Northern State qualified for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament starting Friday at the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, Minn. The champion will qualify for the Central regional tourney.
NSIC member and tourney host Concordia-St. Paul has won the last five national Division II titles.
NSU has new region partners starting this season in the Great American Conference (GAC) and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). So when it comes to having eight teams qualify for the first round of the national tourney in the form of the Central region in sports such as volleyball and basketball, the qualifiers will come from the NSIC, GAC and MIAA.
GAC members are Arkansas Tech in Russellville; Harding in Searcy (Ark.); Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist, both in Arkadelphia, Ark.; Southern Arkansas in Magnolia; the University of Arkansas at Monticello; Southern Nazarene University in Bethany; East Central in Ada (Okla.); Northwestern Oklahoma State in Alva; Southeastern Oklahoma State in Durant; and Southeastern Oklahoma State in Weatherford.
MIAA members are University of Central Missouri; University of Central Oklahoma; Missouri Southern State University; Missouri Western State University; Northwest Missouri State University; University of Nebraska at Kearney; Emporia (Kan.) State University; Fort Hays (Kan.) State University; Lincoln University in Jefferson City (Mo.); Lindenwood University in St. Charles (Mo.); Northeastern State University in Tahlequah (Okla.); Pittsburg (Kan.) State University; Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar (Mo.); Truman State University in Kirksville (Mo.); and Washburn University in Topeka (Kan.).
Six area high school volleyball teams qualified for the three state tourneys starting today: Aberdeen Central (State AA); Aberdeen Roncalli and Mobridge-Pollock (A); and Warner, Herreid-Selby Area and Timber Lake (B).
The State AA will be at Rapid City Central High School on South Dakota Public Broadcasting 1. The State A will be at the Watertown Civic Arena on South Dakota Public Broadcasting 2. The State B will be at the Corn Palace in Mitchell on South Dakota Public Broadcasting 3.
So far in the high school volleyball postseason, I am 41-15 (5-3 in Class AA, 20-4 in A and 16-8 in B) in the districts and regions. Here are my picks for the college NSIC tourney, then the high school tourneys followed by the past high school state champions list.
College Volleyball
Northern Sun Intercollegiate
Conference Tournament
at Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, Minn.
FRIDAY
No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth (27-3) vs. No. 6 Winona State (20-10), noon. I pick Duluth.
No. 2 Southwest Minnesota State (26-2) vs. No. 7 Minnesota State, Mankato (18-10), 2:30 p.m. I pick Southwest.
No. 4 Wayne State (22-8) vs. No. 5 Northern State (18-10), 5 p.m. I pick Northern.
No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul (25-3) vs. No. 8 Augustana (17-12), 7:30 p.m. I pick CSP.
SATURDAY
