vs. No. 5 Southwestern (Texas) (30-4, 12-2 SCAC)

UTD Activity Center | Richardson, Texas

Bracket

Time: Friday, Nov. 11 – 12:30 p.m. CST/10:30 a.m. PST
Location: Richardson, Texas (UTD Activity Center/3,200)
Live Stream: UTDComets.com/watch
Live Stats: Link
Tickets: Adults - $10, Students - Free
Last Meeting: Southwestern def. La Verne, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23, on Oct. 31, 2015

Dallas Regional Quick Hits

• No. 4 University of Texas at Dallas will serve as the host and is the No. 1 seed in the region

• Seven of eight teams in the region are ranked in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Top-25 and five are in top-10 (No. 3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, No. 4 UT Dallas, No. 7 Southwestern, No. 8 Colorado College, No. 12 Trinity, No. 19 La Verne, No. 25 Hendrix); Whitworth, the Northwest Conference champion, is the lone team outside of the top-25

• La Verne has faced Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (three times), Hendrix and and Trinity already this season, going 2-4 in those matchups

La Verne Quick Hits

• After a one-year hiatus, the Leopards are returning to the NCAA National Championship for the 26th time

• Kelsi Robinson was named the SCIAC Volleyball Athlete of the Year and a total of six Leopards (Tiffany Mancuso, Cassie Thompson, Delaney Lynch, Marisa Rojo, Kristen Sanchez) were selected to All-SCIAC teams; La Verne's coaching staff led by head coach Jenna Panatier, was named the Coaching Staff of the Year

• Tiffany Mancuso is ranked third in the nation in assists per set with 10.97; she also has 51 service aces on the year, is getting 2.53 digs per set and has recorded 40 blocks

• The Leopards are ranked sixth in the nation in hitting percentage at .261; Robinson ranks 23rd individually at .362 and Thompson is not far behind, converting at a .350 clip (33rd)

• Kristen Sanchez leads the team in digs with 4.30 per set and has put away 34 service aces

• The Leopards have gone 4-3 against AVCA Top-25 teams

Southwestern Quick Hits

• The Pirates are coached by La Verne alumnus and former La Verne head coach Don Flora '90, '00; Flora led the Leopards to the 2001 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship and guided La Verne to nine straight SCIAC championships from 2000-2008

• Flora was named a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Co-Coach of the Year along with Julie Jenkins of Trinity (Texas), who is also in the same regional; setter Nikki Welch and outside hittier Kate Mitchell were named to First Team All-SCAC

• The Pirates started the season on a 19-match winning streak and have gone 6-3 against AVCA Top-25 teams

• Welch ranks fourth in the nation in assists per set with 10.94--just behind La Verne's Mancuso

• Mitchell leads the Pirates' attack with a team-high 3.40 kills per set on .279 hitting; the right side hitter also has 76 total blocks on the year

• The Pirates rank 11th in the nation in digs per set; defensive specialist Andie Alford leads the team with with 4.82 digs per set, and Jamison Duck (3.36), Welch (3.15) and Megan Grimes (3.03) average more than three digs per set each