Bracket expansion was the key topic for the Division III Women's Volleyball Committee during its February 7-9 meeting in Indianapolis.

The 2005 Division III Women's Volleyball Championship bracket will have a 62-team field, based on current sponsorship numbers, compared to the 48 teams that were selected last fall. Eight teams also will advance to the finals site, rather than the four teams that advanced to Rochester, Minnesota, last November.

"It was a decision we made so that more people would have the opportunity to compete in the championships," said Moira Long, the volleyball coach at Plymouth State University and a member of the Division III Women's Volleyball Committee. "There are a lot of talented teams that were not making the tournament. This just gives more opportunities to student-athletes."

The expansion of the bracket means some format changes will have to be made. Depending on the geographic proximity of teams selected, there could be eight teams at seven regional sites with one regional having six teams. Or there could be eight teams at six sites with two sites having seven teams.

"Every bracket can change year to year based on location and the teams selected," Long said.

The committee isn't concerned that having a different number of teams in regional play will create any type of competitive imbalance, especially since more teams are being added to the field, Long said.

The committee also discussed the possibility of naming its finals competition, but no suggestion has been officially adopted.

In other highlights, the committee:

 

• Recommended to the Division III Championships Committee a site for the 2005 and 2006 finals.

 

• Recommended a fee structure for referees, scorers and line judges similar to that used in the Division I championship.

 

• Approved 37 conferences to receive automatic qualification into the 2005 championship.

 

• Recommended that an eight-player all-tournament team be announced that would include a most outstanding player.