MOBILE, Ala. – The Spring Hill College (SH) Sandy Badgers beach volleyball team learned the answer to two crucial postseason questions on Monday morning. First, where they would be seeded and second, who they would face in pool play at the 2021 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Small College Beach Championships at Hickory Point Beach in Tavares, Fla.
 
The answer to the first question is that the Badgers (13-8) will be the No. 2 seed at the event – the highest seeding for an SHC squad in the tournament's three-year history. (The 2020 event was canceled due the NCAA's Novel Coronavirus Shutdown)
 
The twelve participating teams in the NCAA Division II Pool have been seeded as follows:
1. Tampa           
2. Spring Hill     
3. Palm Beach Atlantic
4. Texas A&M Kingsville
5. Saint Leo
6. Colorado Mesa
7. Carson Newman
8. Eckerd
9. Wayne St.
10. Florida Southern
11. Tusculum
12. Catawba
 
Next, the schedule for SHC Pool Play is as follows. (All times EDT)
Friday, April 16 vs. No. 8 Eckerd College Tritons (3-10) at 8 a.m.
Friday, April 16 vs. No. 11 Tusculum College Pioneers (3-4) at 12 p.m.
Saturday, April 17 vs. No. 5 Saint Leo University Lions (10-2) at 12 p.m.
 
New to the Championships for 2021 will be a special "Challenge Round" for the teams' No. 6 (or Exhibition) Court Student-Athletes that will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 17.
 
The single-elimination bracket play schedule will be held on Sunday, April 18:
Quarterfinals: 9 a.m.
Semifinals: 11 a.m.
Finals: 1 p.m.
 
SHC History at Championships: SHC finished third at the Championships in 2018 and 2019 and currently holds a 9-3 record in two appearances.
 
SHC History vs. Pool Play Opponents: SHC holds a 1-2 career mark versus Eckerd with the last meeting resulting in a 4-1 Tritons win on the opening day of pool play in the 2018 Championships. The third-year program of the Tusculum Pioneers and the Badgers have yet to meet in the sand box while the Badgers and the Saint Leo Lions have met just once before with SHC taking a 4-1 victory in the second match of pool play at the 2018 championships.