NCAA Tournament First Round: Cabrini University Cavaliers (29-6, 11-0 CSAC) vs. No. 25 Otterbein University Cardinals (29-3, 8-1 OAC)
Friday, November 10, 8pm
Rike Athletic Center, Westerville, OH

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Ticket Information
Tickets for each day's action will cost $10 for adults, $7 for senior (62 and older), $5 or students and children ages 5-12.  Children five years and under will be free.

Tickets can be purchased at Rike Center on Friday.

What's at Stake
Eight schools will descend on Otterbein's Westerville, OH campus for the first three rounds of the 2017 NCAA Volleyball Tournament.  Friday's final match pits the Cavaliers and Cardinals, who will meet for the first time, with the winner advancing to Saturday's regional semifinal.

Friday's other first round matches include No. 19 Juniata (23-8) and Brockport (26-8) at 12:30pm, No. 3 Wittenberg (22-2) and Penn State-Behrend (19-11) at 3pm and No. 20 Ohio Northern (27-5) and DePauw (20-7) at 5:30pm.  

Friday's winners will advance to Saturday's second round, with Saturday's victors meeting in Sunday's third round.  Sunday's regional champion will advance to the national quarterfinal round to be played in Grand Rapids, MI.

The Blue and White is making its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last nine years and its fifth in a row.  The Cavaliers fell to 0-7 in its NCAA Tournament history with last year's 3-0 loss at then No. 14 Mary Washington.

Otterbein is making its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance and second since 2013 after claiming its second Ohio Athletic Conference title.  The then No. 16 Cardinals scored a 3-0 win over DePauw in the first round of the 2013 tournament before suffering a 3-1 loss to then No. 2 Hope in the second round.

How They Got Here: Youth and Balance Propel Cavaliers to 29 Victories
The Blue and White rode its success from the end of 2016 into the 2017 season. The Cavaliers sport a 29-6 overall record, tied for the most wins in a season in program history, including a perfect 11-0 record in conference play, extending its run to 59 straight CSAC wins.

A pair of freshmen have directed the Cabrini attack this season, as freshman Steph Judkins lead the team with 427 kills, while fellow rookie Olivia Blankenbiller ranks 10th in the country with 1,179 assists.

Judkins leads six Cavaliers to score at least 125 kills on the season. Senior Anne-Marie Jones, whose 258 kills rank second on the team, also ranks second on the program's all-time list with 1,091.

Junior Ashley Shannon anchors the Blue and White defensive effort with 586 digs, while, fellow junior Emily Shannon has recorded 349 and Judkins 306, as six Cavaliers have posted north of 150 digs.

Cabrini also gets solid defensive contributions at the net, as the team has registered 136 total blocks. Seniors Kaylee Plisinski and Chelsea Jones have combined for 98 total blocks, as eight Cavaliers have scored double figure blocks on the year.

How They Got Here: Cardinals Ride Experience to Program Wins Record
After going 16-14 and exiting the 2016 OAC Tournament after the first round, Otterbein took the court this season with renewed optimism. The Cardinals returned all six starters and nearly every impact player from its 2016 squad.

The optimism paid off, as the club opened the season with 13 consecutive wins before falling to then No. 13 Carnegie Mellon 3-2.  Otterbein will enter Friday's action after an eight match win streak pushed the club to 29-3, setting a new program mark for wins.

The Cardinals have established their success on the strength of a dominant offensive performance. Otterbein leads the nation with 13.41 assists per set and ranks fourth with 1,556 assists, while its 14.16 kills per set rank second and its 1,643 total kills seventh.

Junior Andrea Miller leads the nation with 11.25 assists per set and 1,294 total assists. The junior has a pair of dominant hitters to find as senior Morgan Lowenkamp and junior Hadley Sterett have recorded 397 and 390 kills each.

The Cardinals' defensive strength begins at the net as well, as the team has posted 246 total blocks, seventh in Division III. Junior Alana King-Mendenhall's 108 total blocks rank 24th in the country, while Lowenkamp adds 89.

Cabrini Last Time Out: Cavaliers continued CSAC dominance with 5th straight title (11/4/2017, Radnor, PA)

The Cavaliers won their fifth consecutive CSAC title with Saturday's 20-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-19 win over Neumann.  The victory marked the program's eight title under head coach Eric Schaefer.

Ashley Shannon was named Championship Match Most Valuable Player after pairing 31 assists and 15 digs, while playing libero and setter.

Anne-Marie Jones led the Cavaliers with 13 kills, while freshman Morgan Collito paired 10 kills and 11 digs. Judkins matched Ashley Shannon with 15 digs, while junior Emily Shannon posted 14, one more than sophomore Kristen Bettermann.

Otterbein Last Time Out: Cardinals rolled over No. 18 Ohio Northern for OAD title (11/4/2017, Westerville, OH)
Otterbein captured its second OAC championship on Saturday with a 25-17, 25-18, 25-17 victory over Ohio Northern, earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Sterett posted a double-double with 13 kills and 17 digs, while senior Marie Thornton and Lowenkamp combined for 20 kills. Miller tallied 43 assists, while libero Ashlyn Leon scored 16 digs.  King-Mendenhall accounted for six of the Cardinals' nine total blocks in the win.

5 Factors for Cabrini

• Judkins is the third consecutive CSAC Player of the Year from Cabrini and the fourth in the last five years.
• The Blue and White has scored at least eight service aces in 18 of its 35 matches this season.
• Only six of Cabrini's opponents have recorded hitting percentages of .200.
• Ashley Shannon's 586 digs rank 33rd in the NCAA.
• Cabrini's freshman trio of Blankenbiller, Collito and Judkins have combined for 22 double-doubles.

5 Factors for Otterbein

• Sterett appeared in 65 sets over two years at Div. I Wright state before transferring to Otterbein to play with younger sister Hillary.
• The Cardinals boast the nation's 14th ranked hitting percentage (.244). Lowenkamp's .405 percentage is good for sixth in Div. III.
• Head coach Monica Wright was recently named OAC Coach of the Year, while Lowenkamp was named Player of the Year to lead five Cardinals named to the All-OAC Team. Lowenkamp is the first Cardinal named OAC Player of the Year, while the five Cardinals honored are the most in program history.
• Otterbein has recorded at least 5.0 total blocks 26 times in 32 matches, including each of its last 15 matches.
• Otterbein has held its opponents to a sub-.200 hitting percentage in 29 matches.

 

	TALE OF THE TAPE
Cabrini		# 25 Otterbein
29-6, 11-0 CSAC	Record	29-3, 8-1 OAC
.237	Hitting Percentage	.244
1,495	Kills	1,643
1,374	Assists	1,556
2,113	Digs	1,942
136	Total Blocks	246
260	Service Aces	200
	TEAM LEADERS
Anne-Marie Jones (.277)	Hitting Percentage	Morgan Lowenkamp (.405)
Steph Judkins (427)	Kills	Morgan Lowenkamp (397)
Olivia Blankenbiller (1,179)	Assists	Andrea Miller (1,294)
Ashley Shannon (586)	Digs	Ashlyn Leon (540)
Kaylee Plisinski (51)	Blocks	Alana King-Mendenhall (108)
Emily Shannon (41)	Aces	Hillary Sterett (39)