Mount Union will make its first appearance in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament today against Lebanon Valley (Pa.) College in the Mid-Atlantic Regional on the campus of Juniata (Pa.) College in Huntington, Pa.
The Purple Raiders (22-6 overall) earned one of 19 national at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament as they finished second in the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season and fell in the semifinals of the OAC Tournament to eventual champion Ohio Northern.
The senior duo of Melissa Mahnke (North Royalton/North Royalton) and Sarah Parker, a former Geneva star, lead the way for Mount Union up front. The dangerous hitting duo account for half of the team's offense as Mahnke, an All-American last season, has 324 kills to hit .249, while Parker has 257 kills and is swinging an impressive .382.
As a team, the Raiders hit .243. as setters Julie Radigan (Olmsted Falls/Olmsted Falls) (8.61 aps) and Katie Kmieck (Lakewood/Lakewood) (5.59 aps) have split time this year.
The winner of today’s match takes on the winner of a match between region top seed and host Juniata and Cabrini (Pa.) College on Friday at 7 pm.
The other half of the region features Eastern (Pa.) vs. Frostburg State (Md.) and Haverford (Pa.) vs. Richard Stockton (N.J.).
The winner of the regional advances to the national finals, which be held next weekend at John Carroll University.
