Volleyball: Hawks are No. 4 seed in GLVC/GLIAC Crossover

The fifth annual Mizuno GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Volleyball Tournament, the nation's largest collegiate volleyball tournament, will be held at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora, Ill. on Oct. 12-13. Mizuno will once again serve as the title sponsor for the regional volleyball event which will pit 16 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) volleyball teams against 16 institutions representing the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).

The Rockhurst Hawks (15-3, 7-2 GLVC) are the No. 4 seed from the GLVC and will play three matches against teams from the GLIAC. The Hawks will open on Friday at 11:30 a.m. against seventh-seeded Findlay (8-8, 5-4 GLIAC) and then return to the court at 5:30 p.m. to play third-seeded Hillsdale (8-9, 7-2 GLIAC).

The two-day tournament will feature 48 matches conducted on eight courts at one of the top volleyball facilities in the country. The event, designed to increase competition between teams from the two leagues in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region, has previously been held in Indianapolis, Ind. and Lansing, Mich.

The Hawks conclude action on Saturday at 1 p.m. with a match against 25th-ranked Northwood (14-3, 9-0 GLIAC). Northwood, the top-seeded team from the GLIAC, is currently in first place in the GLIAC North Division.

"The Great Lakes Valley Conference could not be more proud to partner with the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to stage yet another Mizuno GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Volleyball Tournament that is the largest volleyball tournament in the country," said GLVC Commissioner Jim Naumovich. "In the four-year history of the event, the Crossover has proven to not only showcase some of the nation's top volleyball, but also embrace the regionalization philosophy that is emphasized as part of the NCAA Division II Strategic Positioning Platform."

One GLVC team and one GLIAC team will square off in each contest, which will consist of eight matches happening simultaneously in each of three sessions over the two-day event. The conference that boasts the best combined record at the end of the event will earn the Crossover traveling trophy, which has been in the GLVC's possession the past two years. The GLIAC claimed the event's first title in 2008 with a 27-12 record, only to retain it the following year with a 24-21 mark. In 2010, the GLVC earned its first Crossover win with a 23-22 effort only to improve on that effort last year with a winning record of 29-19.

Rockhurst posted a 3-0 record at the 2011 Crossover in Aurora. The Hawks defeated Cedarville (3-1), Lake Superior State (3-0) and Tiffin (3-0). RU's Maggie McGovern was named to the All-Tournament Team.