LADY RAMS EARN BID TO NATIONALS
November 21, 2005

FORT WORTH, TX:  The Texas Wesleyan University volleyball team (31-4) has appeared to be on a collision course for next weekend’s NAIA National Tournament in San Diego, CA, all season.  Those plans were put on hold briefly after #14 Houston Baptist upset the 8th ranked Rams in the Region VI championship.  On Sunday, the Lady Rams learned that they had received the final bid in the field of 20 teams.

In the NAIA’s listing of allotted bids, the 13 Regional Champions each received an automatic bid.  In addition the runner-up and third place finishers from Regions II and III received an automatic berth.  The NAIA then listed three possible scenarios for the allotment of the final three spots in the tournament.

In each scenario, it appeared that the Rams would receive a bid.  In this case scenario two was used.  The “wild card,” a highly rated team that may have been eliminated by teams who qualified, went to 7th ranked Azusa State University.  Columbia College received a bid as the Region V runner-up, and the Lady Rams earned their berth as the Region VI runner-up.

This is the eighth overall and second consecutive appearance in the National Tournament for Texas Wesleyan.  Last season, they reached the quarterfinals before being defeated by California Baptist.  The 2005 Lady Rams have set school records by winning 58 consecutive games and 30 consecutive matches.  They hope to begin a new winning streak that will carry them into next Saturday’s action and perhaps to their first national championship.

The National Tournament will be held in San Diego, CA, at Point Loma Nazarene University November 30 – December 3.  Pool play will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 2, with quarterfinal matches being held the same evening.  The semifinals and national championship match will be held on Saturday, December 3.

The following teams were automatic qualifiers by means of winning their respective region tournaments:

Region I Champion - Albertson College (Idaho) (25-5)

Region II Champion - Fresno Pacific University (Calif.) (34-0)

Region III Champion - Dordt College (Iowa) (38-3)

Region IV Champion - College of Saint Mary (Neb.) (33-6)

Region V Champion - Missouri Baptist University (34-5)

Region VI Champion - Houston Baptist University (36-4)

Region VII Champion - Iowa Wesleyan University (22-9) 

Region VIII Champion - Madonna University (Mich.) (44-0)

Region IX Champion - Cedarville University (Ohio) (45-2)

Region XI Champion - Georgetown College (Ky.) (38-7)

Region XII Champion - Indiana University Southeast (32-5)

Region XIII Champion - Lee University (Tenn.) (27-10)

Region XIV Champion - Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) (24-9)

The following teams received automatic At-Large Allotments:

Region II Runner-Up - California Baptist University (28-4)

Region III Runner-Up - National American University (N.D.) (37-1)

Region III Third Place - Doane College (Neb.) (23-13)

Region II Third Place - Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.) (21-13)

Scenario #2 was used for the remaining selections:

Wild Card #1 - Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) (24-9)

Region V Runner-Up - Columbia College (Mo.) (33-4)

Region VI Runner-Up - Texas Wesleyan University (31-2)