INDIANPOLIS – With wins in two of its last three matches, Carson-Newman has moved into eighth in the region rankings as the Eagles enter the final weekend of the regular season with contests against two teams ranked below them.
The top eight teams make the NCAA Division II Playoffs with an automatic qualifier coming from the South Atlantic Conference, the Peach Belt Conference and Conference Carolinas. The No. 1 team in the region will host the eight teams for three straight days from Nov. 16-18. The winner of the region will advance to the NCAA National Championships from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Conference Carolinas does not have a team in the top 10 but will receive a bid from its conference tournament champion and be seeded eighth so the Eagles need to move up to seventh to qualify for the tournament.
With Augusta moving up to second, the Eagles sweep of the Jaguars on the road on Sept. 8 enhances the resume. Dave Franklin's group is 3-8 against other teams ranked with meetings against Lenoir-Rhyne and Mars Hill to close out the season.
Wingate remains atop the table despite suffering its first loss of the season losing at Anderson for the third consecutive season. The Bulldogs maintain a steady lead with visits from Tusculum and Lincoln Memorial left on the docket.
Augusta and USC Aiken tangle Friday night having won five straight matches. The Jaguars swept the Pacers at home earlier in the year. The Pacers can secure the Peach Belt regular-season crown with a win in the match.
Anderson treks to Catawba and Queens to close out the season to end the season. The Trojans are one game behind Wingate for a share of the league championship.
Georgia College jumps up the ladder and sits comfortably in fifth. The Bobcats have quality wins at Lincoln Memorial and against Augusta but also a pair of head-scratching setbacks to cellar dwellers, Flagler and Francis Marion.
Lincoln Memorial stayed hot with a sweep of the Eagles last night having won nine of the last 11 matches with losses to Wingate and Anderson in that stretch. The Railsplitters play Coker and Wingate on the road looking to fine tune its resume.
A team C-N lost to in five sets early this year, Lander, slides into seventh sitting in a tie for third in the Peach Belt standings. With 20 wins and matches against Georgia College and Augusta, the case could strengthen this weekend.
The next batch of regional rankings will be released on Nov. 7 with the selection show available on Monday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.
|
Rank |
School |
Record |
|
1 |
Wingate |
24-1 |
|
2 |
Augusta |
20-5 |
|
3 |
USC Aiken |
19-3 |
|
4 |
Anderson |
24-3 |
|
5 |
Georgia College |
12-7 |
|
6 |
Lincoln Memorial |
16-7 |
|
7 |
Lander |
20-6 |
|
8 |
Carson-Newman |
13-11 |
|
9 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
17-9 |
|
10 |
Mars Hill |
15-10 |
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