National Championship Web Site
Watch the Championship Court Being Assembled

The Carthage College women's volleyball team (33-6, 7-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked ninth in the Nov. 8 American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division III poll, is on its way to its first-ever appearance in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.  Carthage won the regional championship on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 13 with a come-from-behind, 3-2 win over No. 2 Washington University (Mo., 34-2) at the Washington University Field House in St. Louis, Mo. 

The Lady Reds will play No. 20 Springfield College (34-2) in a Friday, Nov. 18 quarterfinal match at 3 p.m.  Also on Carthage's side of the bracket, No. 11 the University of St. Thomas (Minn., 32-4) will take on No. 4 Eastern University (35-2) at 5:30 p.m.  On the other side of the bracket, No. 5 Wittenberg University (34-3) will play No. 17 California Lutheran University (29-6) at 8 p.m., and No. 6 Christopher Newport University (36-4) takes on No. 18 the State University of New York-Cortland (42-1) at 12:30 p.m.

Looking at the National Championship Field:  Moira Long (34-2, 1 year at Springfield/340-177, 15 years overall) coaches the Springfield College Pride, who defeated Massachusetts-Boston for the regional title after capturing the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Women's Volleyball Championship.  This is the first meeting between Carthage and Springfield, and the Pride are making their eighth NCAA appearance…Thanh Pham (248-61, 9 years) coaches the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) Tommies, who won their regional title over Concordia College (Moorhead) after receiving an at-large berth to the championship.  St. Thomas (Minn.) is making its 13th NCAA appearance.  The Tommies lead the series with the Lady Reds, 2-1, with Carthage winning a 3-0 decision this past Sept. 17 at the Trinity University (Texas) Tournament…Mark Birtwistle (532-186/22 years) coaches the Eastern University Eagles, who won their regional championship over Juniata College after winning the Freedom Conference Women's Volleyball Tournament.  Carthage leads the Eastern series, 1-0, with the Lady Reds winning a 3-1 match on Oct. 17, 2009 at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Tournament.  The Eagles are making their 12th NCAA appearance…Paco Labrador (293-41/9 years) coaches the Wittenberg University Tigers, who knocked off defending-national-champion Calvin College in the regional championship and won the North Coast Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball Tournament.  Wittenberg leads the Carthage series, 4-0, with the Tigers winning a 3-0 match on Oct. 22, 2011 at the Wisconsin-Whitewater Tournament III.  Wittenberg is making its 17th NCAA appearance, and the Tigers have three third-place finishes to their credit…Kellee Roesel (141-43/6 years) coaches the California Lutheran University Regals, who defeated Colorado College in the regional finals and won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball Tournament.  The Regals, making their 12th NCAA appearance, were the national runner-up at the 1995 national championship in Whitewater, Wis.  This would be the first meeting between Carthage and California Lutheran…Lindsay Birch (311-79, 10 years) coaches the Christopher Newport University Captains, who defeated last year's national-runner-up Emory University in the regional-title match.  Christopher Newport won the USA South Athletic Conference tournament.  The Lady Reds lost to the Captains, 3-1, on Sept. 9, 2011 at the Washington University (Mo.) National Invitational.  Christopher Newport is making its ninth NCAA appearance…Pam Hoerup (225-64, 7 years) coaches the State University of New York-Cortland Red Dragons, who won their regional title, 3-1, over Middlebury College after claiming the State University of New York Athletic Conference tournament championship.  This would be the first meeting between Carthage and SUNY-New York.  The Red Dragons are making their 23rd NCAA appearance.