HADLEY, Mass. – The Wesleyan Cardinals won both matches on the final weekend of the regular season to secure the top seed in the 2022 NESCAC Volleyball Championship. The Cardinals will host all rounds of the tournament for the first time in program history starting with quarterfinal matches on November 4. The semifinal and championship matches will be played on November 5 and 6, respectively.
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Championship Central
2022 NESCAC VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday, November 4 at No. 1 Wesleyan
Quarterfinals
Court 1: No. 8 Colby vs. No. 1 Wesleyan – 5 p.m.
Court 2: No. 7 Trinity vs. No. 2 Tufts – 5 p.m.
Court 1: No. 6 Middlebury vs. No. 3 Williams – 7:30 p.m.
Court 2: No. 5 Bowdoin vs. No. 4 Amherst - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 5 at No. 1 Wesleyan
Semifinals
Center Court: Winner of No. 1/No. 8 vs. Winner of No. 4/No. 5 – 1:00 p.m.
Center Court: Winner of No. 2/No. 7 vs. Winner of No. 3/No. 6 – 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 6 at No. 1 Wesleyan
Final – 12 p.m.
#1 Wesleyan Cardinals
2022 Record: 21-2 (9-1 NESCAC)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 18 (6th consecutive)
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 3 (last: 2021)
NESCAC Titles Won: 1 (2017)
Tiebreaker: Wesleyan and Tufts finished with identical conference records of 9-1. In head-to-head competition, Wesleyan defeated Tufts to earn the No. 1 seed.
Notes: 2021 NESCAC Runners-Up … Wesleyan is the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2001 and is hosting the tournament for the first time in program history … The Cardinals will take on No. 8 Colby in the quarterfinals … Wesleyan posted a 3-1 victory at Colby on September 30 and is 0-2 against the Mules in the NESCAC postseason … Colby picked up its second win in the series with a 3-0 victory in the 2005 quarterfinals the last time the teams met … The Cardinals have reached four straight semifinals and are looking to make back-to-back trips to the championship match … Wesleyan won five straight matches and 12 of its last 13 to close out the regular season.
#2 Tufts Jumbos
2022 Record: 18-5 (9-1 NESCAC)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 23
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 8 (last: 2019)
NESCAC Titles Won: 2 (last: 2019)
Notes: The Jumbos are the No. 2 seed for the first time since 2011 … Tufts will meet No. 7 Trinity to open the NESCAC Championship… The Jumbos earned a 3-1 on the Bantams' home floor on September 17 … Tufts improved to 3-0 in the NESCAC Tournament versus Trinity with a 3-0 win in the 2014 quarterfinals … Tufts has played in four of the last seven NESCAC Championship matches … The Jumbos finished the regular season winning eight of their last nine matches.
#3 Williams Ephs
2022 Record: 13-7 (7-3 NESCAC)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 23
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 14 (last: 2015)
NESCAC Titles Won: 11 (last: 2014)
Tiebreaker: Williams and Amherst finished with identical conference records of 7-3. In head-to-head competition, Williams defeated Amherst to earn the No. 3 seed.
Notes: Williams is the No. 3 seed for the first time since 2018 … The Ephs will face No. 6 Middlebury in the quarterfinals and defeated the Panthers, 3-1, on September 16 … Williams owns a 4-1 mark against Middlebury in the NESCAC Tournament, but suffered its first loss (3-0) to the Panthers in the championship series in the 2010 semifinals … The Ephs own the most NESCAC titles of any institution (11) and are looking to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2015 … Williams enters the tournament having won four consecutive matches.
#4 Amherst Mammoths
2022 Record: 13-6 (7-3 NESCAC)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 23
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 7 (last: 2018)
NESCAC Titles Won: 3 (last: 2006)
Notes: Amherst is the No. 4 seed for the second time in three years and has qualified for every NESCAC Tournament … The Mammoths will take on No. 5 Bowdoin in their opening match of the tournament … Amherst defeated Bowdoin, 3-0, on September 30 … The Mammoths dropped to 2-3 versus Bowdoin in the NESCAC Championship series following a 3-2 loss in last year's semifinal round … Amherst has reached the semifinals in seven of the last eight tournaments.
#5 Bowdoin Polar Bears
2022 Record: 13-9 (6-4 NESCAC)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 20 (15th consecutive)
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 6 (last: 2021)
NESCAC Titles Won: 4 (last: 2021)
Notes: 2021 NESCAC Champion … Bowdoin is the No. 5 seed for the first time since 2014 and will begin defense of its NESCAC title against No. 4 Amherst … The Polar Bears fell, 3-0, to the Mammoths on September 30 … Bowdoin handed Amherst a 3-2 loss in last year's semifinals en route to the program's fourth title … The Polar Bears have qualified for the NESCAC postseason 20 times in 23 years … Bowdoin has played in 10 straight semifinals and the last three championship matches.
#6 Middlebury Panthers
2022 Record: 14-9 (5-5 NESCAC)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 23
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 6 (last: 2016)
NESCAC Titles Won: 5 (last: 2016)
Notes: Middlebury is the No. 6 seed for the first time since 2013 and will take on No. 3 Williams in the quarterfinals … The Panthers fell, 3-1, to the Ephs on September 16, and Williams owns a 4-1 mark against Middlebury in the NESCAC Tournament … However, the Panthers handed the Ephs their first loss (3-0) in the series in the 2010 semifinals … Middlebury has qualified for every NESCAC Championship and last reached the semifinals in 2019.
#7 Trinity Bantams
2022 Record: 9-13 (4-6 NESCAC)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 14
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Tiebreaker: Trinity and Colby finished with identical conference records of 4-6. In head-to-head competition, Trinity defeated Colby to earn the No. 7 seed.
Notes: The Bantams return to the NESCAC Tournament for the first time since 2018 and are the No. 7 seed for the first time since 2013 … Trinity will face No. 2 Tufts in the quarterfinals … The Jumbos earned a 3-1 win on the Bantams' home floor on September 17 … Tufts improved to 3-0 in the NESCAC Tournament versus Trinity with a 3-0 victory in the 2014 quarterfinals.
#8 Colby Mules
2022 Record 14-8 (4-6 NESCAC)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 10
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 1 (2005)
NESCAC Titles Won: 1 (2005)
Notes: Colby is back in the NESCAC Tournament field for the first time since 2015 … The Mules are the No. 8 seed for the first time since 2012 … Colby will face top-seeded Wesleyan in the quarterfinals … The Mules fell, 3-1, to the Cardinals on September 30, but own a 2-0 edge over Wesleyan in the NESCAC postseason … Colby picked up its second win in the series with a 3-0 victory in the 2005 quarterfinals in the last meeting between the two teams … The Mules won their only NESCAC title in 2005.
