Women's Volleyball

Gallaudet to Face Stevens in NCAA Opening Round

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Gallaudet University women’s volleyball team will be headed to the NCAA Championships as they will play Stevens Institute of Technology in the opening round.  The Bison will travel to Newport News, Virginia and play in an eight-team bracket with the host, Christopher Newport University, William Paterson University, East Texas Baptist University, Allegheny College, Washington & Lee University, John Jay College, and Stevens Institute of Technology. 

Find the full bracket here: 2024 NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

This is the 14th NCAA Tournament appearance, and second-straight season, that Gallaudet University has earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.  The 2024 title marks the 10th league championship since Gallaudet University joined the United East/North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) and is currently 10-1 all-time in United East/NEAC championship matches.

Last season, the Bison swept through the United East Conference Tournament before ultimately falling to #16 Wesleyan (Ct.) University 3-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, hosted at Johns Hopkins University.  This season, the Bison topped the league by hitting .373 as a team and limiting opponents to a -0.002 hitting percentage during league play.  Additionally, Gallaudet averaged 18.38 points and 4.75 service aces per set.  Sophomore Brielle Worley finished the regular season ranking 1st in NCAA Division III in Points (539.0), 1st in Total Kills (476), 2nd in Kills per Set (4.86), 2nd in Points per Set (5.50), and 6th in Total Attacks (1,046). Worley earned United East Offensive Player of the Week six separate times this season.

Gallaudet will face Stevens Institute of Technology (27-6; 6-1 MAC Freedom) in the first-round matchup.  Stevens won the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom with a 3-2 win over Misericordia University to earn their 5th-straight MAC Freedom championship.  Their 27 wins in 2024 are the most since the 2017 team won 27 as well.  Elle Maggio was named tournament MVP after totaling 17 kills and eight block assists across the semifinals and finals. 

Stevens and Gallaudet last met on September 13, 2008; a 3-1 victory for Stevens.

Awaiting the winner of Gallaudet and Stevens will be the winner of #12 Washington & Lee University (32-2; 12-0 ODAC) and John Jay College (22-6; 6-1 CUNYAC).  The #12 Generals enter the 2024 Tournament with a 32-2 record, tied for the second most wins in program history, after capturing their second consecutive, and 20th overall Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championship, with a 3-2 victory over Virginia Wesleyan University.  Across the net are the champions of the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC), John Jay College. The Bloodhounds upset No.1 seeded Hunter College, 3-1, to earn their first league title, their first victory over Hunter in 38 matches, and will be making their first NCAA appearance.

On the other side of the bracket will be the host, Christopher Newport University (24-9; C2C Champion) taking on William Paterson University (22-9; 7-1 NJAC), followed by East Texas Baptist University (28-1; 8-0 ASC) against Allegheny College (26-5; 10-0 PAC). 

Christopher Newport earned their 18th conference title, and eighth in the last 11 seasons, with a 3-2 victory over Salisbury University to claim the Coast 2 Coast (C2C) championship.  The Captains will take on William Paterson University, the champions of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).  The Pioneers claimed their first league title since 1991 with a 3-0 sweep over Stockton University.

East Texas Baptist University will travel to Virginia carrying a 27-match win streak and a ranking of No. 9 in the latest national polls. The Tigers held off University of Mary-Hardin-Baylor, 3-2, in the American Southwest Conference (ASC) title match to claim back-to-back ASC Championships, with both victories coming against the Cru. Allegheny College won the Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) with a 3-0 sweep over Saint Vincent College.  This is the Gators’ first PAC Championship since rejoining the league in 2022, and the first conference title since they won the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) in 1991.
 

Start times for this weekend’s matches are still TBD as of publishing.  For more championship information and results, including live streaming of championship action, log on to ncaa.com.
 

Host: Christopher Newport University - Newport News, VA
  • (National: #12 / NPI: #6) Washington & Lee University (32-2; 12-0 ODAC) v. (NPI: 166) John Jay College (22-6; 6-1 CUNYAC) 
  • (NPI: #31) Stevens Institute of Technology (27-6; 6-1 MAC Freedom) v. (NPI: #36) Gallaudet (30-4; 10-0 United East)
  • (National: RV / NPI: #19) Christopher Newport University (host) (24-9; C2C Champion) v. (NPI: #47) William Paterson (22-9; 7-1 NJAC)
  • (National #9 / NPI: #12) East Texas Baptist University (28-1; 8-0 ASC) v. (NPI: #59) Allegheny (26-5; 10-0 PAC)
 
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The United East boasts 17 NCAA Division III full member institutions which include: Bryn Athyn College, Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Gallaudet University, Keystone College, Lancaster Bible College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Penn College, Penn State Abington, Penn State Berks, Penn State Brandywine, Penn State Harrisburg, Rosemont College, Saint Elizabeth University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, University of Valley Forge, and Wilson College. For more information, please visit gounitedeast.com.