Bracket

INDIANAPOLIS − The Flagler College Saints volleyball team learned tonight (Nov. 15) that they will be the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Nov. 20-22 at Wingate, N.C. Flagler is one of two Peach Belt Conference teams to make the eight-team field.

Flagler (32-8) won the Peach Belt Tournament this afternoon to earn the league's automatic qualifying bid to the regional. The Saints are riding a 25-match win streak, tied for the second-longest active streak, into the regional. Peach Belt Coach of the Year, Taylor Mott, has a team that has broken the school's win-streak record and has also tied the record for most wins in a season. Three All-Peach Belt Conference selections head the roster for the Saints. Senior outside hitter Katie Beale (Stuart, Fla./Martin County HS) leads the team with 445 kills (3.29/set) and 442 digs (3.20/s). Junior middle blocker Meg Weathersby (Maitland, Fla./Orangewood Christian) has recorded 430 kills (3.23/s), 51 service aces (0.38/s) and is hitting .234. She was an All-Tournament selection this past weekend. The third member of the trio is senior outside hitter Justine Burkhardt (St. Augustine, Fla./Winthrop U.). She has totaled 379 kills (2.71/s), a team-high 55 aces (0.39/s) and 389 digs (2.78/s). Freshman middle blocker Rachel Stacy (Orlando, Fla./Timber Creek HS) is coming off a tremendous Peach Belt Conference Tournament where she was named the Most Valuable Player after hitting .523 with 27 kills in three matches.

The Saints will match-up against No. 7 Lees-McRae College (29-5). The Bobcats won the Conference Carolinas regular season and tournament titles. These two teams met at Lees-McRae on Sept. 5 with Flagler winning 3-1. CC Coach of the Year Jamie Petrick has already guided Lees-McRae to a Sweet 16 back in 2005. Whitney Justice, the Conference's Player of the Year, leads the team with 370 kills, a .405 attack percentage and 115 total blocks. Freshman of the Year Luana Rocha leads the defense with 652 digs.

The top seed is Wingate University (34-1), champions of the South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament championships. The Bulldogs sport a 22-match win streak heading into the regional. SAC Coach of the Year Shelton Collier, for the third year in a row, heads a team which has yet to lose a match in the region. Wingate's only loss came to Barry University at the Armstrong Atlantic Invitational in early September. In the prior match, Wingate had its 31-set win streak snapped by Flagler but managed to win the match 3-2. SAC Player of the Year Stormi Gale leads the Bulldogs with 433 kills (3.77/s), a .303 attack percentage and 83 total blocks. Fellow all-conference selections Lauren Billo (399 kills, .325 pct.) and Liz Willis (9.97 assists/set) are keys to the Bulldogs' success.

Rounding out the field is: No. 3 Armstrong Atlantic (26-9); No. 4 Carson-Newman (22-9); No. 5 Catawba (17-11); No. 6 Lincoln Memorial (22-9); and, No. 8 Tusculum (18-14).

Five-of-the-eight teams in the regional, including the host school, are from the South Atlantic Conference.

The Southeast Regional Schedule is as follows (times have yet to be released):
Fri., Nov. 20:
#1 Wingate vs. #8 Tusculum
#2 Flagler vs. #7 Lees-McRae
#3 Armstrong Atlantic vs. #6 Lincoln Memorial
#4 Carson-Newman vs. #5 Catawba

Sat., Nov. 21:
Semifinals

Sun., Nov. 22:
Region final