PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Berthiaume '24
WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons completed a perfect 15-0 (21-7 overall) Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Volleyball season to lock up the top seed in the upcoming GNAC Women's Volleyball Championship.
Last year's GNAC Tournament runner-up will be looking to take that next step this year and claim the conference crown for the first time in program history.
Looking to deny that opportunity is No. 2 seed Regis, which went 14-1 in GNAC play (24-7 overall) this year.
Saint Joseph's College, led by sixth-year Head Coach Jon Roberts, has earned the #6 seed and will play at #3 Johnson & Wales University in a GNAC quarterfinal on Tuesday at 7:00 PM. The Monks closed out the conference schedule with seven consecutive victories, including crucial triumphs over Mitchell and Emmanuel in Boston on Saturday, to avoid the play-in round.
The Sharks and Pride will be waiting the winners of the two GNAC Play-In games, which are schedule for Monday, Nov. 6. No. 7 seed Emmanuel (9-6 GNAC, 16-10 overall) will host No. 10 seed Colby-Sawyer (5-10 GNAC, 7-22 overall) at 7 p.m. in one of those matches, while No. 8 seed New England College (7-8 GNAC, 12-16 overall) will host No. 9 seed University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (6-9 GNAC, 7-20 overall) in the other at 6 p.m.
The No. 10 seed was determined using the league's tiebreaking procedure as both Colby-Sawyer and Mitchell finished the GNAC regular season at 5-10. The Chargers earned the last spot in the conference tournament thanks to their head-to-head win over the Mariners in the regular season.
After Monday's Play-In round, there will be a quick turnaround for the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Nov. 7. In addition to the Sharks and Pride hosting the Play-In winners, No. 3 seed Johnson & Wales (12-3 GNAC, 15-12 overall) welcomes No. 6 seed Saint Joseph's (Maine) (10-5 GNAC, 14-15 overall) and No. 4 seed Lasell (12-3 GNAC, 24-4 overall) entertains No. 5 seed Rivier (11-4 GNAC, 17-9 overall). All matches are scheduled for 7 p.m.
The No. 3 and 4 seeds were also determined using the league's tiebreaking procedure with both the Wildcats and Lasers finishing at 12-3. JWU had the edge thanks to its win in a five-set thriller in October.
The tournament will continue with the GNAC Semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 9. The two semifinal winners will then compete for the GNAC title on Saturday, Nov. 11. The winner of the GNAC Championship match will be named the 2023 GNAC Women's Volleyball Champion and earn the league's automatic qualifier into the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.
2023 GNAC Women's Volleyball Tournament Schedule
Play-In – Monday, Nov. 6 (Hosted by higher seeds)
#10 Colby-Sawyer at #7 Emmanuel, 7 p.m.
#9 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) at #8 New England College, 6 p.m.
Quarterfinals – Tuesday, Nov. 7 (Hosted by higher seeds)
#8/9 Winner at #1 Simmons, 7 p.m.
#7/10 Winner at #2 Regis, 7 p.m.
#6 Saint Joseph's (Maine) at #3 Johnson & Wales, 7 p.m.
#5 Rivier at #4 Lasell, 7 p.m.
Semifinals – Thursday, Nov. 9 (Hosted by higher seeds)
#1/8/9 Winner vs. #4/5 Winner, TBD
#2/7/10 Winner vs. #3/6 Winner, TBD
Championship – Saturday, Nov. 11
Semifinal winners, TBD
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
THANKS IN LARGE PART TO THE GNAC SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE
