Region Performance Breakdown (PDF)
INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time in 2022, the NCAA released its regional rankings on Wednesday used as a guideline for selection to the 2022 NCAA Tournament with Carson-Newman being one of the 10 teams under consideration from the Southeast Region.
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. 17-20. The winner of the region will advance to the NCAA National Championships from Dec. 1-3 in Royal Brougham Pavilion in Seattle, Wash.
There is a fairly even split of teams overall with four from the SAC, four from the Peach Belt and two from Conference Carolinas as the teams were listed alphabetically.
Carson-Newman is 4-3 against the teams listed from the region with the team ranked third based on overall RPI at .607. The Eagles boast a strength of schedule number of .520 with three of the top four teams in the region in the SAC according to the RPI.
Coach Ashley Tiernan's team is 9-2 against in-region non-conference teams, the second-most wins among the region to USC Aiken's 11-2 mark. Over the last 10 matches, the Eagles are 8-2.
Anderson, Mars Hill and Wingate are the other SAC clubs in the listings and with no other regionally ranked teams remaining on the schedule, the Orange and Blue will have to wait to the SAC Tournament to bolster its postseason resume.
Augusta, Flagler, Lander and USC Aiken represent the Peach Belt with C-N playing three of the four beating Lander and USC Aiken this season.
Emmanuel at 19-7 and UNC Pembroke at 16-12 are the two representatives from Conference Carolinas for a league that historically puts one team in the regional tournament.
The official NCAA selection show is scheduled to air Monday night, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m. on ncaa.com where the 64 teams from Division II will be announced for the 2022 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship.
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