Westfield State Owls Soar into Postseason with Three Teams Advancing to Championships

Nov 14, 2024
The Owls men's soccer team celebrating a game win by pointing to their ring finger, signaling their successful season.

Westfield State University Athletics is buzzing with excitement as three Owls teams prepare for an inspiring postseason journey, including the University’s men’s soccer team, which is heading to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012, where they’ll face off against second-ranked Tufts University.

Westfield State University Athletics is buzzing with excitement as three Owls teams prepare for an inspiring postseason journey. The volleyball team, after an incredible undefeated season, has earned the top seed and a first-round bye in the MASCAC Tournament, setting their sights on a league title and a place in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, the men’s soccer team is celebrating a long-awaited return to the NCAA Tournament and marked their first appearance since 2012 with a thrilling matchup against Tufts University. To round out the excitement, the field hockey team, with a record-breaking 13-win season, stepped into NCAA Tournament action for the first time since 1981, against Shenandoah University.

The University’s women’s volleyball team has achieved the top seed and a first-round bye in the 2024 MASCAC Volleyball Tournament, following an impressive season where they claimed their second consecutive outright MASCAC Regular Season title with an undefeated 7-0 record.

The tournament quarterfinals, set for November 12, will feature #4 MCLA facing #5 Worcester State and #3 Framingham State playing #6 Mass. Maritime. The winners of these matchups will then advance to meet #1 Westfield State and #2 Bridgewater State, who also earned a bye with a 6-1 league record, in the semifinals. The Owls’ standout Sydney Cummins, with a remarkable 216 kills this season, will join Bridgewater’s Lily Welch (176 kills) as players to watch in the postseason. The championship game on November 16 will crown the MASCAC titleholder and determine who advances to the NCAA Tournament.

For more information about the women’s volleyball team, read here.

For the first time since 2012, the University’s men’s soccer team is heading to the NCAA Tournament, where they’ll face off against second-ranked Tufts University in a thrilling first-round matchup this Saturday in Medford, Mass.

The Owls earned their spot in the tournament by capturing the MASCAC championship with a 2-0 win over Salem State, a victory that coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1974 team’s storied NCAA Final Four appearance. Riding a four-game winning streak, Westfield boasts a 9-6-5 record, while Tufts, ranked No. 2 nationally, remains undefeated in regulation this season with an 11-0-5 record. The winner of Saturday’s game will move on to compete in the tournament’s second round on Sunday.

Visit here to learn more about the men’s soccer team.

Additionally, the women’s field hockey team geared up for an exciting matchup in the 2024 NCAA Division III Tournament, where they faced ninth-ranked Shenandoah University in the opening round on Wednesday, November 13, in Winchester, VA. After an impressive 13-6 season, the Owls earned an automatic bid to the tournament by securing the MASCAC title with a 2-1 victory over Bridgewater State. Although they were defeated by Shenandoah University, this marked only the second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, with the previous one being in 1981 when they hosted and placed third in the NCAA Division III Final Four.

Readers can learn more about the women’s field hockey team here.