HANCEVILLE, Ala., November 4, 2021 – After claiming its 10th straight Region Championship last weekend, the No. 20-ranked Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball team is set to compete at the 2021 Gulf Atlantic District A/B Championship tournament this weekend in Hanceville, Ala.
 
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION:
What: 2021 Gulf Atlantic District A/B Championship Tournament
Where: Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville, Alabama (hosted by Wallace State Community College)
When: Friday, Nov. 5 – Saturday, Nov. 6
 
TOURNAMENT SEEDS
1) Wallace State Community College
2) Snead State Community College
3) Monroe College - Region 15
4) Coastal Alabama Community College-South



TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE:
Times Subject to Change (All Times Central Time)
Friday, November 5
Match 1 3:00 pm - Coastal Alabama Community College-South vs. Wallace State
Match 2 3:00 pm - Monroe College vs. Snead State (4:00 pm EST)
Match 3 5:00 pm - Loser Match 1 vs. Loser Match 2
Match 4 5:00 pm - Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2
 
Saturday, November 6
Match 5 10:00 am - Winner Match 3 vs. Loser Match 4
Match 6 12:00 pm - Winner Match 4 vs. Winner Match 5
Match 7 2:00 pm - "If" Game if Loser of Game 10 is first loss
 
The top two teams from the Tournament will advance to the 2021 NJCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament, November 18-20, in Hutchinson, Kan.
 
TOURNAMENT COVERAGE:
Live Stats (Monroe matches only): MonroeCollegeMustangs.com/WVBLiveStats
Live Video: http://www.jockjive.com/acccsports.html
 
HISTORY
Monroe made its first appearance in the at the Gulf Atlantic District Championship back in 2018 after the NJCAA modified the districts. This posed a bigger challenge for the Mustangs, as they now had to compete in, what was at the time, a six-team tournament down in Alabama each time they qualified for the District Championships going forward. Each year so far, the Gulf Atlantic District Championship has been responsible for sending two different District winners to the NJCAA Championship tournament, as the top two teams qualify each season.
 
The Mustangs made an immediate impact in their first trip to Alabama in 2018, picking up a five-set win over Coastal Alabama Community College-South in their first match, and then followed that up with at three-set win over Gadsden State Community College to continue through the winner's bracket.
 
The Mustangs lost their first match the next day to No. 19-ranked Wallace State, but bounced the following day to defeat Lawson State Community College to clinch one of the two District Titles for the weekend. In a match to determine the top team coming out of the district, the Mustangs lost an incredibly close five-set match against Wallace State later that day, but still claimed the District M Title to go back to the NJCAA Championship Tournament.
 
After awarding the District L and M Championships in 2018, the Gulf Atlantic District became responsible for District A and B in 2019, as it is in 2021. The Mustangs picked up a three-set win over Snead State to open that tournament, but then moved into the loser's bracket after closing out Day 1 with a four-set loss to Gadsden State. Now having to fight off elimination in each match, the Mustangs pulled through on Day 2 with a three-set win over Coastal Alabama, and then a huge five-set win over No. 15 Wallace State to eliminate the Lions and advance to Day 3.
 
Taking on Lawson State on Day 3 for at least the District B Title, the Mustangs won the match in four sets to secure their spot at the national tournament. With District A still up for grabs, the Mustangs needed to defeat Gadsden State twice, as the Cardinals had yet to lose a match at the tournament. The Mustangs kept that hope alive by defeating Gadsden State in three sets, forcing one final match, Monroe's third of the day, to determine the District A champion. An exhausted Monroe squad gave it their all in the final match of the weekend, forcing it to go to a deciding fifth set, but dropped a close final frame to award Gadsden State the District A Title, while Monroe went home with District B in hand.
 
HOW WE GOT HERE:
The Mustangs head into this weekend's tournament with a 30-7 overall record, the team's first 30-win season since 2015. The Mustangs once had a 15-match winning streak through much of September, only seeing that come to an end during a trip down to Florida. The Mustangs got the job done last weekend when it mattered most, defeating Harford Community College in the Region Championship match in three sets to earn their spot in the Gulf Atlantic District Championships.
 
Should the Mustangs come out of this weekend with either the District A or B Championships, the Mustangs would then make their fifth straight appearance in the NJCAA Div. I Women's Volleyball Championship tournament, not including 2020-21, when the Mustangs did not compete.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 39 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 18 teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).