Perfection

 

written by STEVE ULRICH your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III   >> Good Monday Morning. 38 years ago today, John Elway was drafted #1 by the Baltimore Colts. >> Today's Word Count: 1,244 >> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. Won't you share us with a friend this morning?   Sign Up for Free: D3Playbook TOP STORY 1. Perfection Carthage (23-0) won the NCAA Division III men's volleyball championship on Saturday with a thrilling five-set victory against Benedictine. It is the first national title in 126 years for the school. All-American Matt Slivinski was named tournament MVP after putting down 22 kills, while Zach Bulthuis and Carter Schmidt each added 17. Gene McNulty handed out a career-best 61 assists. In the final set, Carthage started with a 4-1 advantage following an Eagles attack error. Carthage went ahead 8-4 on a kill from Bulthuis, however, Benedictine got within two with an ace. Slivinski added a kill, putting the Firebirds up 11-8 before another strike by Schmidt made it 13-8 for Carthage. A kill from Slivinski and a final shot by Schmidt gave the Firebirds the victory 15-10. >> What They're Saying: "We were just trying to survive pretty much all match," head coach JW Kieckhefer said. "I'm just really proud of the fight we have. ... We have only lost one set all year, and to go down 0-1 and 1-2, and to never stop believing in our brand of volleyball and to never stop believing in each other ... it was just so impressive. It was such a team win." >> Notable: It is the first time in championship history that a final went to the full five sets. >> Notable II: It is the first time that two "western" schools met for the NCAA title. >> Kenosha News story >> Carthage release   PREVIEW 2. Remy on the Move? >> Official Announcement   NCAA 3.  Fan Attendance Policy Update The NCAA will allow up to 50% fan capacity for its 2021 outdoor spring championships and Division I fall championships being held in the spring, based on recommendations from the NCAA COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group. The latest fan attendance policy will begin April 28 and 29 with the Division I Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championship and May 1 and 2 with Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal games. Exact capacity percentages will vary by site, depending on state and local health mandates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Winter championship COVID-19 testing protocols will remain in place throughout the remaining championships. >> Read More    CONFERENCES 4. Champions Congratulations to these conference champions! Click on the link for the game recap. Baseball SAA: Birmingham-Southern  Field Hockey Empire 8: St. John Fisher Football Michigan: Albion Presidents: Westminster Golf Atlantic East (W): Marymount; (M) Cabrini CCIW (W): Illinois Wesleyan Centennial (M): Franklin & Marshall CSAC (M): Rosemont Empire 8 (M): Utica HCAC (W): Rose-Hulman Landmark (M): Catholic Little East (M): Eastern Connecticut MAC Commonwealth: York MAC Freedom: Stevens Michigan (W): Saint Mary's; (M) Trine NEAC (M): Penn College Presidents (M): Westminster SAA (M): Sewanee; (W) Centre USA South (M): Piedmont Lacrosse CSAC (W): Notre Dame SAA (W) Rhodes; (M) Centre Rowing MARC (W): Washington College Soccer American Rivers (M): Dubuque Michigan (W): Calvin; (M): Hope SCAC (M): Centenary; (W) Trinity SLIAC (M): Webster; (W) Westminster Softball SAA: Birmingham-Southern Swimming Atlantic East (W): St. Mary's; (M) Cabrini Tennis Presidents (W): Franciscan SAA (W) Millsaps; (M) Oglethorpe SLIAC (W): Webster; (M) Principia WIAC (W): UW-Whitewater Track and Field SAA (W): Rhodes; (M) Rhodes SCAC (W): Trinity; (W) Trinity Skyline (W): Farmingdale State; (M) Merchant Marine Volleyball CSAC (M): Cairn Empire 8 (W): St. John Fisher Michigan (W): Hope   TOP 10 5. Weekend Review Baseball Washington, Mo. (vs. Buena Vista, 2-8, 1-3, 7-5) Trinity, Texas (vs. #19 Centenary, 9-6, 9-6, 12-14) Salisbury (d. St. Mary's, 6-2, 11-3) Webster (vs. Fontbonne, 8-1, 9-2) Aurora (d. Dominican, 9-2, 16-3, 1-2, 12-0) Marietta (d. Muskingum, 5-4, 6-5, 19-4) Washington & Jefferson (vs. Franciscan, 15-3, 12-0, 20-6, 14-2) UW-Whitewater (vs. UW-Stevens Point, 11-1, 6-9; 12-5, 17-1) North Carolina Wesleyan (d. Averett, 4-3, 12-0, 11-1) Babson (vs. Emerson, 23-1, 11-6) Lacrosse (M) RIT (Vassar, ppd) Salisbury (d. St. Mary's, 13-4) Tufts (d. Bates, 31-7; d. Dartmouth, 15-9) York (lost to #12 Stevenson, 11-8; d. Albright, 17-3) Lynchburg (d. Randolph-Macon, 19-6; d. #18 Colorado C, 23-8) Cabrini (lost to Penn, 23-9) Gettysburg (d. McDaniel, 20-2) Union (d. Clarkson, 16-10) Christopher Newport (d. Southern Virginia, 20-14) Williams (d. #19 Wesleyan, 16-13) Lacrosse (W) Franklin & Marshall (Dickinson, ppd) Washington and Lee (idle) Tufts (d. Bates, 18-2; d. Dartmouth, 11-5) Salisbury (d. Roanoke, 18-7) Gettysburg (d. McDaniel, 20-3) Catholic (idle) Ithaca (d. Vassar, 21-13, 19-9) Colby (d. Connecticut C, 14-6) York, Pa. (lost to Stevens, 8-7) Denison (d. DePauw, 16-5) Softball Virginia Wesleyan (vs. Shenandoah, 2-5, 13-0; vs. Roanoke, 5-0, 0-2) Texas Lutheran (d. St. Thomas, 7-2, 9-1) Eastern Connecticut (Southern Maine, ppd) East Texas Baptist (vs. #8 Belhaven, 1-5, 2-0, 2-4) Linfield (vs. Willamette, 6-7, 9-1, 15-3, 11-0) Birmingham-Southern (d. Rhodes, 11-7; d. #10 Berry, 13-3, 8-0) DePauw (vs. Denison, 5-0, 6-3) Belhaven (vs. #4 East Texas Baptist, 5-1, 0-2, 4-2) Emory & Henry (vs. Lynchburg, 8-5, 7-2) (tied) Berry (d. Millsaps, 7-1; lost to #6 B-SC, 13-3; d. Rhodes, 7-3; lost to #6 B-SC, 8-0) (tied) Moravian (vs. Susquehanna, 6-5, 7-3, 5-3, 7-2) Tennis (W) Atlantic South Emory Carnegie Mellon (lost to #5C Denison, 7-2) Johns Hopkins (d. Ursinus, 9-0) Central Chicago Kenyon (d. #13 DePauw, 8-1) Washington, Mo. Northeast Wesleyan Tufts (d. #8 Bates, 9-0) Amherst (lost to #4 Middlebury, 5-4) West Southwestern Trinity (Colorado C, ppd) Texas-Dallas (d. LeTourneau, 9-0; d. Austin, 9-0) Tennis (M) Atlantic South North Carolina Wesleyan (d. #16 Averett, 7-2) Carnegie Mellon (d. #6 Denison, 6-3) Johns Hopkins (d. Ursinus, 9-0) Central Chicago  Case Western Reserve (d. Oberlin, 9-0, 8-1; d. #12 Wooster, 8-1, 8-1) Washington, Mo. (d. #7 UW-Whitewater, 9-0) Northeast Williams (d. #2 Wesleyan, 8-1; d. Hamilton, 9-0) Wesleyan (lost to #1 Williams, 8-1) Brandeis (d. #4 Tufts, 6-3) West Trinity (Colorado C, ppd) Southwestern George Fox (Linfield, ppd)   If you have a business and would like to reach an affluent audience that works in higher education and college sports ... drop us a line at D3Playbook@gmail.com. RECAP 6. Weekend Stars Baseball Grove City RHP Tate Ostrowski tossed a seven-inning perfect game as the Wolverines (17-7) defeated Bethany, 8-0, on Friday. He struck out 10 men for the first perfect game in modern Grove City baseball history, which dates to 1959. Grinnell RHP Brock Weirather matched Ostrowski by tossing a seven-inning perfect game in the Pioneers' 13-0 win against Knox. He fanned 14 in his gem.   Perfect Games since 2007 (courtesy of D3baseball)   Buena Vista stunned top-ranked Washington U. twice on Saturday, downing the Bears, 8-2 and 3-1. Senior Tyler Tennyson got the job done with both the arm and the bat in the opener as he tossed 7.1 innings, scattering six hits and allowing just two runs. He also went 4-for-5 at the plate with a double and three RBI. Lacrosse UMass Boston's Jack Dobrzynski won 36 of 38 face-offs in the Beacons' win against Western Connecticut. The total tied the all-divisions NCAA record set by Hudson Bearden of Southwestern. Softball Clarkson 3B Kayla Robert had her 28-game hitting streak snapped in the nightcap of a doubleheader with Ithaca on Friday. The streak was tied for the 15th longest since 1982 in DIII history. Moravian's Heather Bortz holds the record at 44 games from April 15, 2003 to April 17, 2004.   TRANSACTIONS 7.  Comings and Goings   BELHAVEN - James Gledhill named head men's soccer coach CCIW - Announced Transylvania will join as an associate member in men's lacrosse CONCORDIA-MOORHEAD - Ben Schneweis will resign as head men's soccer coach on May 1 GORDON - Michael Hammond named president HOLLINS - Aaron Green named head swimming coach WASHINGTON, Mo. - Bridget McCann named director of athletic communications     Thanks for starting your day with us. Please invite your friends to sign up for D3Playbook   Sign Up for Free: D3Playbook

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