nelligan earned All-UAA First Team honors while junior right-side hitter Allison Zastrow was selected to the second team.

As the regional hosts, the Bears have a distinct advantage, as the team posted a 13-1 record at the Field House this season. Historically, the Bears’ prowess at home has translated onto the tournament court. Since the Field House began hosting NCAA tournament matches in 1989, the Red and Green are 39-4 overall at home.

The last time the Bears hosted an NCAA tournament regional, they surrendered a two-set lead to Carthage College for a wild five-set defeat in the regional finals. Despite that finish three seasons ago, head coach Vanessa Walby believes the team can take advantage of all the perks of being a hosting team this season.

“We’ve traveled a lot this year and I don’t think we were concerned that we would have to go on the road because of our travel that we’ve done up until this point,” Walby said, “but I think they’re excited to be at home, sleep in their own beds, stay in their routines with class and to have their friends be able to watch them at such an important time in the season.”

The rest of the field

Bluffton University (23-11) advanced to the tournament after winning the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, yet the Beavers are winless in five previous trips to the tournament. If the Bears beat Bluffton, they will advance to the regional semifinals, where they will square off against the winner of Hendrix College (30-5) and Maryville College (26-8).

Hendrix just capped off its first-ever Southern Athletic Association Championship to earn a playoff bid, but the Bears swept the Warriors in three sets on Nov. 1. Meanwhile, Maryville clinched its 12th tournament appearance after winning the South Athletic Conference, though it has won just one postseason game in school history.

If the Bears can reach the regional finals, they have the opportunity to face No. 5 Emory University (34-3), No. 23 Millikin University (30-9), Webster University (22-12) or Thomas More College (29-4). Millikin is a team that returns to the postseason after an eight-year absence, but the Bears beat Millikin in three sets at the Field House in their final regular season game of the season.

Thomas More and Webster both won their conferences and were awarded automatic bids to enter the tournament. Notably, Wash. U. cruised past Webster with a three-set victory on Oct. 1.

Barring any upsets, the Bears are set to play Emory with a spot in the national quarterfinals on the line. The Eagles were the UAA champions this season after defeating the University of Chicago in four sets, and in their only meeting of the season, Wash. U. defeated Emory in a five-set thriller on Oct. 18.

Since 2010, the Bears and Eagles have faced off nine times, with six of those matches running the full five sets—the Bears lead by a 5-4 margin in those contests.

These two teams last faced off in the postseason in 2010, when the Eagles came away with a four-set victory in the national semifinals on the Bears’ home court. While Emory remains the Bear’s biggest obstacle to reaching the sectional semifinals, Walby asserted that the team is focusing on its immediate challenges.

“Right now I’m watching film on Bluffton and just paying attention to them. We haven’t talked about Emory in practice or in anything that way,” Walby said. “We’ve been talking about just one match at a time and just focusing on that first group that we need to get by, which is Bluffton.”