LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University women's volleyball team heads to Mount Berry, Ga. for the opening round of the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament at Berry College (Ga.). Sixty-four teams were selected to this year's tournament, with eight regional tournaments happening this weekend.
Tournament Field: #1 Emory University, #2 Berry College (Ga.), #3 Trinity University (Texas), #4 Mount St. Joseph, #5 Covenant College, #6 Wittenberg University, #7 Washington and Lee, #8 Meredith College
Tournament Schedule:
First Round | Thursday, Nov. 16
Match 1 | #4 Mount St. Joseph vs #5 Covenant - 11:30 p.m.
Match 2 | #1 Emory vs #8 Meredith - 2 p.m.
Match 3 | #3 Trinity (Tx.) vs #6 Wittenberg - 4:30 p.m.
Match 4 | #2 Berry (Ga.) vs #7 W&L - 7 p.m.
Regional Semifinals | Friday, Nov. 16
Match 5 | Winner Match #1 vs Winner Match #2 - 4:30 p.m.
Match 6 | Winner Match #3 vs Winner Match #4 - 7 p.m.
Regional Championship | Saturday, Nov. 18
Match 7 | Winner Match #5 vs Winner Match #6 - 5 p.m.
Washington and Lee vs Tournament Field: The Generals have played each team in the Mount Berry pod at least once in program history. Washington and Lee and Berry College have squared off 14 times with the Vikings holding a 12-2 record. These two teams met just 11 days ago at the Emory National Tournament, the Vikings defeated the Generals in straight sets. W&L has not beaten the Berry since 2012 where the Generals claimed a five-set match at the Rhodes Fall Classic.
Trinity University (Texas), the 2022 National runner-up, and Washington and Lee have only met once in program history. The Generals and Tigers squared off in the regional semifinals on Nov. 15, 2002, the Tigers took down the Blue and White in straight sets. Washington and Lee has only defeated Emory University once in program history, taking down the Eagles in straight sets in Lexington on Sept. 13, 2003.
The Blue and White hold perfect records against Meredith College and Covenant College. W&L has defeated Meredith nine times including a five set thriller in Lexington on Sept. 7, 2019. The Generals and Scots of Covenant have faced three times, all in neutral site tournaments. Washington and Lee defeated the Scots in five sets in 2015 and 2016 before winning the last meeting in four sets at the Birmingham Southern McAttack Bash in 2017.
W&L and Mount St. Joseph have squared off four times in program history with both teams winning two match ups. The Generals and Lions last met in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2010 where the Blue and White defeated them in four sets.
W&L has not had success against Wittenberg College, falling in all five meetings with the Tigers. Washington and Lee and Wittenberg have not met since 2018, the fourth-ranked Tigers downed the Blue and White in straight sets that season.
Washington and Lee in the NCAA Tournament: This marks the third time the Generals have made the NCAA Tournament in the last five years and the 16th time in program history. In their last appearance in 2021, the Generals fell to Southwestern University in four sets in the opening round. In 2006, the Generals defeated Vassar College, 3-1, in the opening round before knocking off top-seed and 16th-ranked New York University in five sets to advance to the programs first Sweet Sixteen. The Generals would fall in the regional championship to the Ducks of Stevens Institute of Technology in four sets.
In the rankings: Five of the eight teams in the Mount Berry pod were ranked in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25. Top-seeded Emory University was ranked seventh in this week's poll, dropping three spots. Berry College moved up two spots to No. 10 while Trinity (Texas) jumped to No. 11. Mount St. Joseph fell one spot to No. 15 and Covenant wraps up the rankings for the pod as they check in at No. 24 this week.
2023 All-ODAC Teams: Three Generals were selected to the 2023 All-ODAC teams following their performances throughout the regular season. Junior
Allie Buchholz was named to the first team, Sophomore
Riley Debiec earned a second team nod while First Year
Grace Mitchener was a third team honoree, all three received an all-conference honor for the first time in their career.
About the Generals: Washington and Lee heads into the NCAA Tournament with a 22-10 record, this is their 24th season with 20 or more wins. 20 of those 24 seasons have come under the direction of head coach Bryan Snyder. Following an 8-4 mark in regular season ODAC play, the Generals knocked off #1 Virginia Wesleyan and #2 Randolph-Macon in the conference tournament to claim their 19th ODAC title in program history.
The Generals' offense is led by Riley Debiec, Grace Mitchener, Avery Myers and Sydney Heifner. The quartet has recorded 951 kills of the Generals' 1,357 kills (70%) this season while three of the four have over 200 kills on the season. During the ODAC Championship match at Randolph-Macon, the four created a balanced offensive attack, recording double digit kills, to lead the Generals to their fourth conference title in the last five years.
Debiec, a sophomore from Potomac, Md., leads the Generals in kills (321), kills per set (3.12) and total attempts (899). She ranks third in the ODAC in kills, fourth in kills per set and 13th in hitting percentage (.237).
Allie Buchholz has been the primary setter for the Blue and White season, she has dished out 1,040 assists this season while averaging 9.45 per set. She leads the team and ODAC in both categories while leading the Generals with 38 service aces on the season.
First-year libero Vivi Vasquez has recorded 360 digs this season while posting a career-high 40 digs in the Generals' five-set match against Eastern (Pa.) on Oct. 28. Vasquez leads the Generals in digs per set with 5.90. As a team, the Blue and White lead the ODAC and rank ninth in Division III in digs per set with 19.66. Overall, the Generals have dug out 2,218 attacks in their 112 sets played this season. W&L ranks fourth in the conference in blocks per set (1.75), hitting percentage (.198), assists per set (11.44) and kills per set (12.12).
About Berry: The tenth-ranked Vikings earned an automatic bid and hosting rights' for the NCAA Tournament as they claimed their third-straight Southern Athletic Association conference title as they defeated Sewanee in four sets. With the win, Berry has won their tenth SAA tournament title in program history.
On the season, the Vikings have posted a 26-5 overall record while posting a perfect 14-0 mark in league play. Berry knocked off two ranked opponents this season, defeating 25th-ranked Christopher Newport in five sets on Sept. 9 and 25th-ranked Covenant in straight sets on Oct. 27. The Vikings are no stranger to the national spotlight, being ranked in the Top 15 all season in the AVCA polls including a No. 10 ranking on Sept. 5 and in the most recent poll on Nov. 14.
The Vikings offense is led by Senior Jazzy Innis and Junior Bella Boston, the duo has recorded over 300 kills each this season. Innis leads the team with 328 kills while averaging a team-high 3.04 kills per set. Boston ranks second on the team with 319 kills, she leads the team in points (384) and points per set (3.49). Lindsey MacDiarmid has dished out a team and conference-high 1,000 assists, averaging 9.17 assists per set. Kate Whittle has dug out a team and conference-high 561 attacks this season, averaging 5.10 per set. Whittle posted a career-high 37 digs against Washington and Lee in 2022.
Career Accomplishments: Senior
Sydney Heifner reached two career milestones this season, surpassing 1,000 career kills in the Generals' 3-0 win over Eastern Mennonite University on Sept. 12 while surpassing 1,000 career digs in a straight-sets win over Averett on Oct. 14. Heifner is the seventh player in program history to have topped both milestones.
Allie Buchholz eclipsed 1,000 career assists after posting a previous career-high 51 in a five-set loss to Eastern (Pa.).
Head Coach Bryan Snyder reached a career milestone as well this season as the Generals notched his 600th win at W&L in a five-set thriller against Marymount on Sept. 9. Snyder has been at the helm since 2000 and has posted a record of 615-201 at W&L with a .754 winning percentage. In his 26 seasons as an NCAA Division III head coach, he has amassed a 656-226 record while claiming 11 ODAC Coach of the Year awards and 15 ODAC Championships. Snyder ranks 11th in career wins for active Division III head coaches while being the winningest head coach in W&L history.
How to Watch:
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NCAA Bracket |
Regional Bracket |
Ticket Information |
Tournament Program
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
