NCAA bracket
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Nazareth's men's volleyball team, fresh off the championship of the United Volleyball Conference, will play a familiar foe in the first round of the inaugural NCAA Division III Tournament next week. The Golden Flyers, 27-8 overall and ranked seventh in the latest Division III poll, will play at-large selection Carthage in a first-round match Friday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. The championship venue is the Blake Arena Physical Education Complex in Springfield, Mass.

Nazareth gained the final spot in the nine-team field after defeating Stevens Sunday in five sets to captured the UVC title for the second year in a row. Carthage (27-5 overall) is ranked first in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association poll., but gained an at-large bid to the tournament after losing to third-ranked UC Santa Cruz in the title match of the Continental Volleyball Conference Tournament.

Nazareth played Carthage twice this season and lost in four sets at home in January and in three sets at Carthage last month. The two teams also met in the semifinals of the Molten Division III Invitational last year at Nazareth. The Golden Flyers won a thrilling five-set match on their way to winning the national championship.

If victorious against Carthage, Nazareth would play a semifinal match at 6 p.m. April 28 against the winner of the first-round match between UC Santa Cruz and Rivier. The championship match is April 29 at 4 p.m.