For the first time in program history, Yeshiva has risen to the top spot of the D3hoops.com men's basketball poll. The Maccabees received 13 of a possible 25 first-place votes to edge Illinois Wesleyan and Randolph-Macon for the number one position.
Did you know BlueFrame Technology has advanced integrations with top automated cameras like the Hudl Focus? Showcase your teams and student-athletes with BlueFrame’s full streaming service priced perfectly for D3 budgets….or use their Production Truck software to stream with your current provider. Step up your game this year and STREAM LIKE A PRO with BlueFrame. Learn more today!
BlueFrame Games We're Watching Today
Basketball (W): Bridgewater State (5-2) at Mass-Dartmouth (5-2), 6:15 Basketball (M): Swarthmore (4-1) at Haverford (4-2), 7:50
BASKETBALL (W)
2. Hope Still The One
Meg Morehouse, Hope | photo by Steve Herppich
Hope retains the top spot in the latest D3hoops.com women's basketball poll. The Flying Dutch, who have won 50 consecutive contests, earned all 25 first-place ballots to outpoint Whitman.
Won't you please consider making a gift to D3Playbook. Your gift will help us offset the costs of operating the newsletter and enable us to continue to provide the quality you have come to expect. My heartfelt thanks to those who have already generously contributed. Join them today.
Middlebury moved into the number one position in the latest USCHO women's ice hockey poll, following Plattsburgh's 0-2 weekend.
Middlebury, 5-0
Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 10-0
Elmira, 8-1
Plattsburgh, 6-2
Wisconsin-River Falls, 8-1
Gustavus Adolphus, 7-0
Endicott, 7-2
Adrian, 6-1
Colby, 3-1
Hamilton, 4-0
1 and 2
Endicott ended No. 1 Plattsburgh's NCAA Division III women's ice hockey record home winning streak of 44 games with a 4-3 overtime victory. GK Michaela O'Brien made 56 saves vs. the Cardinals and 34 more in a 2-1 loss against No. 2 Middlebury.
Players to Watch
Georgiana Santullo, Utica, 14 goals, 9 assists
Morgan Olson, St. Norbert, 13 goals, 3 assists
Callie Hoff, UW-River Falls, 6 goals, 14 assists
Katie McCoy, Gustavus Adolphus, 98.3 save pct, 0.20 goals-against average
A personal moment ... my father passed away Saturday night at the age of 87. He instilled in me the belief that I could achieve my dreams as long as I put in the work. He cheered me on as my dreams took me to Dartmouth, McDaniel, Cornell, Yale and the Centennial Conference. And now those cheers have been silenced.
My father loved his wife, his kids and their families and being in the arena - helping people in need and making lives better, especially in our hometown of Huntingdon, Pa. He reached the rank of colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve and was twice elected Mayor of Huntingdon. The F&M Class of 1967 dedicated its yearbook to my Dad. I could go on and on.
Suffice it to say, I am lucky to have had him as my father and I hope I made him proud. I love you.
written by STEVE ULRICH your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III
>> Hello Tuesday. Like you, we are going to take some time off for Thanksgiving. We wish you and your family a happy, healthy and safe holiday and we'll see you back here next Tuesday.
>> Today's Word Count: 821
>> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. Share us with a friend, colleague or supervisor today. Let them know what they're missing.
1. Colleges Are Hiring! Do You Want to Work There?
by Kevin R. McClure, Chronicle of Higher Education
Last month, Michigan State University was met with widespread scorn after it was reported that a senior administrator there had asked faculty and staff members to volunteer in the dining halls on nights and weekends because of a worker shortage. Despite the outrage the request produced, the situation that led to it is not unique. Colleges throughout the U.S. in recent months have faced a similar struggle in keeping their operations staffed enough to run smoothly.
It is clear now that higher ed is not immune from this Great Resignation sweeping across America. This perhaps comes as a surprise to some college hiring officials. For a long time, colleges have operated under the assumption that they can easily replace people. And until recently, that was true.
(The) rosy vision of higher education was already starting to sour prior to the pandemic. And after the last two years, it isn’t safe to assume we can field the same numbers of applicants. Educators across the country are under attack for teaching history, supporting public health, and generally wanting to stay alive. It’s not impossible to imagine these dynamics dissuading talented doctoral students from pursuing faculty roles. I’ve been interviewing college leaders as part of my research, and many of them expect we’ll see a wave of people stepping down from leadership roles — and few people eager to replace them."
>> Situational Awareness: "Employee morale at colleges is tanking. Some in the industry have told me it’s the lowest they’ve ever seen. There are several likely reasons for it, including low pay and frustration that administrations aren’t taking health concerns of frontline workers during the pandemic seriously enough. But perhaps the biggest cause for the drop in morale is understaffing."
>> The Bottom Line: "While labor shortages and understaffing are distinct, they are symptoms of the same illnesses: austerity due to budget cuts and accompanying competition for resources."
>> Why It Matters: "All of this leads to overworked and unhappy employees. Unfortunately, many institutions aren’t doing a good enough job of finding out how their workers are feeling. A more pessimistic explanation is that institutions aren’t simply ignorant when it comes to employee concerns — they are indifferent."
Did you know BlueFrame Technology has advanced integrations with top automated cameras like the Hudl Focus? Showcase your teams and student-athletes with BlueFrame’s full streaming service priced perfectly for D3 budgets….or use their Production Truck software to stream with your current provider. Step up your game this year and STREAM LIKE A PRO with BlueFrame. Learn more today!
BlueFrame Games We're Watching Today
Basketball (W): Brandeis (4-1) at Babson (4-1), 5:00 Ice Hockey (W): Middlebury (2-0) at Castleton (5-2), 7:00 Wrestling: Alvernia (3-0) at Ursinus (1-0), 7:00 Basketball (M): Gettysburg (2-1) at Johns Hopkins (3-1), 8:00
CONFERENCES
2. Belhaven to Join USA South
"The USA South Athletic Conference is pleased to announce that Belhaven University has been accepted for full membership within the League. The Blazers are currently an NCAA Division III institution competing in the American Southwest Conference (ASC) and will begin its USA South membership in the 2022-23 academic year.
"The Conference is pleased to admit Belhaven University as our newest member," stated Dr. Tom Hart, USA South Commissioner. "As an NCAA Division III member, Belhaven provides the programmatic offerings, institutional values, and athletic excellence which align well with our 19 current members. This decision also continues our Presidents Council's strategic vision of how the USA South structure will fit within the Southern region of the Division III landscape."
"Joining the USA South groups Belhaven with a league of schools that all share our similar characteristics - private institutions, commitment to prioritizing academics, balanced quality athletic programs - and located closer to us in the Southeast region," said Belhaven President, Dr. Roger Parrott. "At the same time, it is difficult to make this change because we have appreciated our affiliation with the ASC, and I am especially grateful to the presidents of the conference for accepting us in as a new NCAA DIII member several years ago."
The National Wrestling Coaches Association released its initial tournament team and individual rankings for the 2021-22 season.
Tournament Teams
1. Loras 2. Wartburg 3. Stevens 4. Augsburg T5. UW-La Crosse T5. Baldwin Wallace T7. John Carroll T7. Coe 9. North Central (Ill.) 10. Johnson and Wales
Won't you please consider making a gift to D3Playbook. Your gift will help us offset the costs of operating the newsletter and enable us to continue to provide the quality you have come to expect. My heartfelt thanks to those who have already generously contributed. Join them today.
WISCONSIN-PLATTEVILLE - Mike Emendorferannounced his retirement as head football coach. Ryan Munz named interim head coach
1 THING
5. The Best Thanksgiving Episode Ever!
For those of you who have seen this ... enjoy. For those of you who have not, this WKRP in Cincinnati episode - IMHO - is the best Thanksgiving show ever. And don't @ me.
Wisconsin-Eau Claire's volleyball wrote its name into the history books on Saturday night, winning the 2021 DIII women's volleyball championship to earn the school's first national title.
The Johns Hopkins women and Pomona-Pitzer men captured the 2021 Division III cross country championships in Louisville, Ky.
The top-ranked Blue Jay women won their seventh NCAA title by holding off No. 2 Claremont-M-S, 130-132. The Athenas led 66-84 through four runners but JHU's Dianna Vizza's 46th scoring position finish proved to be the difference.
Kassie Parker of Loras won the individual title in 20:11.1, 17.5 seconds ahead of runner-up Ari Marks of Wellesley in 20:28.6.
The Sagehen men ran as a pack, using a meager 15.2-second spread between their No. 1 and No. 5 runners to put up 80 points and easily outdistance MIT, 80-112. Colin Kirkpatrick led P-P in 10th place.
Alex Phillip of John Carroll won the individual title in 23:27.6, 2.7 seconds faster than Elias Lindgren of Williams (23:30.3).
Won't you please consider making a gift to D3Playbook. Your gift will help us offset the costs of operating the newsletter and enable us to continue to provide the quality you have come to expect. My heartfelt thanks to those who have already generously contributed. Join them today.
The Middlebury field hockey team captured its fourth-straight NCAA Championship with a 4-1 victory over second-ranked Johns Hopkins. The top-ranked Panthers became the first team to win four consecutive titles, taking home the program's sixth overall title. Middlebury finishes the season with a perfect 22-0 mark, improving its unbeaten streak to 30 straight games and 16 straight in NCAA tournament play. The Blue Jays conclude the season with an impressive 21-1 mark, with their only loss coming in their first NCAA Championship appearance.
Erin Nicholas and Katie George each scored a pair of goals for the Panthers.
The last time a team went unbeaten in Division III was back in 2007 when Bowdoin went 20-0. The victory marked just the ninth time a team finished with a perfect record.