Initial look at upcoming conference tournament matches

It took the final matches of a four-month regular season to determine all the seeds, but the postseason is now beginning in full force across the nation.

The Conference Carolinas will have its championship match on Wednesday, while MIVA and MPSF will have their conference tournaments quarterfinals starting Thursday. Here is the initial look and the historical information to know about every upcoming conference tournament match before you fill out your bracket.

CONFERENCE CAROLINAS TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH


No. 1 seed Erskine (20-6, 12-2 CC) vs. No. 3 seed Mount Olive (15-11, 10-4 CC)
Match vitals:
7 p.m. Wednesday in Due West, S.C.
Season series: Tied at 1-1
Last CC Tournament title: Erskine (never); Mount Olive (2011)
Historical stats to know: If Erskine wins it will become the first team since Princeton in 1998 to reach the NCAA Tournament in its second year as a varsity program. Mount Olive won the most Conference Carolinas championships during the time the conference was an emerging conference and did not receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

MIVA TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS

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No. 1 seed Loyola (24-1, 14-0 MIVA) vs. No. 8 seed Quincy (13-18, 0-14 MIVA)
Match vitals:
7 p.m. Thursday in Chicago
Season series: Loyola leads 2-0
Last MIVA Tournament title: Loyola (2013); Quincy (never)
Historical stats to know: As a result of conference expansion, Loyola is the first No. 1 seed since 2005 to play in the MIVA Tournament quarterfinals and not receive bye to the semifinals. Quincy has one postseason victory in program history — upsetting Ball State in the 2011 MIVA Tournament quarterfinals.

No. 2 seed Lewis (21-6, 11-3 MIVA) vs. No. 7 seed Grand Canyon (13-18, 2-12 MIVA)
Match vitals:
7 p.m. Friday in Romeoville, Ill.
Season series: Lewis leads 2-0
Last MIVA Tournament title: Lewis (2012); Grand Canyon (never)
Historical stats to know: Lewis in the last 15 years has lost a postseason match at home twice, but one of those loses came last season in the MIVA Tournament championship match. Grand Canyon last season upset Ohio State in the quarterfinals, but a No. 7 seed has never won a match in the MIVA Tournament.

No. 3 seed Ball State (21-7, 10-4 MIVA) vs. No. 6 seed Lindenwood (19-11, 4-10 MIVA)
Match vitals:
7:30 p.m. Friday in Muncie, Ind.
Season series: Ball State leads 2-0
Last MIVA Tournament title: Ball State (2002); Lindenwood (never)
Historical stats to know: Ball State in its program history has only lost once at home in the MIVA Tournament quarterfinals. This will be the first time postseason match for Lindenwood since joining the MIVA and transitioning from NAIA to NCAA Division II.

No. 4 seed IPFW (20-6, 9-5 MIVA) vs. No. 5 seed Ohio State (11-14, 6-8 MIVA)
Match vitals:
7 p.m. Saturday in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Season series: IPFW leads 2-0
Last MIVA Tournament title: IPFW (2007); Ohio State (2011)
Historical stats to know: This is the first home postseason match for IPFW since 2007, which was also the last time it won a MIVA Tournament match. Ohio State for the first time in its program history qualified for the MIVA Tournament as a seed outside of the top-four.

MPSF TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS


No. 1 seed BYU (18-8, 18-6 MPSF) vs. No. 8 seed USC (16-10, 14-10 MPSF)
Match vitals:
7 p.m. Saturday in Provo, Utah
Season series: BYU leads 2-0
Last MPSF Tournament title: BYU (2013); USC (2009)
Historical stats to know: BYU is 16-3 all-time in home postseason matches in its program history. In addition, a No. 1 seed has never lost to the No. 8 seed in the recent history of the MPSF Tournament. USC is on a 17-match losing streak in road matches against BYU dating back to 1998.

No. 2 seed Pepperdine (18-6, 18-6 MPSF) vs. No. 7 seed Long Beach State (18-9, 15-9 MPSF)
Match vitals:
7 p.m. Saturday in Malibu, Calif.
Season series: Tied at 1-1
Last MPSF Tournament title: Pepperdine (2005); Long Beach State (never)
Historical stats to know: Pepperdine in its last 11 postseason appearances has only three times failed to advance beyond the MPSF Tournament opening round, but two of those times occurred in the last two seasons. The last time Long Beach State was a low seed for the MPSF Tournament quarterfinals was 2011 when it upset Stanford.

No. 3 seed Stanford (20-7, 17-7 MPSF) vs. No. 6 seed UC Irvine (18-10, 15-9 MPSF)
Match vitals:
7 p.m. Saturday in Palo Alto, Calif.
Season series: Stanford leads 2-0
Last MPSF Tournament title: Stanford (2010); UC Irvine (2012)
Historical stats to know: Stanford with the exception of two years has gone on to win NCAA championship when it advances beyond the MPSF Tournament quarterfinals. UC Irvine has reached at least the MPSF Tournament semifinals in all but one year since 2005.

No. 4 seed UC Santa Barbara (17-8, 16-8 MPSF) vs. No. 5 seed UCLA (18-10, 15-9 MPSF)
Match vitals:
7 p.m Saturday in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Season series: Tied at 1-1
Last MPSF Tournament title: UC Santa Barbara (2011); UCLA (2006)
Historical stats to know: This is the first time since 2000 that UC Santa Barbara will have a home postseason match. UCLA coach John Speraw has guided the team he coached to a MPSF Tournament quarterfinals victory in nine of the last 10 years.