The 2022 DII women’s volleyball championship, previewed

It’s time. Half the bracket will serve it up and get the 2022 DII women’s volleyball tournament rolling on Thursday, Nov. 17. Before they do, let’s take a region-by-region look at the 64 teams playing for the 2022 national championship.

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As much as current stats and hot streaks played a role in the discussion below, so did history. In order to try and uncover recent patterns, I took a look back to 2016 and the past five brackets (remember, there was no official tournament in 2020) to see if we could dig up some extra details for the teams on hand. 

Atlantic Region

Team to beat: Gannon. Isn’t it always Gannon this time of year? The Knights have been to three of the last four finals and enter this year’s tournament as the No. 1 seed, earning hosting honors for the tournament. Gannon finished strong once again, going 26-5 and closing the season on a 14-game winning streak and defeating Clarion in the PSAC championship game.

Team to watch: Fairmont State. There are a few actually worth watching here. Elizabeth City State is fresh off its first CIAA championship and first time back to the dance since 2008. Indiana (PA) is heading back to the tournament for the first time since 2017 led by a brand-new head coach. The 21-12 West Liberty Hilltoppers are making program history with its first appearance ever. But the Fighting Falcons of Fairmont State were one of the surprise teams a few weeks back, and have yet to relent, earning the five seed with a first bid since 2016 and playing against conference rival Charleston (WV). The Golden Eagles have defeated Fairmont State both times this season, most recently in the MEC tournament. Now, we can see how the Falcons handle the rubber match.

Central Region

Team to beat: Concordia-St. Paul. It doesn’t really matter what year it is; the Golden Bears are always the team to beat, aren’t they? The nine-time national champions enter the tournament 26-5 and the No. 2 seed. They have a very interesting matchup against a tough Nebraska-Kearney squad in the first round, but the stage is also set for a potential rematch of last year’s regional final against Washburn.

Team to watch: Wayne State (Neb). Here, too, there are teams aplenty with intrigue. Northwest Missouri State came out of nowhere last year to make its first appearance since 2010 and made sure it didn’t have to wait that long again for a return. But the Wildcats are a great story. If you…