Lasell to Open Up NCAA Tournament Play Against Nationally-Ranked Ithaca
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. - Reigning Back-To-Back Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Champions Lasell University will open the 2024 NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship with a matchup against No. 22 Ithaca in regional action in Baltimore, Md at No. 3 nationally ranked Johns Hopkins University. The Regional begins on Thursday, Nov. 21.
The Lasers, who claimed their second consecutive GNAC Championship, were one of 43 teams to earn their spot after claiming the league's automatic qualifier on Saturday (Nov. 16). The other 21 entries were at-large selections by the NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Committee to fill out the 64-team bracket.
The GNAC champions put up yet another historical season, going 30-5 overall (15-0 in conference play) and topping their 2023 season win total, which was 27-5 overall (12-3 in GNAC play). Their path to the NCAA Tournament went through their home court in Auburndale, Mass. as the Lasers dominated throughout the playoffs, defeating No. 8 Colby-Sawyer in the quarterfinals in a sweep, defeating No. 4 Simmons in four sets in the semifinals, and sweeping No. 2 Johnson & Wales in the title game. They will head back to familiar territory in Baltimore, Maryland as they were at Johns Hopkins in last year's national tournament before having their season come to an end in regionals play.
Ithaca College, currently ranked No. 22 in the AVCA/TARAFLEX 2024 Division III WVB Poll, was also the recipient of the automatic qualifying bid as they won the Liberty League Championship this past Saturday. They carry a 22-6 overall record (8-0 in conference play) in this year's national tournament.
Joining the Lasers and the Bombers in the Regionals are the host and No. 3 nationally-ranked Johns Hopkins University (29-2, 10-0 Centennial) as they earned the Centennial Conference's automatic qualifying bid in this year's tournament. They will take on the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference's AQ Bridgewater State (13-9, 6-1 MASCAC). The State University of New York Athletic Conference's Automatic Qualifier Cortland (26-5, 9-0 SUNYAC) will match-up against University Athletic Association's AQ Carnegie Mellon (19-11, 4-3 UAA). New England Women's And Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Automatic Qualifier Smith College (30-6, 9-2 NEWMAC) and Conference of New England's (CNE) AQ Endicott (22-7, 9-0 CNE) round out the final spots in the regionals.
Johns Hopkins is one of eight regional sites that will be hosting competition from Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 21-23. The regional winners will advance to the 2024 NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship site at the Cregger Center in Salem, Virginia (hosted by Roanoke College) where the final eight teams will battle in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the championship from Dec. 4-7.
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 21 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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