Eagles making third consecutive trip to field of 64
The NCAA tournament field was announced Monday and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse volleyball team is headed to St. Paul for regionals.
At 5:30 p.m. Thursday UW-L (21-6) will play against the College of Saint Benedict (19-8) in the Erickson Center at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul.
Four of the eight teams in the regional are ranked: 12th Northwestern (32-6), 13th Gustavus Adolphus (23-6), 17th St. Thomas (25-6) and 25th Aurora (26-7). UWL is receiving votes. UW-L is just outside the Top 25.
This is the third consecutive season the Eagles have made the NCAA tournament. Last year, UW-L beat St. Thomas in the first round before being swept by Northwestern, which went on to lose in the final four.
If the Eagles win, they will play at 7 p.m. Friday against either Northwestern or Cornell (25-7).
UW-L has won nine of 10 games heading into the tournament, after sweeping 16th-ranked Whitewater to win the WIAC tournament championship, earning an automatic NCAA berth.
The best the Eagles have ever finished in the NCAA tournament was third in 1986 and fourth in 1985.
View the entire NCAA Division III bracket here.