PITTSBURGH, Pa. --- For just the second time in program history, Washburn volleyball will appear in the NCAA National Semifinals, held this year in the Steel City, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Ichabods become one of the final four teams remaining after sweeping No. 24 Wingate in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Washburn will face top-seeded and 11th-ranked Tampa at 6:30 pm ET at the AJ Palumbo Center located on the campus if Duquesne University.
THE BRACKET SHAKEDOWN
In addition to the Ichabods, the penultimate weekend of the volleyball season will feature seven other regional champions ... Wingate (N.C.) and Tampa will represent the Southeast and South regions respectively, while American International (Mass.) represents the East ... from the Atlantic region is Wheeling Jesuit (W.Va.), Lewis (Ohio) from the Midwest, Western Washington from the West and Tarleton State from the Southeast.
As for the pairings, Tampa is the top-seed and will open against eighth-seeded AIC ... the winner of the match will advance to face the winner of Washburn/Wingate in the semifinals Friday, Nov. 30 ... on the otherside, No. 2-seed Wheeling Jesuit opens against No. 7-seed Lewis, with third-seeded Western Washington taking on sixth-seeded Tarleton State ... after the quarterfinals, Western Washington and Lewis will lock up in the first semifinal match on Friday with Washburn/Tampa to follow ... Saturday's championship match is scheduled for 2 pm CT/3 pm ET.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
This is Washburn's first appearance at the NCAA National Championship since playing host to the event in 2007 ... the Ichabods are a combined 15-13 all-time in NCAA postseason play, with an appearance in the semifinals of the NCAA National Championship as their best finish ... in Washburn's last trip to the national event, it topped then-No. 1 Tampa in the five sets during the quarterfinals, before falling in four sets to Western Washington in the semifinals.
THE MIAA AT NATIONALS
Prior to this season, the MIAA has been represented 13 times in the NCAA Volleyball Championship, most recently by Central Missouri in 2011 ... members have advanced to the semifinals or beyond six times with two appearances in the championship match, both by Truman (2004, 2005).
ABOUT TAMPA
The Spartans' 31-4 overall record is the best since the 2014 season, which concluded with a national championship ... this season, the Spartans lead the Sunshine State Conference in hitting percentage (.267), assists (13.49 per set), and kills (14.30 per set).
Tampa is led by AVCA All-American first teamer Katie McKiel and second team selection Sorrel Houghton ... the duo also earned first team All-SSC honors while Sammy Mueller took home second team honors ... earlier this week, head coach Chris Catanach was named USMC/AVCA Division II Coach of the Year.
Middle blockers Taylor Fosler and Alexandra Misca finished first and fifth in the SSC in hitting percentage, hitting .384 and .357 respectively ... the outside pin hitting duo of Houghton and McKiel began the week 482 and 452 kills and were third and sixth respectively in kills per set ... Mueller finished fourth in the league in assists, averaging 10.25 assists per set.
THEY GOT HISTORY
Friday's matchup will be the first meeting since the 2007 NCAA National Quarterfinals ... Washburn was the host school and recorded its first-ever win over a No. 1-ranked opponent with a five-set decision giving the Spartans their third loss all the year.
WHERE TO WATCH
Fans not in Pittsburgh can watch tonight's matchup by following the links at wusports.com/live or by joining Washburn Athletics and the Washburn University Alumni Association for a watch party at The Pennant located at 915 S. Kansas Ave in downtown Topeka.
