Lions bid for crown

The Vanguard University women’s volleyball team will face Taylor University of Indiana today at 1:15 p.m. in the first round of pool play at the NAIA Championships at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

It’s the second consecutive tournament appearance for the Lions (17-12), who were ranked No. 11 in the final national poll and earned one of eight at-large berths in the field. Vanguard had a bye in the first round, from which teams advanced to Sioux City.

The final-site portion of the tournament includes six four-team pools. The top two teams from each pool will advance to compete in the single-elimination playoffs that start Friday. The first round and quarterfinals are Friday, with the semifinals and title match set for Saturday.

Vanguard, 3-2 in its tournament debut last season, will play Mobile (Ala.) Wednesday at 1:15 p.m., then close out pool play against Golden State Athletic Conference rival Cal Baptist on Thursday at 1:15 p.m.

No. 2-ranked Cal Baptist (26-5) split its two regular-season matches with Vanguard.

The Lions are led by seniors Heather DeJongh and Kelsey Wirt.

DeJongh, a 6-2 middle blocker, earned first-team All-GSAC recognition. She leads the Lions with 109 blocks. She has 353 kills and a .387 hitting percentage.

Wirt, a 5-10 outside hitter, was also a first-team all-conference honoree. She led the team in kills with 432.

— Barry Faulkner