Gadsden State Community College will have the home-team advantage when it hosts the 2015 Alabama Community College Conference Region 22 Volleyball Tournament Oct. 30-Nov. 1.
“There are going to be three days of non-stop action from some of the best athletes in the ACCC,” said GSCC athletic director Mike Cancilla. “We encourage everyone to come out and support the Lady Cardinals as they test their skills against Alabama’s finest volleyball players.”
Gadsden State is one of six teams competing in the tournament, which will be held at the Beck Field House on the Wallace Drive Campus. Other teams include Faulkner State, Snead State, Wallace-Hanceville, Southern Union and Spartanburg (S.C.) Methodist College. Spartanburg Methodist competes in the ACCC Region 22 Volleyball Tournament because it’s the only team in its division in South Carolina. To qualify to compete in the Alabama tournament, the team must win 50 percent of its games during regular season play. SMC currently has a record of 18-9.
The remaining top five spots in the tournament goes to the teams with the best conference records. Gadsden State is currently 10-3 in the conference and 14-15 overall. Wallace-Hanceville is the only nationally ranked team from Region 22 at No. 18. The Lady Lions have won the ACCC Region 22 Conference Tournament seven consecutive years.
“Right now, Wallace-Hanceville is the team to beat,” said Cancilla. “But all of the teams are good. It’s anybody’s tournament to win. I’m confident in the Lady Cardinals. They are a focused, strong team that works well together under the leadership of head coach Angie Sanders.”
Sanders is in her 11th season as GSCC head coach. She won the regional tournament in 2005. Previous to the win, Gadsden State’s volleyball team had not won the tournament since 1988.
The tournament kicks off on Oct. 30 with games at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Play continues on Oct. 31 with games at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The tournament ends Nov. 1 with games at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Admission is $8. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship Nov. 18-21 in Casper, Wyo. The runner-up will qualify for the play-in match on Nov. 10. The winner of that match would also qualify for the national championship.
