Courtesy Westfield State Sports Information

Westfield State University will play New York University (NYU) in the opening round of the NCAA Division III women’s volleyball national tournament on Friday, Nov. 12, at 8:00 p.m.

New York University, located in the Greenwich Village section of New York City, has received an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year and will once again serve as a regional host site.

The 15th-ranked Violets (35-5) will host the New York Regionals at the Coles Sports Center Friday-Sunday, November 12-14. Westfield (20-12) qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year and the second time in school history. The Owls also won the 2009 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) postseason tournament and have won or shared the last four MASCAC regular season championships.

The six other teams in the New York Regional are the United States Coast Guard Academy (29-5), Roger Williams University (29-5), Stevens Institute of Technology (32-5), Johnson & Wales University (24-12), Clarkson University (27-9), and Hunter College (17-17).

NYU, which finished third in the University Athletic Association, is the only nationally ranked squad in the regional field.

On Friday, #3 Coast Guard faces #6 Roger Williams in the opening match at 12:30 p.m.  In the second match at 3:00 p.m., #2 Stevens Tech meets #7 Johnson & Wales. The #4 seed, Clarkson, takes on #5 Hunter at 5:30 p.m., followed by top-seeded host NYU facing #8 Westfield State.

The winners of Friday afternoon's contest meet at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, while Friday's evening winners play at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.

The region's championship match will be held Sunday at 4:00 p.m.
 
Last year Westfield State dropped a 3-1 decision to #2 seed UMass Boston in the New England Regional at Tufts University.

Westfield features three 2010 first team all-conference selections, led by MASCAC player of the year Alex Shaw, a junior outside hitter from East Falmouth, Mass. Also a first team all-conference pick in 2009, Shaw has recorded 281 kills thus far this season with a .270 hitting percentage. She also has five solo blocks and 53 block assists.

Senior outside hitter Rachel Ryan (Westborough, Mass.) and junior setter Kerin DeGirolamo (North Attleboro, Mass.) are the other all-conference first teamers. Ryan has team highs of 321 kills, 53 service aces and 238 digs. DeGirolamo, also a first-team pick in 2009, has recorded 941 assists (9.7 per game) and 207 digs.

Sophomore libero Alyssa Stankowski - the 2010 MASCAC Tournament MVP and the 2009 MASCAC rookie of the year - has returned from an early season injury and is averaging 3.57 digs per game. Freshman outside hitter Julia Warner (Lee, Mass.) had compiled 207 kills and 214 digs.
Westfield is also receiving key contributions from sophomore middle hitter Kelsey Leonard (Billerica, Mass.), who has team highs of 31 solo blocks and 60 block assists along with 171 kills and a team-best .302 attack percentage.

Rounding out the Owls’ nine-player rotation are senior middle hitter Maura McLaughlin of West Roxbury (108 kills, 28 blocks, 42 block assists), sophomore defensive specialist Brittany Dussault of Chicopee, Mass. (178 digs, 42 service aces) and freshman defensive specialist/libero Kayleigh Shea of Chelmsford (team-high 257 digs, 2.45 per game).