GREAT FALLS — After winning their fourth consecutive Frontier Conference championship this past Saturday, the University of Providence volleyball team preps to play in the NAIA National tournament first round game on their home court against Florida College.
With the sweep of the Carroll College in the championship capping their undefeated conference schedule, the No. 5 Argos are in familiar territory yet again back in the National Tournament at home for the first round giving them an identical scenario from last season.
“Some of the new players are just excited to be there and [there are] some that just expect to be there so it’s kind of a nice mix so we’re just preparing the same way we have all year and just trying to learn something new in the gym everyday and try to get better at one thing,” head coach Arunas Duda said.
For all-conference sophomore transfers Zoe Naugle and Jenna Thorne though, this will be their first taste of hosting a tournament game at home.
“I’m just really excited, we’re all pretty excited to play one last game on the home court and we’ve been working hard all season to get to the national tournament and we’re all excited to get there,” Naugle explained.
The Argos will be as prepared as they can be as their preseason and conference slate have included six wins against Top-25 teams, five of which have been on the road.
“I definitely think it was beneficial for our schedule to be set up that way because it pushed us to do better earlier in the season and so now we got through it and so we know how to get through it at the National tournament,” freshman Sadie Lott said.
The Argos are headed into round on an 18-game win streak sitting at 25-2. Their game against Florida College is set for 2 p.m. Nov. 20 at the University of Providence.
