Bridgeport Volleyball Returns To NCAA Division II Championship Tournament For The First Time Since 2015

Indianapolis, Ind.-For the first time since 2015, the University of Bridgeport women's volleyball team, under the direction of sixth-year head coach Gary Mullin, will take part in the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament, as the Purple Knights have received an at-large bid to the 2019 NCAA East Regional which will be hosted by Molloy College in Rockville Centre, N.Y. from Thursday. December 5 through Saturday December 7.  On Thursday, December 5, the third-seeded Purple Knights (24-7), face the number six seed, Georgian Court University Lions (30-6), champions of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. 

This year marks the ninth NCAA appearance in program history for the Purple Knights, who made eighth consecutive NCAA appearances from 2008-2015. 

In the program's last NCAA trip in 2015, UB reached the NCAA East Regional Final after defeating New Haven in the quarterfinals and Dowling in the semifinals before being tripped up by New York Tech in the Regional Final.

In 2014, Bridgeport fell in four-sets in the East Regional Final to New Haven after defeating Post University and Bentley.  In 2013, the Purple Knights swept Georgian Court in Round One and were defeated in five-sets in the semifinals by the University of New Haven.  In 2012, Bridgeport advanced to the NCAA East Regional Final defeating Dowling and Adelphi before falling in the Regional Final to the host New Haven in a memorable five-set contest.  Bridgeport won the NCAA Division II East Regional for the first time in school history in 2011 defeating NYIT, Dowling and the host University of New Haven. UB fell to the University of Tampa in the National Quarterfinals hosted by Cal State San Bernardino to end its magical 2011 campaign.  In 2010, the Purple Knights defeated American International and New Haven before falling in the regional final to Dowling for the second straight season. In 2009, Bridgeport topped UMass Lowell and New Haven before losing to Dowling.   In 2008, Bridgeport, making the program's first-ever NCAA trip, defeated Bentley University in its regional opener before being nipped by Dowling College in the regional semifinals.

Joining UB and Georgian Court in the 2019 NCAA Division II Championship East Regional are: number one seed, Molloy College (25-4), number two seed Bentley University (26-5), number four seed St. Anselm College (20-11), number five seed University of New Haven (16-10), number seven seed, Holy Family University (24-9) and number eight seed, Adelphi University (14-10).

Here are the Matchups for the 2019 NCAA Division II Championship East Regional hosted by the Molloy College in Rockville Centre, New York:
(Match times will be announced later)

Thursday, December 5
Match No. 1    No. 3 seed (Bridgeport) vs. No. 6 seed (Georgian Court)-12:00 p.m.
Match No. 2    No. 2 seed (Bentley) vs. No. 7 seed (Holy Family)-2:30 p.m.
Match No. 3    No. 4 seed (St. Anselm) vs. No. 5 seed (New Haven)-5:00 p.m.
Match No. 4    No. 1 seed (Molloy) vs. No. 8 seed (Adelphi)-7:30 p.m.

Friday, December 6

Match No. 1    Winner of match No. 1 vs. Winner of match No. 2-5:00 p.m.
Match No. 2    Winner of match No. 3 vs. Winner of match No. 4-7:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 7
Regional Championship Match-7:00 p.m.

WATCH THE 2019 NCAA DIVISION VOLLEYBALL SELECTION SHOW

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2019 NCAA DIVISION II EAST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

2019 NCAA DIVISION II VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP DIGITAL PROGRAM