NCAA Tournament – Volleyball to Face Stevens Institute of Technology
Framingham, Mass. – The 2014 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Volleyball Regular Season and Tournament Champion Framingham State University Rams will be making their second appearance in three years in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship Tournament this weekend in Hoboken, N.J.
The Rams will face Stevens Institute of Technology from the Empire 8 Conference in an opening round match on Friday, November 14th at 8 p.m. in Canavan Arena on the campus of Stevens Institute.
Under the direction of 11th year head coach and reigning MASCAC Coach of the Year Dick Casali, the Rams went 23-11 this season including a perfect 6-0 mark in the MASCAC en route to the 2014 MASCAC Regular Season Title. The Rams received the MASCAC's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament after defeating Worcester State 3-0 in the final match of the tournament.
The Rams are led by the sophomore duo of Alycia Rackliffe (Feeding Hills, Mass.) and Julia Wan (South Deerfield, Mass.). The pair earned All-MASCAC first team honors this season after grabbing a combined four MASCAC Player of the Week nods. Rackliffe, the 2014 MASCAC Tournament MVP, led the Rams averaging 3.34 kills per set with a .307 hitting percentage. She averaged 11.6 kills per match with 93 blocks on the year and 56 service aces. Want was right behind averaging 2.39 digs per set and nearly 3.5 digs per set. Senior Courtney Wilbur (Braintree, Mass.) was recognized by the conference as a second team selection after averaging 13 digs per match.
The Ducks received the Empire 8's automatic bid the NCAA Volleyball Championship after defeating Nazareth College 3-0 for their fourth overall Empire 8 title and their first since 2009. The Ducks captured the Tournament Title behind the play of freshman Brianna Evans, who was named the Tournament MVP. The Ducks enter the NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 31-6 including an 8-0 mark in the Empire 8.
The Ducks are the host for an eight team regional taking place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The other teams include Clarkson, Hunter, Tufts, Springfield, Roger Williams and Western Connecticut State.