MOUNT VERNON – Already in possession of its 10th consecutive Midwest Conference regular-season volleyball championship, Cornell goes after more hardware this weekend as host of the
MWC Tournament.
Coach
Jeff Meeker's top-seeded Rams (20-7) open postseason play Friday with a 7 p.m. semifinal match against No. 4 seed Illinois College (12-17) inside the Small Athletic and Wellness Center.
Friday's first semifinal pits No. 2 seed Lake Forest (15-12) against No. 3 seed Grinnell (17-10) at 4:30 p.m. The semifinal winners advance to the final at 1 p.m. Saturday for the MWC's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Admission is $5 for adults. Children 12-and-under are free. All MWC students and staff are also admitted free with an ID card.
Live video and
live stats are available for all tournament matches. Rosters, statistics and more can be found in the
2022 MWC Tournament Program.
The Rams have captured seven MWC Tournament crowns the past 10 years, qualifying for the NCAAs in 2021, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012. Cornell defeated Grinnell in last year's final, 3-1.
Cornell has fashioned a 24-1 sets record against MWC foes this fall. The Rams swept both Illinois College and Lake Forest, while earning a 3-1 win over Grinnell Oct. 26.
The Rams are ranked No. 5 in Region IX and received 36 votes in this week's AVCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll (28th). Cornell stamped a strong regular season with a five-set victory at 10th-ranked UW-Whitewater Saturday.
Cornell is No. 1 in the MWC in points (17.15 pps), hitting percentage (.219), assists (11.68 aps), kills (12.86 kps) and blocks (2.44 bps). Senior
Rory Light leads the conference in points (3.98 pps), hitting percentage (.317) and blocks (1.45 bps). Sophomore setter
Clare Green tops the MWC in assists (10.00 aps).
Illinois College is making its fourth consecutive tournament appearance, seeking its first title since 1998. Grinnell, the 2019 tournament champion, is back in the field for the sixth straight season. Lake Forest's last NCAA bid came in 2003.
