Complete bracket

Click here for regional info

INDIANAPOLIS − The Flagler College Saints volleyball team learned tonight (Nov. 14) that they will be the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Nov. 19-21 at Wingate, N.C. Flagler is one of three Peach Belt Conference teams to make the eight-team regional field and the 64-team national field. Last year, Flagler won the Southeast Regional at Wingate and advanced to the national semifinals.

Flagler (27-8) won the Peach Belt Tournament for the second consecutive year this afternoon to earn the league's automatic qualifying bid to the regional. The Saints are riding a three-match win streak and has won 11-of-its-last-12 matches going into the regional. Two-time Peach Belt Coach of the Year, Taylor Mott, has a good mix of experience and new talent going into this year's tournament. Senior middle hitter Meg Weathersby (Maitland, Fla., Orangewood Christian), the PBC Player of the Year, has recorded 496 kills (4.03/set), 33 service aces (0.27/s), 293 digs (2.38/s), 91 total blocks (0.74/s) and is hitting .292. She was an All-Tournament selection this past weekend. Senior Rebecca Royal (Green Cove Springs, Fla., Fleming Island HS), the PBC co-Setter of the Year, tallied 777 assists (6.22/s), hit .324 and led the team with 102 total blocks (0.82). Sophomore middle blocker Rachel Stacy (Orlando, Fla., Timber Creek HS) earned All-Conference honors this season after hitting a league-best .349 and was second in the conference in service aces per set with 0.47. Newcomer Dianna Craine (Oshawa, Ontario, University of Tulsa), a sophomore outside hitter, was second on the team with 271 kills (2.51/s) and fourth on the team with 292 digs (2.70/s). She was selected as the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player.

The Saints will match-up against No. 7 Armstrong Atlantic State University (22-13). The Pirates fell to the Saints in the PBC championship match on Sunday and have lost all three matches to Flagler by the same score, 3-0. Armstrong is led by a pair of second-team all-conference selections in Gwen Clarke and Jessica Santaniello. Clarke has 312 kills and a .255 hitting percentage to go along with 100 total blocks. Santaniello leads the team with 334 kills and 367 digs.

The top seed, again, is Wingate University (38-1), champions of the South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament championships. The Bulldogs sport a 26-match win streak heading into the regional. Wingate's only loss came against Flagler, 3-0, at the Carolinas Challenge in Banner Elk, N.C. on Sept. 4. SAC Coach of the Year Shelton Collier, for the fourth year in a row, heads a team with three all-conference selections and a pair of all-freshman team honorees. Stormi Gale, a two-time SAC Player of the Year, leads the Bulldogs with 313 kills (3.37/s), a .382 attack percentage, 27 aces and 91 total blocks. Also on the all-conference teams were Lauren Billo (227 kills, .255 pct.) and Liz Willis (7.09 assists/s).

Rounding out the field is: No. 3 Tusculum (25-6); No. 4 Lincoln Memorial (23-7); No. 5 Montevallo (23-12); No. 6 Carson-Newman (19-10); and, No. 8 Lees-McRae (25-7).

Four-of-the-eight teams in the regional, including the host school, are from the South Atlantic Conference. Lees-McRae earned the automatic berth by winning the Conference Carolinas Tournament championship.

The Southeast Regional Schedule is as follows (times have yet to be released):
Fri., Nov. 19:
#1 Wingate vs. #8 Lees-McRae
#2 Flagler vs. #7 Armstrong Atlantic
#3 Tusculum vs. #6 Carson-Newman
#4 Lincoln Memorial vs. #5 Montevallo

Sat., Nov. 20:
Semifinals

Sun., Nov. 21:
Region final

The winner of the regional will advance to the national quarterfinals and face the winner of the South Central Regional.