They won their last seven matches and 10 of their final 11 to win the crown with a 15-3 mark. They’re 19-10 overall going into the six-team event at McLin Gym.
“We’ve just got a competitive and driven group — especially this year,” Green said.
“When things don’t go your way, you don’t know how they’re going to respond. But they’ve faced it, and the results speak for themselves.”
The Raiders, who started 9-9, were hit with a rash of injuries, including losing first-team all-league senior Taylor Bransfield for the year.
“I don’t think those things rattled their confidence. If anything, it’s, ‘How can we learn from this? How can we get better? How can we grow?’” said the former Mississippi State associate head coach.
The first-round matches pit No. 3 seed Milwaukee against No. 6 Cleveland State at 3 p.m. Friday, and No. 4 Northern Kentucky against No. 5 Oakland at 6.
The Raiders have a bye into the semifinals and will face the lowest remaining seed at 3 p.m. Saturday, while No. 2 Green Bay awaits the other first-round survivor.
The finals are 2 p.m. Sunday.
“For us as a staff, there are a lot of benefits (to being at home). We don’t have to worry about planning to travel on the fly. We can just worry about practice. We can sleep in our own beds. And we can play in front of our fans,” Green said.
The Raiders have been on a remarkable run the last six years, which started under previous coach Allie Matters.
They didn’t even qualify for the league tourney from 2009 when the field was limited to six teams until making it in 2018 with a fifth-place tie.
They won their first regular-season crown in 2019, repeated in ‘20 and have now won four of the last five titles.
They’ve made the NCAA tourney three of the last four years, getting in with the HL automatic bid twice and earning an at-large berth once.
Green credited the administration — especially deputy athletic director Joylynn Brown, who oversees volleyball — with keeping the program moving forward amid a coaching change.
And, of course, the recruiting by Matters, who left for Illinois State, is still paying off.
“I’m extremely lucky to be in the position I’m in. I inherited a talented group and people who are fun to be around and work with. It’s been a great two-year ride,” Green said.
About the Author