ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of Northwestern volleyball team will match-up with St. Olaf College on Thursday, Nov. 14 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The eight-team regional, hosted by the University of St. Thomas, was announced Monday during the NCAA Division III selection show. First serve against the Oles is slated for 3 p.m. at Schoenecker Arena. The match will be the second of the day at UST.
 
The Last Time They Met
Northwestern last met up with St. Olaf on Oct. 4 this season. The Eagles fell on the road to the Oles in three sets. All-Conference middle blocker, Anna Gasch (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock), was missing from the lineup in UNW's first meeting with St. Olaf. The Oles enter Thursday play after receiving an at-large bid. It will mark the program's 11th NCAA tournament appearance in school history. Northwestern enters the NCAA playoffs for the ninth time in the past 10 years – their first ever appearance in 2010 came against St. Olaf, hosted at St. Thomas.
 
UNW Stat Leaders
Announced Monday, sophomore setter Sydney Schwitters (Clara City, Minn./MACRAY) earned the UMAC's Player of the Year nod after directing UNW's offense to a regular season and conference tournament title. Schwitters dished out 1,113 assists and averaged 10.1 assists/set in regular season play. Rookie libero, Marylyn Schroyer (Ft. Collins, Colo./Ft. Collins), has been exceptional this season – leading the UMAC defensively with 633 total digs and 5.65/set. Jenay Fuglestad (Maple Grove, Minn./Heritage Christian) leads the Eagles offensively (3.55 kills/set). The junior outside hitter put together 14 kills in UNW's semifinal win over UW-Superior and 15 kills and a .556 average in the Eagle's championship win over Morris to be named the 2019 UMAC Tournament MVP.
 
Spotlight on St. Olaf.
The at-large bid came after St. Olaf advanced to the championship match of the 2019 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoffs before falling to top-seeded St. Thomas on Saturday night. Lauren Rewers leads the Oles offensively, averaging 3.55 kills/set. Summer Reid had a team-best 13 kills in the teams' first match-up with UNW this season.
 
Ticket Information
Tickets must be purchased at the doors in the Anderson Athletic & Recreation Complex. Single-session tickets are $6. All-session tickets are $12. Senior citizen and student tickets are $4. Children 3-12 years are $2 and children under 2 are admitted free.
 
Helpful Links
| NCAA Tournament Bracket | NCAA Release | Live Stream
 
Regional action will get underway at 12:30 p.m. with Northwestern's match scheduled for a 3 p.m. start. Webcast and live stats will be available at the link above. For all things Northwestern volleyball, visit www.unweagles.com or follow the Eagles on social at @unwvb on Instagram and Twitter.