Yellow Jackets to Meet Johns Hopkins in Opening Match

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- For the second straight year, Randolph-Macon will make the short trip southeast to Newport News to Christopher Newport University for regional play in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament.  The Yellow Jackets, in their third straight appearance in the national tourney, square off with Johns Hopkins University in their opening match on Friday.

CNU will serve as host of one of eight regional pods that each feature eight teams from across the country.  Of the 64 teams in the field, only the University of Puget Sound did not hear its name called on the NCAA Selection Show from the most recent AVCA Top-25 Poll (released 11/1/11).

Randolph-Macon (23-5) did not play Johns Hopkins (25-4) during the regular season.  The Blue Jays punched their NCAA dance card after earning the Centennial Conference's automatic qualifier with a 3-1 triumph over Gettysburg College.  The Yellow Jackets, winners of the ODAC's automatic bid, topped Washington and Lee University, 3-1, on Saturday to secure its third straight ODAC crown.  R-MC has not faced JHU since 2006 when the Blue Jays won, 3-0.

Joining R-MC and JHU in the top of the CNU regional bracket are 2010 runner-up, #2 Emory University (34-4), and Richard Stockton College (25-8).  The winner of that match and the R-MC/JHU pairing will meet in the second round.   The bottom-half of the Christopher Newport pod features Salisbury University (31-3), Gallaudet University (28-7), Maryville College (Tenn.) (26-7) and #7 CNU (33-4).

The Yellow Jackets nearly made it out of the Freeman Center and into the 2010 NCAA Division III Tournament quarterfinals.  After a five-set thriller against Franklin & Marshall College, R-MC swept Colorado College, 3-0, to set up a showdown with CNU.  Randolph-Macon took the Captains to the brink of elimination, but CNU was able to pull out the 3-2 win.  Christopher Newport evenutally lost to Emory in the quarterfinals.

Play in the regional round* of the 2011 NCAA Division III Tournament begins on Friday, November 11, and continues with second round matches on Saturday and third round contests on Sunday.  Each of the eight regional winners will meet in St. Louis, Mo., November 18-20 to determine a national champion.  Washington University in St. Louis and the St. Louis Sports Commission will serve as tournament hosts.

For more information, visit any of the participating schools' websites, or go to the NCAA volleyball championship information page (http://www.ncaa.com/championships/volleyball-women/d3).

*Some regional pods begin play on Thursday, November 10.  See bracket for more details.