Meagan Daniel

UTSA hosts Southland volleyball championships

(Nov. 21, 2003)--UTSA is the host site for the 2003 Southland Conference Volleyball Championships beginning Friday, Nov. 21 and running through Sunday, Nov. 23.

The host Roadrunners are seeded fifth in the tournament, which will send its champion to the 2003 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournament.

UTSA has won the tournament only once in school history, a victory in 2000 that sent the squad to Santa Barbara, Calif., for a first round NCAA match with national powerhouse UC-Santa Barbara. The UCSB Gauchos claimed that match with a three-game win, advancing in the tournament to the elite eight, falling just one win shy of the national semifinal contest.

Pictured is UTSA volleyball player Meagan Daniel, a freshman from Hereford, who last night was named Southland Conference Freshman of the Year. Daniel is the first UTSA volleyball player to earn the award since Charlsie Heifrin in 2000.

The Roadrunners will face fourth-seeded McNeese State in the opening round of the SLC tournament Friday night at 7 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., third-seeded Texas-Arlington, winner of the last two tournaments, will square off with the sixth-seeded Nicholls State Colonels. Only the top six teams in the league make the tournament field with the top two seeds earning first round byes.

The first round winners of the single-elimination tournament will advance to face the top two seeds Saturday. Should UTSA win Friday night, the Roadrunners will have to get past top-seeded Texas State in a 7 p.m. Saturday match. The winner of the UTA/Nicholls State match will face Stephen F. Austin at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Saturday's winners will advance to the championship contest Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

All tournament matches will be played in the UTSA Convocation Center, affectionately nicknamed "The Bird Cage." All-tournament passes are $15 for adults and $8 for children. Single-day passes are $8 for adults and $5 for children. All UTSA students get in free with a valid UTSACard.

The NCAA Tournament 64-team bracket will be announced live on ESPNews (DirecTV channel 207, Dish Network channel 142, San Antonio Time Warner Digital Cable channel 229) at approximately 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 30.

Immediately following the ESPNews announcement, a printable bracket will be available at www.ncaasports.com.

--Leigh Anne Gullett