(Sioux City, Iowa) – Hastings College will be the number one seed when the 2017 Cypress Risk Management Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Volleyball Tournament opens on Saturday, November 4. The Broncos, Northwestern and Dordt were the regular season tri-champions after going 14-2 in conference play. Northwestern will be the two seed and Dordt the three seed after GPAC tiebreakers were applied. Hastings was 22-2 overall, Northwestern 27-3 and Dordt 27-5.
The fourth seed goes to Midland who went 11-5 in the GPAC and was 18-8 overall. The top four seeds will host quarterfinal round matches on Saturday. The semifinals are on Wednesday, November 8, with the Championship on Saturday, November 11. All matches are hosted by the highest remaining seed.
The remaining seeds will be #5 Morningside, #6 Doane, #7 Briar Cliff and #8 Concordia. Six of the eight teams participating in the tournament were either ranked or receiving votes in the latest NAIA Poll, with the top three seeds all ranked in the top five.
Hastings will receive the GPAC regular season automatic berth to the 2017 NAIA National Volleyball Championship. The Cypress Risk Management GPAC Volleyball Tournament winner (runner-up if Hastings were to win) also receives an automatic berth to the NAIA National Volleyball Championship.
The 2017 NAIA Volleyball National Championship includes a field of 44 teams. Twenty-four teams will compete in 12 opening round matches played on campus sites nationwide on November 18. The top 19 seeds and final site host (TBA) receive an opening round bye. Opening round winners will join the top 19 and host at the final site for a 32-team pool play NAIA National Championship starting on November 28 in Sioux City at the Tyson Events Center.
GPAC Volleyball Quarterfinals – Saturday, November 4
Records listed as (Overall, GPAC)
#8 Concordia (9-18, 3-13) at #1 Hastings (22-2, 14-2), 5 pm
#5 Morningside (18-11, 10-6) at #4 Midland (18-8,11-5), 7 pm
#6 Doane (17-11, 9-7) at #3 Dordt (27-5, 14-2), 7 pm
#7 Briar Cliff (18-8, 8-8) at #2 Northwestern (27-3, 14-2), 7 pm
GPAC Volleyball Semifinals – Wednesday, November 8
Highest Seed Hosts
#4/#5 Winner vs. #1/#8 Winner, TBA
#3/#6 Winner vs. #2/#7 Winner, TBA
GPAC Volleyball Championship – Saturday, November 11
Semifinal Winners, At Highest Seed, Time TBA
For complete GPAC Volleyball Standings go to:
