Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE - For coach Candace Moats and her Grace College volleyball team, the third time could be a charm, in two ways.
The Lancers have lost to Cornerstone University twice this season. Cornerstone topped Grace in four games on both occasions. The two teams will meet for the third time this year at Cornerstone Saturday at noon in the NAIA Regional.
"They've only lost three games," said Moats. "They are a very good team. They have a great setter, they're very tall, and they cover the court well. We've played them twice and lost in four games both times."
The Lancers come into the four-team regional seeded third. Cornerstone is the No. 1 seed. Taylor, the No. 2 seed, will square off against fourth-seeded Tri-State Saturday at 10 a.m.
The Lancers advanced to the Regional after defeating Bethel 9-15, 15-8, 15-5, 15-11 in Saturday's semifinal match of the Mid-Central Conference Championships.
The top two teams in the MCC Championships advance to the NAIA Regional.
Taylor defeated Grace 5-15, 15-8, 12-15, 15-15, 15-8 to take home the championship.
This marks the third time the Lancers have advanced to the NAIA Regional.
In 1995, Moats' first year as head coach, the Lancers went 54-3 on the season after losing in the final match of the NAIA Regional.
In 1996, Grace again advanced to the regional but fell in the opening match.
This year the Lancers are 29-13, and Moats says people will write her team off as underdogs, but she says she believes her team can win.
"They (Cornerstone) are not beyond us," said Moats. "At given times we've proved we can beat them. I don't see us trying to survive. If you ask anybody in the volleyball world they'd say they would beat us. They said that against (Indiana) Wesleyan, and we won. We do have it in us."
In Moats' five-year tenure the Lancers boast a 180-51 record. In Moats' first year Grace won the NCCAA National Championship. Grace also won the regular season MCC Championship this year, the first time under Moats.
