NCAA D-II Playoff Release/NCAA D-II Playoff Brackets

           For the third time in the last four years, the Clarion University women's volleyball team is going dancing. The Golden Eagles (26-9) received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament Sunday night and will be the third seed in the eight-team Atlantic Region.

            Clarion will face sixth-seeded Edinboro at California's Hamer Hall Thursday at noon. This is Clarion's first NCAA appearance since going 1-1 in 2007. The Golden Eagles beat Lees-McRae before falling to Edinboro in the Round of 32 that season. The Lees-McRae win was Clarion's first NCAA Playoff win.

            The match with Edinboro will be the fourth time, and the third time in the last three weeks, the two PSAC-West rivals will face each other. Clarion has won two of the first three matches including two in a row. The Golden Eagles beat Edinboro 3-1 in the opening round of the PSAC Tournament Tuesday at Tippin Gym before falling 3-0 at Lock Haven in the semifinals Saturday.

California, the PSAC Champion, is the top seed in the Region and the host of the first three rounds. Lock Haven is the second seed, Gannon is the fourth seed, Wheeling Jesuit is the fifth seed, Mercyhurst is the seventh seed and Chowan is the eighth seed.

            NOTES - Clarion is 6-7 vs. the Atlantic Region field this year. In addition to a 2-1 record vs. Edinboro, the Golden Eagles are 2-0 vs. Mercyhurst, 1-1 vs. Gannon and Lock Haven and 0-2 against Cal and Wheeling Jesuit ... Clarion has also been in the NCAA Tournament in 2006, 2004, 2003 and 2002. The first four NCAA Tournament appearances came under head coach Jodi Burns, while the last two, including this year's, have come under third-year head coach Jennifer Harrison.