Tuesday, September 15, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. – The annual volleyball crossover tournament between the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and the Pacific West Conference will become a truly regional affair next year as the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) will participate in 2016.

The three conferences have put into place a three-year agreement to participate in a West Region Crossover Tournament, which will provide 30 teams a full weekend of in-region competition each September. The conferences will rotate hosting duties with matches spread out across five different sites.

“The crossover concept in volleyball has been well received the past two seasons and we’re excited to broaden its scope to include all three West Region conferences in 2016,” said GNAC Commissioner Dave Haglund. “In-region non-conference play is vitally important to the regional ranking process and ultimate determination of postseason bids. Having a majority of programs from all three conferences facing off in a structured format will only benefit everyone in our region. We’re excited to have worked out a format that will showcase Division II volleyball in the west.”

“The crossover tournament has been incredibly beneficial in establishing our teams in the region and preparing them for NCAA competition,” said PacWest Commissioner Bob Hogue. “We are excited to welcome in the CCAA to increase the competition and create an in-season event unlike any region in the nation. This will be a great showcase for the tremendous volleyball played in the west.”

The first two crossover tournaments involving the GNAC and the PacWest have been a smashing success. Hosted by the PacWest in California in 2014 and by the GNAC in Washington in 2015, the tournament has allowed teams to bolster their west region rankings and make a stronger case for selection to the NCAA Division II Tournament. The first two years featured a total of 32 matches over three days involving eight teams from each the conference. The GNAC has a 37-27 record over the PacWest in the two years of the crossover and went 7-1 this year against the PacWest’s top-25 squads.

“The CCAA is looking forward to participating with the GNAC and the PacWest and hosting the Crossover series in 2016. We think having all three conferences involved will enhance the event and provide the opportunity for additional great non-conference match-ups,” said CCAA Commissioner Mike Matthews.

In 2014, the GNAC/PacWest Crossover helped six programs from the two conferences advance to the postseason. Northwest Nazarene, Alaska Anchorage, Western Washington and Central Washington were awarded the top four seeds in the west region bracket. BYU-Hawaii was the No. 5 seed and Dixie State was the No. 8 seed. The 2015 tournament featured four teams ranked in the AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll and three other programs among those squads receiving votes.

The new West Region Crossover will feature the top-10 teams from the three conferences competing at five sites throughout the host conference with each team playing four matches. Pairings will be determined based on the program’s conference finish the previous season. The CCAA will host the crossover in 2016, followed by the GNAC in 2017 and the PacWest in 2018.