FULL BRACKET

REGIONAL PAGE

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein volleyball team will open the 2022 NCAA Division III Championships Thursday evening at a familiar site, returning to Van Noord Arena on the campus of Calvin University to begin the annual 64-team bracket.

The Cardinals, back in the Big Dance for a third-straight time, will help make up what many are suggesting is one of the toughest regionals in quite some time. Six of the eight teams are ranked in the Top-20 nationally with another receiving votes:

Calvin (3), Wittenberg (9), Washington U (10), Wisconsin-Oshkosh (12), Otterbein (17), Hope (20, Millikin (RV) and Aurora will link in Grand Rapids come Thursday afternoon. The Cardinals take on UW-Oshkosh in the third match of opening day at 5:30 p.m. FULL SCHEDULE HERE

OTTERBEIN CAPSULE:
Otterbein is making its eighth NCAA appearance since 2010 (all under head coach Monica Wright) and returns to the same arena as last year when it made the first Regional Final in program history. The Cards knocked off Westminster and UW-Whitewater before falling to Calvin in four very competitive sets.

The Cards (23-5) earned an automatic qualifier spot after sweeping Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) regular season and tournament championships. They finished two games clear in the standings and then knocked off Marietta/John Carroll in the league's postseason bracket.

The three-headed monster of setter Carlie Craycraft, between powerful hitters Amber Greeley and Morgan Hartman, leads the show for Otterbein as the trio earned first team All-OAC honors. Craycraft (4,200 career assists) and Hartman (1,000 kills) are returning All-Americans while Greeley was just named the latest AVCA National Player of the Week.

Plenty of other Cardinals assume critical roles around the court. Kennedy Hoffman landed All-OAC status as well this season, Madison McCoy is a three-year starter in the middle and Amanda Troyer is averaging 5.5 digs per set since taking over libero duties in mid-October.

WISCONSIN-OSHKOSH CAPSULE:
The Titans received an at-large bid to this bracket after falling to UW-Stevens Point in the semifinals of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament. Oshkosh finished runner-up to Whitewater in the WIAC regular-season standings prior to losing a marathon five-setter to the Pointers.

Oshkosh (30-5) will be making its first NCAA appearance since 2016 under the direction of sixth-year head coach Jon Ellmann, who was the top assistant on that team before taking over the program the following summer. He was recently named WIAC Coach of the Year.

Junior outside hitter Carissa Sundholm and sophomore middle Riley Kindt both repeated as first team All-WIAC this fall, combining for more than 800 kills as the leading offensive duo. Sundholm reached 1,000 kills for her career in the final days of October.

Libero Abby Fregien was named the WIAC Defensive Player of the Year in amassing 694 digs.

Oshkosh had won 19 matches in a row before that conference semifinal loss. The Titans also played three OAC schools earlier this past season in Muskingum (W 3-2), Ohio Northern (L 3-1) and Baldwin Wallace (W 3-0).

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
Wittenberg/Hope and Wash U/Millikin will play afternoon matches to launch Thursday's action, while Calvin and Aurora finish the slate. The four winners come back to play in the Round of 32 Friday evening, with the Regional Final (Sweet 16) on deck for Saturday night. Ticket prices are as follows:

 

Single-Session Tickets			All-Session Tickets
Adult	$6	Adult		$12
Senior Citizen	$4	Senior Citizen		$10
Student	$4	Student		$10
Child (< 12=""> Children under 2	$3 free	Child (< 12=""> Children under 2		$7 free