IUP Earns Seventh Straight Berth to NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament

Complete Bracket

IUP has been selected to compete in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region volleyball tournament for the seventh consecutive season.

IUP is the sixth seed in the eight-team tournament, which begins Thursday at Lock Haven.  IUP enters the postseason with a record of 16-13 and will meet No. 3 seed Slippery Rock (30-8) in the opening round at noon.

Lock Haven is the top seed with a record of 29-5 and takes on North Carolina Central (26-12).  The other first round matches are second-seeded California (28-6) against No. 7 Lees-McRae (29-3) and No. 4 Kutztown (23-7) against No. 5 Clarion (20-11).

The semifinals on Friday will match the IUP-Slippery Rock and Lees-McRae-California winners on one side of the bracket at 5:00 and the survivor of the matches between Lock Haven-North Carolina Central and Kutztown-Clarion on the other at 7:30.

The championship match takes place on Saturday at 5:00, with the winner advancing to the Elite Eight in Pensacola, Fla., November 16-18. 

IUP is seeking its first region title, with its best showing coming in 2001 and 2002 when the team advanced to the finals, the latter season as the host school.  IUP has won a match and played in the semifinals each of the past two seasons.