EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Pairings were released for the 2021 Midwest Region Volleyball Crossover, which takes place this Friday and Saturday at the Hammond Sportsplex & Community Center in Hammond, Indiana. This year’s conference seedings were based off the Division II Massey Ratings.
University of Southern Indiana Volleyball enters as the No. 4 seed from the Great Lakes Valley Conference and will take on the Great Midwest Athletic Conference’s No. 6 seed, Trevecca Nazarene University, and No. 3 seed, Ashland University, Friday at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. The Screaming Eagles finish the weekend Saturday at 12:45 p.m. when they take on the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athlete Conference’s No. 4 seed, Grand Valley State University.
This year’s Midwest Region Crossover, which is the largest collegiate volleyball tournament in the nation, pits 15 GLVC teams against 12 institutions representing the GMAC and 11 programs from the GLIAC. The 2020 Crossover was not played due to COVID-19 and the cancellation of the NCAA II Volleyball Championship.
The Midwest Region Crossover was created in 2008 as a tournament between the GLVC and the GLIAC, with the GMAC joining the fray in 2015.
USI holds a record of 20-16 all-time at the Crossover, including a 14-4 mark in the last six years. GLVC teams went a combined 28-20 at the 2019 Crossover, while the GLVC holds a .605 winning percentage (316-236) since the Crossover’s inception, and a .615 mark (142-89) since the GMAC joined the competition.
The Eagles (11-6, 5-4 GLVC) enter this weekend’s competition looking to snap a two-match skid after falling in a five-set, three-hour-long marathon at Rockhurst University last Friday and a three-set upset at Southwest Baptist University the following day.
Trevecca Nazarene enter this week’s competition with an 11-7 overall mark and a 4-5 record in GMAC play, while Ashland is 9-9 overall and 8-1 in the GMAC. Grand Valley State is 9-7 overall and 5-3 in the GLIAC.
Following this week’s competition, which can go a long way in determining at-large berths into the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Tournament, the Eagles return to GLVC play October 22 when they visit the University of Illinois Springfield. USI returns to Screaming Eagles Arena October 29 to host William Jewell College.
