WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Otterbein will soon make its fourth-straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championships later this week, traveling up north for an eight-team regional hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

The Cardinals, champions of the Ohio Athletic Conference, will open the national bracket against No. 19-ranked La Verne out of California. The two schools are scheduled to play the very first match come Thursday at 11:30 a.m. (CST).

UW-Oshkosh, Greenville, Calvin, Gustavus Adolphus, North Park and East Texas Baptist will also compete in the regional at the Kolf Sports Center.

FULL 64-TEAM BRACKET

Otterbein (23-8) garnered an automatic bid after sweeping through the OAC this fall, most recently surviving Mount Union in a five-set thriller to repeat as tournament champs. The Purple Raiders also landed a spot in the field via an at-large selection.

La Verne (23-4) finished runner-up in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference over the weekend, falling to No. 8-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the SCIAC title match. The Leopards began the year on a 14-match winning streak.

The Cards are led by OAC Coach of the Year Monica Wright in her 17th season, who guided five all-conference performers this fall including Morgan Hartman (Player of the Year) and Amanda Troyer (Libero of the Year).

Kennedy Hoffman landed Most Valuable Player honors of the OAC Tournament after a combined 41 kills in two matches. She and senior Madison McCoy were voted second team all-league while Olivia Vitaz took honorable mention status as a first-year starter.

As a team, Otterbein ranks Top-15 nationally this fall in kills per set as the hard-swinging duo of Hartman/Hoffman represents nearly 800 combined. The Cards have played 11 matches this year against teams now in the NCAA bracket, going 5-6 in such contests.

La Verne is back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2016 behind SCIAC Coach of the Year Jeff Hendershot (third season), and Offensive Player of the Year Mya Ray. The Leopards also landed three others on the all-conference list in freshmen Lauren Gott and Malia Capistrano, along with now 3x selection Ayana Mier.

Ray is one of the best hitters in all of Division III, as the 6-foot-1 middle currently ranks sixth nationally at 4.73 kills per set. As a team, La Verne is third in the entire country with 13.1 assists per frame.

The eight regional winners will ultimately travel to the Finals in late November, to crown a national champion at Roberts Pavilion in Claremont, Calif.

NCAA D3 VOLLEYBALL PAGE

More details and complete regional site will come as the week progresses, but ticket information (cash only) can be found below:

Single-session (one-day)
Adults: $10
Senior Citizens/Veterans: $8
Student (with ID): 6
Children under 12: $5
Children 2 and Under: Free
 
All-session (all three days)
Adults: $20
Senior Citizens/Veterans: $12
Student (with ID): $12
Children under 12: $8
Child 2 and Under: Free