Volleyball Team Earns No. 2 Seed in NCAA Midwest Region

The Hawks are headed back to Michigan after being picked as a No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Division II women’s volleyball tournament beginning this week.

The team will take on the seventh-seed Saginaw Valley State Cardinals in the first round of the tournament, scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3, at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. The Midwest Regional winner will advance to the Division II national quarterfinals, Dec. 10-12, in Tampa, Florida.

This postseason marks the second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance for the Hawks, who last year advanced to the Midwest Regional finals before falling to Grand Valley State University. It will be the team’s ninth NCAA Division II tournament invitation overall.

The Hawks own a 31-3 record coming into the tournament and posted an undefeated record against Great Lakes Valley Conference opponents in the regular season. Four of the top 10 players in the GLVC are part of the team, including senior setter Whitney Kostal, senior middle hitter Preecy Seever and junior outside hitter Morgan Rietzke. As a team, the Hawks topped the GLVC in blocks, assists, hitting percentage and opponents' hitting percentage.