Friday, Sep. 24 Match Day!

Updates: I wrote back in August that some conferences were considering a rule that would mean any team having to cancel a conference match due to Covid would take a forfeit. The match would NOT count in their overall record but it would be a loss in their conference record. Well, the ASC implemented that rule and, unfortunately, this weekend it will be implemented as McMurry is dealing with the C-Word. Hoping for the best for the War Hawks! Get well.

I reached out to the other conferences to see what their rules ended up being. The NWC and SCIAC have the same rule as the ASC. Any team unable to play due to Covid will take a loss for conference standing purposes. The SCAC will treat it as a no contest if the match cannot be made up later in the season.

TLU/Southwestern playing in the pit. I’m not sure what Colorado College calls that gym but it looks like a pit.

Trinity gets the sweep while Southwestern needs 4 sets to get by TLU.

Stream not working for the CC/Southwestern match 😦

Southwestern takes set one from CC although you can’t watch it. Stream is down. It’s like sticking knives into my eyes right now.

STREAM IS UP NOW!!!!

Colorado College comes back 31-29 in the second set. Isabella Vasquez went down with an injury which is a huge loss for the Tigers. Positive vibes out to her!

CC win the last five points and take the third set to go up 2-1.

It was there Pirates, but CC takes set 4 and the match. I will say that Georgia Mullins is the best offensive player I’ve seen this season. I have no clue why CC doesn’t set her on every ball possible.

Kudos to Howard Payne. They lost in 5-sets to LETU but nice effort.

Live Stats says Schreiner beat St. Thomas but I think that is backwards. St. Thomas with the sweep.

Cal Lu with a great effort against Oxy tonight getting the sweep.

A lot of matches look like they are going 5-sets tonight.

Whittier with a nice 4-set victory over Chapman. Sophie Srivastava with a triple-double in a losing effort. Two aces by Madison Diaz end the match.

Pacific and Lewis & Clark with wins tonight. The NWC is going to be a bit crazy this season.

Nationally ranked results not involving West Region teams:

#5 Calvin beat Aurora #5 Calvin beat IWU #7 Hope beat Saint Mary’s (Ind.) #8 UW-Whitewater beat #24 Carthage #10 Wartburg beat Gustavus Adolphus #10 Wartburg beat Aurgsburg #11 Juniata beat Messiah #13 Berry beat Transylvania #16 Chicago upset #14 Millikin #21 Bethel upset #14 Millikin UW-Stevens Point upset #16 Chicago UW-Stevens Point upset #21 Bethel #23 WashU beat Illinois Tech #23 WashU beat Rose-Hulman

Random Thoughts: The cover photo is TLU’s senior middle Madison Weisinger.

All four conference are in the swing of things starting this week.

The SCAC has a pod going in Colorado College. Pods are groups of teams that come together to play multiple teams over two days. It allows for less travel and fewer dates dedicated to conference play. The downside is an unbalanced schedule in terms of home matches.

TLU is a tough little team that can’t be overlooked and they will lead things off against Southwestern and then later with Trinity. This should be a Pirates win (and a Tigers win) but conference is a different animal and a TLU victory shouldn’t be dismissed here.

UTD at Sul Ross State should be a tough match. UTD fell to HSU and Sul Ross State has been tough at home. This could really go either way.

Concordia seems lost this season but there is still some really good talent on this team. I don’t think they have enough to hurt UMHB, however.

ETBU/McMurry should be a close one. Playing at McMurry helps as that program has dipped a little this season.

Southwestern/Colorado College has to be the match of the day. It’s really hard to beat CC at home so I don’t expect the Pirates to pull this off. I would like to see this go 4 or 5-sets as a Pirates fan.

Out of the NWC, I like the Puget Sound/Pacific matchup. Pacific played Whitworth tough and UPS just lost in a sweep by PLU. Anything could happen in this one. I also like George Fox and Lewis & Clark. If Lewis & Clark are going to be a factor in conference then this is one they really need.

Who has got Oxy over Cal Lu tonight? I think I do.

CMS/La Verne is big for the Leopards. Big loss to Oxy this week really hurts their chances for tournament seeding or even making it (the conference only takes four teams). A win here would erase that loss and then some. CMS is going to struggle at some point this season and most likely on the road. Will it be here?