INDIANAPOLIS - The 2013 America East Volleyball Champion New Hampshire Wildcats will travel to face No. 6 seed Southern California in the NCAA Championship first round on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 10:30 p.m. ET in the Los Angeles Regional. The full 2013 NCAA Volleyball bracket was released on ESPNU on Sunday night.
The Wildcats (20-12) won their first America East title in 10 years, defeating UMBC in five sets on November 23 at Lundholm Gymnasium in Durham, N.H. Setter Taylor Dunklau was named the America East Championship Most Outstanding Player while Destiny Tolliver and Morgan Thatcher joined her on the All-Tournament Team.
New Hampshire also captured its first America East regular-season title since 2003 with a 12-2 mark, tying for the third-best America East record in program history. The Wildcats are 0-2 all-time in the NCAA tournament, with the team's last appearance coming in 2003 against this same USC squad. America East teams have made the trip to Southern California twice, with the Wildcats losing in 2003 and Hofstra falling to the Trojans in 1999.
Southern California (26-5) is making its 23rd consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament and will host first and second round matches for the 11th-straight season. In 2012, the Women of Troy advanced to its ninth regional championship match since 1998 before falling to eventual champion Texas.
America East teams have one win all-time in NCAA tournament play coming in 2007 when Albany defeated Cleveland State in three sets.
The 2013 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament begins with first round and second round action Dec. 5-7 played at the home sites of the top-16 seeds. The regional semifinals and finals will take place Dec. 13-14 at predetermined sites. The National Semifinals and Finals will be played at KeyArena in Seattle, Wash., Dec. 19 and 21.