The NCAA Division II Midwest Tournament
Thursday-Friday-Saturday, Dec. 5-7
At Grand Valley State, Allendale, Mich.
The Tournament Schedule
Thursday, Dec. 5
Noon – Indianapolis (#6, 24-9) vs. Northwood (#3, 21-10)
2:30 p.m. – Lewis (#7, 24-9) vs. Ferris State (#2, 22-8)
5 p.m. – Southern Indiana (#5, 24-8) vs. ASHLAND (#4, 25-7)
7:30 p.m. – Truman State (#8, 23-11) vs. Grand Valley State (#1, 29-3)
Friday, Dec. 6
Semifinal matches at 5 and 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7
Regional championship match at 7 p.m.
Setting the Scene
The Eagles are in the NCAA Division II playoffs for the second consecutive year. A year ago, the Eagles knocked off Northwood, 3-2 in the first round of the regional tournament and lost to Hillsdale, 3-2 in the second round. Those matches were played in Indianapolis. This year, the Eagles will travel to Grand Valley State for the regional. Two weeks ago, on this same court, the Eagles finished as the GLIAC Tournament runner-up, losing to the Lakers, 3-2 in the tournament championship match. That loss ended an 11-match winning streak for the Eagles.
AU opposes Southern Indiana in this year's first round. The Southern Indiana-Ashland winner plays the winner of the Truman State-Grand Valley State match in the second round.
This is the sixth time in school history the Eagles have reached the postseason. The first NCAA bid came in 2004. AU's best showing came in 2006 when the Eagles advanced to the eight-team NCAA Championships. That year, AU went 3-0 at the regional, beating Ferris State (3-0), Hillsdale (3-0) and SIU-Edwardsville (3-0). At the NCAA Championships, Ashland lost in the first round to North Alabama (3-0).
The winner of the single-elimination Midwest Regional Tournament will advance to the eight-team NCAA Championships, Dec. 12-14 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
More NCAA History
AU's all-time record in NCAA postseason play is 4-5. Here's Ashland's record against every team it has faced in the postseason.
vs. Ferris State – 1-0
vs. Hillsdale – 1-1
vs. Lewis – 0-1
vs. North Alabama – 0-1
vs. Northwood – 1-2
vs. SIU-Edwardsville – 1-0
Here's Ashland's postseason history, year by year
2004 – Northwood 3, Ashland 1
2005 – Northwood 3, Ashland 1
2006 – Ashland 3, Ferris State 0
Ashland 3, Hillsdale 0
Ashland 3, SIU-Edwardsville 0
North Alabama 3, Ashland 0 (NCAA Championships)
2007 – Lewis 3, Ashland 2
2012 – Ashland 3, Northwood 2
Hillsdale 3, Ashland 2
AU vs. The Regional Field
The Eagles are 2-3 against the teams in this year's Midwest Regional. AU is 1-0 against Truman State, 1-0 against Ferris State, 0-1 against Northwood and 0-2 against Grand Valley State. The Eagles did not play Southern Indiana, Indianapolis or Lewis this season.
About the Eagles
AU is 25-7 and 15-3 in GLIAC play. This year's team set a school, single-season record for GLIAC victories. AU won the GLIAC South Division title…the school record for wins in a season is 29 (1990, 1991). Since joining the GLIAC, the single-season record for victories is 26 (2004, 2007)…since joining the conference in 1995, AU has won four GLIAC South crowns (2004, 2005, 2012, 2013)…AU is 12-2 in its last 14 matches…the Eagles are 8-2 on the road and 6-2 on a neutral court…Ashland is tied for first in the GLIAC in kills per set (13.28), is third in blocks (271) and fourth in hitting percentage (.222) and digs (1,862).
Freshman outsider hitter Alli Cudworth was named the GLIAC Freshman of the Year and is a All-GLIAC First Team selection. Cudworth is the second AU player to be named the GLIAC Freshman of the Year. Brittany Snider also won the award in 2009. Cudworth is second in the league in kills (421) and fourth in kills per set (3.68). In the five matches this season against the regional field, she has averaged 14.2 kills. Her high against the playoff field came against Northwood (22 kills).
Freshman outsider hitter Casey Clark was named to the All-GLIAC Tournament Team. Clark had 11 kills and 12 digs in the semifinal win over Northern Michigan and 18 kills and 23 digs in the title match against Grand Valley State. Clark is second on the team in kills (306) and third in digs (306). Clark was named to the GLIAC First Team. AU is the only team since 2008 to have two freshmen named to the GLIAC First Team.
Senior Marci Zegarac has 566 digs, which is a school single-season record. That surpasses the previous mark of 539 digs she had a year ago. The senior is second in the conference in digs and digs per set (4.80). Zegarac's career high for digs is 31, set against Indianapolis last season. That total has been surpassed twice – Mary Kate Glowe had 32 digs against Wayne State in 2005 and Brandie Potter had 32 against Michigan Tech in 1996. Zegarac is an honorable mention All-GLIAC choice this season.
Redshirt freshman setter Shelly DeHenning leads the conference in assists per set (11.01). DeHenning has 1,222 assists. The school record is 1,520, set by Lynsey Warren in 2004. DeHenning had 70 assists this year in a five-set battle with Missouri-St. Louis. The school record is 71 assists, done twice by Warren. DeHenning is a All-GLIAC Second Team pick.
Sophomore middle hitter Samantha Zuber is third in the league in hitting percentage (.302) and seventh in service aces per set (0.37). Zuber was named to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team. In the two games at the GLIAC Final Four she had 34 kills. Against Grand Valley State she had 15 kills, a block solo and six block assists. Zuber is third on the team in kills (250) and first in service aces (42).
Junior middle blocker Maureen Johnson is 10th in the conference in blocks per set (0.94).
Cass Dixon is in her third season as AU's head coach. Last year's team was 24-9. In a short period of time, Dixon has rebuilt this program. The 2013 Eagles start two freshmen, a redshirt freshman and a sophomore. At AU, Dixon is 64-29 (.688). Dixon's background also includes a stint (1999-2004) as the head coach at Walsh. With the Cavaliers she was 163-43 (.791).
Ashland-Southern Indiana
The Eagles last played the Screaming Eagles at the GLIAC/GLVC Crossover in 2010 and won that match, 3-2. Ashland has an 8-4 lead in the all-time series. At one point, these teams both belonged to the GLVC.
Scouting Southern Indiana
The Screaming Eagles lead the GLVC in blocks per set (2.50) and are second in the loop in opponent hitting percentage (.154)…this is the fifth time in program history USI has reached the NCAA postseason. Southern Indiana's last invite came in 2011…the Screaming Eagles are 7-3 in their last 10 matches. USI lost to Truman State, 3-1 at the GLVC Tournament…Southern Indiana is 6-5 on a neutral court…USI head coach Leah Mercer is the 2013 GLVC coach of the year. This is the first time in her nine seasons at USI that she has received the award…the Screaming Eagles are 2-4 against this year's regional field and 2-4 all-time in NCAA postseason action…middle blocker Abbey Winter is the GLVC leader in blocks per set (1.43). She's an All-GLVC Second Team selection…outside hitter Lauren DeShaney was also an All-GLVC Second Team pick…Kayla Heldman owns school records for career digs (1,834) and single-season digs (576)…right-side hitter Erica Oberbroeckling is the GLVC leader in service aces per set (0.37).
Tournament Tidbits
Grand Valley State is the highest ranked team in the field. The Lakers are 13th. Ferris State is ranked 23rd and Truman State is 24th….GVSU has a 19-match winning streak. Grand Valley State's last loss was at Ferris State on Oct. 1, 3-2. The only team to extend the Lakers to five sets during that winning streak is Ashland in the GLIAC Tournament championship match…Indianapolis won the GLVC Tournament crown and brings a 10-match winning streak to the regional. The Greyhounds are making their seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA playoffs…Northwood's Juliia Pakhomenko is third in the nation in kills per set (4.90)…Indianapolis, Ashland, Grand Valley State, Northwood, Ferris State and Lewis all played in last year's regional.
AU
VB/ALK
