For the 11th time in the last 12 years, the Wayne State volleyball team has advanced to the NCAA Div. II national tournament.
The Wildcats were announced Monday evening as the No. 7 seed for the Central Regional that will be played in St. Paul, Minnesota Dec. 1-3.
The 24-7 Wildcats will face No. 2 seed Southwest Minnesota State (26-5) in a first-round match on Dec. 1.
NSIC regular-season and tournament champion Concordia-St. Paul is the top seed in the Central Region and will host the eight-team regional, drawing No. 8 seed Southern Nazarene (20-10) the Great American Conference tournament champion.
Other first round pairings find No. 3 seed and MIAA champion Nebraska-Kearney (35-1) battling No. 6 seed Augustana (26-5) and fourth-seeded Minnesota Duluth (25-4) facing No. 5 seed Winona State (26-5).
Wayne State, which was ranked eighth in the final AVCA Div. II Top 25 coaches poll, and Southwest have met twice this season, with the Mustangs winning in the regular season (Sept. 17) and in Saturday's conference tournament semifinals, both in three-game sweeps.
Game times will be announced Tuesday.
