Towson Volleyball draws matchup with Georgia in first round of NCAA Tournament
By: Jake Shindel, Sports Editor
The Towson Volleyball team will face Georgia in the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament, which they will play at the University of Texas.
The NCAA ranked the top eight teams in each of the four brackets in the tournament, and Towson was ranked eighth in Texas’ division. Texas earned the top seed in the entire tournament. The 32-team ranking is the first in NCAA Volleyball history, giving Towson Volleyball another achievement for the season.
“This team just continues to set milestones and break into the record books in different ways,” said Head Coach Don Metil. “Here in the NCAA’s first year where they decided to seed 32 teams, this group of young ladies has put together a body of work that is entrusted by a group of folks that we never even met that believe in Towson Volleyball.”
The team will practice on Monday and Tuesday before flying to Texas on Tuesday, practicing there on Wednesday, and facing off against Georgia on Thursday.
Towson earned a record of 29-1 throughout the regular season and CAA Tournament, boasting wins against #7 Pittsburgh and Rutgers, as well as a sweep against Delaware to earn their fourth-straight CAA Championship.
Georgia has gone 22-7 this season, and owns the all-time matchup against Towson, winning their only prior battle in 2000 in straight sets.
For Middle Blocker Aayinde Smith, the game will be a homecoming, as she was born in Garland, TX, around 30 minutes from UT.
“I haven’t been to Texas since the summer, and I’m just ready to go back,” Smith said. “The last time I played in Texas was my sophomore year of high school.”
Towson Volleyball has an all time record of 1-4 in the NCAA Tournament, with their win coming against American University in 2019.
The Tigers open their fourth-straight appearance in the Big Dance on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m with a game against Georgia.