Women's Volleyball Playoff Preview

The Wells College women's volleyball team will host a North Eastern Athletic Conference playoff game Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. at the Schwartz Athletic Center.

Wells will take on SUNY Polytechnic Institute in a quarterfinal round game. Wells won the NEAC North Division and SUNY Poly finished fourth in the division. The other divisional matchup pairs second-place Morrisville State College against third-place Keuka College.

Admission to the event is free. Fans who are unable to make it to the Schwartz Center can follow the action via video webcast and through Live Stats.

Wells has qualified for the NEAC playoffs for the fourth year in a row. The Express brings an 18-12 overall record into the postseason match. Wells was 8-1 against NEAC opponents and 6-0 in the NEAC North Division. SUNY Poly is 11-15 overall, 5-4 in the NEAC, and 3-3 in the NEAC North Division.

Earlier this season, Wells defeated SUNY Poly in four sets at SUNY Poly. Set scores were 25-20, 17-25, 25-20, 29-27.

This is the first year of a new postseason format in the NEAC utilizing divisional play for a number of sports, including women's volleyball. Eight teams will advance to the postseason tournament with the top four teams from each division advancing. First round matchups will take place within each respective division with the No. 1 seed hosting the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed hosting the No. 3 seed.

Following the conclusion of the first-round games, the four remaining teams will be re-seeded. The top seed will be designated as the host for the NEAC Women's Volleyball Final Four, which is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 4-5. The winner of the NEAC Championship will receive an automatic berth into the 2017 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament.

Wells College and Penn State Berks (champions of the NEAC South Division) completed the regular season with a 6-0 divisional records. The NEAC regular season champion was determined by comparing the top seeds from each division using specific criteria. Since Wells College and Penn State Berks each had a 8-1 record against conference opponents, the regular season crown was determined by head-to-head results, with Penn State Berks defeating Wells College earlier in the year.