[Volleyball] UCM Earns Automatic Bid With One Week Remaining

Last week La Sierra earned the first berth in the California Pacific Conference Championship tournament, and this week UC Merced claimed the second slot by sweeping Pacific Union and Simpson in North Division action.  The remaining spots have not yet been claimed, and there are some interesting matchups to watch in the final week of the regular season as five teams vie for the final four postseason openings.  Embry-Riddle, now 13-2 in conference and ranked No. 24 in the latest NAIA national poll, opened last week with a convincing 3-0 win over Park-Gilbert (12-3), the Arizona Division team challenging the Eagles for the division's automatic bid to the tournament.  But two days later Benedictine-Mesa (8-7) upset ERAU, putting the Eagles' automatic advancement on hold until the final week of play.