UTB-TSC Capsules: Scorpions play host to USAO in opening round
The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College received a goof bit of fortune Sunday night when the Scorpions learned they will be playing host to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in an NAIA national championships opening-round game Saturday.
The game will be played at Brownsville Sports Park. The time of the game will be announced later this wee.
The Scorpions, ranked No. 21 in the final NAIA coaches top 25 poll, finished the regular season 15-3-1. UTB-TSC, which won the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament championship Nov. 6, has won its last 12 games.
The pairings of the game initially announced at 8:50 p.m. listed USAO as the tournament's 15th seed, higher than the Scorpions. However, locations of the games were announced moments later, and the Scorpions found out they were playing at home at 9:15 p.m.
Opening-round winners advance to the site of the finals Nov. 29 through Dec. 4 at Orange Beach, Ala.
"It has been a long day waiting, making predictions, honestly I did not expect to be facing USAO in the last 32," Scorpions coach Dan Balaguero said. "They are a quality program, loaded with experienced international players. They will be well-coached and disciplined, we are expecting a very hard match."
USAO is No. 16 in the final Modified Ratings Percentage Index released Sunday. The Drovers (14-4) lost in the semifinals of the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament. They are the No. 15 seed in the tournament.
USAO was ranked as high as 13th in the MRPI released three weeks ago. The Drovers were 7-3 in SAC play and finished second in the conference standings to conference champion Oklahoma Baptist, which was also invited to the tournament.
The winner of the game between the Scorpions and Drovers will play the winner of the game between No. 2 Simon Frasier (B.C.) and Great Falls (Mont.) at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 29, at Orange Beach, Ala.
No other Red River Athletic Conference team was invited to the tournament. One other team from Texas - University of St. Thomas from Houston - received an invitation and will play at Belhaven University (Miss.).
The University of Mobile, seeded ninth in the tournament, does not play in the opening round because the Rams are the host team for the national tournament.
Volleyball
Scorpions receive bye into NAIA finals site
The No. 2 University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College officially received its invitation Sunday directly to the opening round of the NAIA national championships to be held Nov. 30 though Dec. 4 in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Scorpions and 11 other teams received byes. Thirty-six teams comprise the field for the national tournament, with the top 12 teams getting byes and the remaining 24 playing opening-round matches. Five of the 12 teams are from California.
Other teams receiving opening-round byes were Azusa Pacific (Calif.), Biola (Calif.), California Baptist, Columbia (Mo.), Concordia (Calif.), Fresno Pacific University (Calif.), Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), Lee (Tenn.), Northwestern (Iowa), and Taylor (Ind.).
UTB-TSC is 34-1 after winning the Red River Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament Saturday in Fort Worth. No other RRAC teams received invitations to the national tournament.
One other team from Texas - St. Thomas University from Houston - will play in the opening round. The Celts will travel to College of Idaho for their match Saturday.
The Scorpions will be the No. 2 seed in the national tournament. Lee University, which handed the Scorpions their only loss of the year, is the No. 1 seed.
