#2 Oshkosh nips #1 Juniata in the Trinity (Tx) National Invitational 22-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-18, 15-13. Both teams also beat #8 Wittenberg (Juniata 3-1, Oshkosh 3-0) and #18 Trinity (both 3-0). In the final match, the host Tigers outlasted the Ohio Tigers in five sets, 15-11 in the fifth.
http://www.trinity.edu/departments/athletics/Volleyball/Tournaments/2009/TUNI/Natl_Invite.htm
Those results will shake the rankings a bit. . .
But only Oshkosh vs Trinity is in-region.
That looks like an excellent pre-playoff tourney for those 4 teams.
Now the debate is what schools host. Will it be Oshkosh, Whitewater or Carthage? I'm thinking Wash U gets a regional over St. Ben's and St. Thomas. The announcements are Wednesday.
Oshkosh hosted last year, and the NCAA likes to spread it around from year to year. But how can you deny the Titans this year? Juniata and Tufts also hosted last year. Doesn't seem fair to deny one and not the others. I think UWO and JC (probably Tufts as well) earned the right to host again in 2009. I don't know about the others, but Oshkosh submitted a bid to host this year.
I'll take Oshkosh, Wash U and Hope as hosts in my area, assuming they all submitted bids. Carthage or Whitewater may get bused east or west. We'll see. It all depends whether the NCAA thinks hosting is earned or hosting is rotated.
