ACROBATICS AND TUMBLING
NO. 3 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (6-1) AT QUINNIPIAC BOBCATS (5-0)
WHEN: Saturday, April 6, 1 p.m.
WHERE: M&T Bank Arena | Hamden, Conn.
LIVE VIDEO($)
 
It will be a showdown between two of the top three NCATA teams in the nation on Saturday afternoon when the Gannon acrobatics and tumbling team visits Quinnipiac in the regular-season finale for both teams.
 
Gannon is ranked No. 3 and Quinnipiac is No. 2 as the national powerhouses prepare to meet at 1 p.m. at M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Conn.
 
The Golden Knights and Bobcats know each other well. Quinnipiac defeated Gannon 273.845-270.505 in the NCATA quarterfinals last spring. In 2022, Gannon defeated Quinnipiac twice during the regular season on the way to advancing to the NCATA championship match.
 
Coach Brandy Duren's Gannon squad has faced perhaps the toughest schedule in the nation this year. The matchup with Quinnipiac will be the last of six consecutive meets during which GU has faced a team that was ranked among the Top 10 in the NCATA's preseason poll.




 
Gannon opened the stretch by beating No. 6 Frostburg State and No. 10 Belmont Abbey on the road and No. 5 Azusa Pacific and No. 7 Fairmont State at home meets. Gannon has posted a 6-1 record despite not competing on a true home court this season. The Golden Knights faced Azusa Pacific at Penn State Behrend and then met Fairmont State at Mercyhurst.
 
In Gannon's most recent meet, the Knights faced eight-time defending national champion Baylor on the Bears' home mats. The No. 1 Bears edged the Knights 278.715-275.555 on March 16. Gannon has not competed in the past three weeks.
 
Quinnipiac also has faced a highly competitive schedule. The Bobcats beat Azusa Pacific (March 13) and then-No. 2 Oregon (March 16) during one four-day span. Azusa is ranked No. 6 in the most recent set of NCATA Championship Rankings and Oregon is No. 4. So, Gannon will be the third Top-6 team that Quinnipiac will have faced in the past four meets.
 
In terms of the numbers, Gannon and Quinnipiac appear to be a good matchup again. GU's high point total of 278.605 came against Fairmont State. The Bobcats' top score came in their 275.595-263.945 win over Azusa followed by their total in a 275.420-270.440 victory over Oregon.
 


 
Championship rankings:
 
Gannon remained No. 3 in the second set of NCATA Championship Rankings this week. The Knights opened the season at No. 4 but moved up one spot in the NCATA's first set of Championship Rankings last week.
 
The top eight teams in the NCATA's final rankings will advance to the NCATA quarterfinals on April 25 at Fairmont State in Fairmont, W.Va. The next set of rankings will be released on April 10, and the championship field will be released on Monday, April 15.
 
NCATA Championship Rankings (Release #2 - April 3, 2024)
1. Baylor University
2. Quinnipiac University
3. Gannon University
4. University of Oregon
5. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
6. Azusa Pacific University
7. Fairmont State University
8. Frostburg State University
9. Limestone University
10. Augustana University
 



 
Gannon's lineup for Saturday:
 
1 Kylie Brown (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem), sophomore
2 Ali Price (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge), junior
3 Charisma Felix (Las Vegas, Nev./College of So. Nevada High School West), junior
5 Ty Upton (South Amboy, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas), junior
6 Nicole Pavia (Oxford, Conn./Oxford High), junior
7 Kat Rodriguez (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall), senior
8 Julienne Templeman (Lodi, Calif./Jim Elliot Christian), sophomore
12 Peyton Oliver (Vallejo, Calif./Jesse M. Bethel), sophomore
13 Bethany Schirz (Reno, Nev./Edward C. Reed), graduate
14 Annie Colantonio (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin), senior
16 Ashley Fallgren (Beaverton, Ore./Hillsboro), graduate
17 Layna Bergeron (Johnston, R.I./La Salle Academy), sophomore
18 Tori Soper (Sheffield Lake, Ohio/Ohio Connections Academy), sophomore
21 Courtney Solensky (Columbia, Conn./E.O. Smith), senior
22 Reagan McMahon (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic), junior
23 Alexandria DeAngelis (Audubon, N.J./Camden Catholic High School), freshman
24 Marissa Burge (Fairview, Pa./Fairview), sophomore
32 Lillie Fritz (Chandler, Ariz./Chandler), junior
34 Kathryn Rhine (Damascus, Ore./Clackamas), senior
35 Madison Rhine (Damascus, Ore./Clackamas), senior
37 Lauren Rupert (Central Square, N.Y./Paul V. Moore), junior
38 Montana Muller (Catasauqua, Pa./Catasauqua), senior
39 Megan Revell (Richland, Wash./Richland High), junior
42 Mikayla Kis (Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada/Silverthorn Collegiate Institute), sophomore
43 Ariana Fitzpatrick (Burlington, N.J./Northern Burlington County Regional H.S.), freshman
44 Alexis Tosado (Sparks, Nev./Edward C. Reed), graduate
45 Brianna Arre (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend), senior
47 Morgan Gilbert (Black River, N.Y./Immaculate Heart Central), graduate