Nov. 30, 2003
TournamentBracket in PDF Format?
For the first time in school history, the No. 9 Georgia Tech volleyball team will host first and second round matches of the 2003 NCAA Tournament, beginning Thursday and Friday at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum..
The Jackets (31-3), the No. 7 seed in the tournament, will face Alabama A&M (23-5), Thursday at 8 p.m. or 30 minutes after the end of the first match between the Big South Conference champion Winthrop (24-12) and the Mid-eastern Athletic Conference champion Florida A&M (26-3), which begins at 6 p.m.
The winner of Thursday’s contests are scheduled to play Friday at 7 p.m., with the survivor advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16 at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii.
“We’re obviously very excited about this year’s bracket”, said head coach Bond Shymansky, who has led the Yellow Jackets to the NCAA Tournament in each of his seasons as the head coach. “We are thrilled for our fans and with the opportunity to host this years first and second rounds. It’s good for our team to be rewarded with a seven seed and it’s important for them to understand that you earn a seed in the course of the season, not just in one match or one week. We have a lot of work to do in the next three days to prepare for Alabama A&M and the other two teams that will be in our bracket, but we will look forward to the challenge.”
The Jackets, who captured the 2003 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title and have enjoyed their most successful season in school history, received one of 31 at-large bids to the tournament. Tech, who was ranked as high as fourth during the regular season, is making its seventh overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament and fourth consecutive showing. The Jackets hold an all-time record of 4-6 in the tournament.
The match marks the first meeting between Tech and Alabama A&M, who earned one of 33 automatic bids by virtue of winning the Soutwestern Atlantic Conference.
A total of two teams from the ACC were selected to the 64-team field as Maryland received the automatic bid and will host American in College Park, Md.
Tickets to the event are available in advance by calling the Georgia Tech ticket office at 404-894-5447 or 1-888-TECH-TIX. Tournament booklets for all matches are $10 for adults, $6 for students and senior citizens. Day of game tickets for individual matches are $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens and may be purchased at Gate One of the Alexander Memorial Coliseum, beginning one hour prior to the match. One ticket gains admission to both matches on Thursday.
