Men's Volleyball to face Carthage in NCAA Tournament
4/17/2023 7:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
UC Santa Cruz will face old rival Carthage in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament as announced on Monday morning.
It is the fifth all-time NCAA Tournament for the Banana Slugs, going back to a Final Four appearance in the inaugural Championship in 2012. The match will take place in Naperville, Illinois at North Central College, who are the No. 4 overall seed. The Banana Slugs, along with sixth-ranked Springfield, grabbed the tournament's two Pool B slots for Independents.
Carthage (17-7) are the defending National Champions. The Firebirds earned an at-large berth after finishing runners-up in the CCIW. The two schools met earlier this season on February 2nd, with the host Firebirds outlasting UC Santa Cruz 3-2. The Banana Slugs and Firebirds also met in the First Round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, with UC Santa Cruz taking a 3-2 win enroute to making the National Title match.Â
UC Santa Cruz enters the postseason 21-12 overall this season, with an 18-9 record against Division III opponents and had the highest strength-of-schedule of any team in the Region.
The winner plays the winner of North Central-Benedictine on Saturday.
It is the fifth all-time NCAA Tournament for the Banana Slugs, going back to a Final Four appearance in the inaugural Championship in 2012. The match will take place in Naperville, Illinois at North Central College, who are the No. 4 overall seed. The Banana Slugs, along with sixth-ranked Springfield, grabbed the tournament's two Pool B slots for Independents.
Carthage (17-7) are the defending National Champions. The Firebirds earned an at-large berth after finishing runners-up in the CCIW. The two schools met earlier this season on February 2nd, with the host Firebirds outlasting UC Santa Cruz 3-2. The Banana Slugs and Firebirds also met in the First Round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, with UC Santa Cruz taking a 3-2 win enroute to making the National Title match.Â
UC Santa Cruz enters the postseason 21-12 overall this season, with an 18-9 record against Division III opponents and had the highest strength-of-schedule of any team in the Region.
The winner plays the winner of North Central-Benedictine on Saturday.
