AU volleyball team gets eighth seed in NCAA Division II quarterfinals

By Chris Rickerson | Sports editor

After defeating Lenoir-Rhyne in the Southeast Region final to advance to Elite Eight, the Augusta University volleyball team was named as the eighth seed headed into their NCAA Division II Quarterfinal match.

AU (25-8) came back in the final set to win 15-9 after trailing 4-0 and won the regional championship match, upsetting top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne in a five-set thriller on Saturday, Dec. 4, in Anderson, S.C.

This marks the first time the Jaguars have advanced to the Elite Eight in school history. AU made it to the Sweet Sixteen two years ago but lost to Carson-Newman.

The Jaguars will face the University of Tampa, the top seed and host of the Division II NCAA Volleyball Championship, on Thursday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bob Martinez Athletics Center.

Tampa (31-2) is led by Coach Chris Catanach, who helped the Spartans to three Division II national titles in 2006, 2014 and 2018. The Spartans are also led by five all-region players, including Claudia Rivera, Katie McKiel, Sorrel Houghton, Taylor Fosler and Melissa Elias.

AU Coach Sharon Quarles and the Jaguars are on seven-match win streak, and will be facing a Tampa team that has won 18 matches in a row.

Three other quarterfinal matches will also play on Thursday. Three-seeded Washburn will face sixth-seeded West Texas A&M at noon in the first match. Second-seeded Western Washington will face seventh-seeded Daemen College at 2:30 p.m. Fourth-seeded Hillsdale will take on fifth-seeded Gannon, followed by AU versus Tampa in the final match on Thursday.

Contact Chris Rickerson at crickerson@augusta.edu.