The Women’s DII College National Championship will occur on Saturday, May 6 at Life University’s Lupo Family Field in Marietta, Ga. Fall champion Davenport University, also the 2016 national champion, has known its fate since early December, while Kennesaw State booked its trip 15 minutes south after winning the spring title two weeks ago.
RELATED: Kennesaw State is DII Spring Champ • Davenport is DII Fall Champ • May 2016: Panthers Crowned National Champion
The Lady Owls have a more natural build to the national final, beginning league matches in winter 2017, playing increasingly better teams (Kansas State and Tulane) through the playoffs, and putting in a solid performance in the spring championship. For the local side, the previous two weeks have been about healing up, topping off fitness, and fine-tuning a couple of things.
Read more about Kennesaw’s achievements in 2017: Lady Owls Win SIRC • DII Spring Names Finalists • Kennesaw is Spring DII Champ • DII Spring All-Tournament Team
The fall champion needs two peaking performances – one in December and one in May – but Davenport has proved that it can be done. The Panthers won the national title last year and are familiar with the long, awkward season that precedes the national championship. But experience only goes so far.
“We have number issues due to injuries,” Davenport leader Danielle Ordway confessed. “We don’t have many options for subs, and we can’t afford anyone else to be injured.
“We’ve only played in one 15s tournament this spring and did really well despite a number of injuries then, too,” the Collegiate All-American referenced the Nash Bash title from late March. “But between the additional injuries and returning injured players, we have a completely different team compared to the fall championship.”
Since Nash Bash, Davenport has played 7s, and after Saturday’s final will focus on the USA Rugby Women’s Open 7s national championship on May 19-21 in Glendale, Colo. Last weekend the Panthers won the ACRA 7s championship, shutting out Kutztown and DI Boston University 72-0 in the final four.
“I think we are prepared, and we are confident in our structure,” Ordway asserted. “Coming off of 7s, we are ready to run, but have to tune up and be ready for more contact.”
That’s a legitimate concern against Kennesaw State, which is a physical side that can certainly thump the best of them. They pair nicely with an evasive backline, one of Davenport’s strengths as well.
“We are definitely going to have to play a mistake-free game,” Ordway concluded. “However, with ending on a high note from ACRA 7s, we have grown closer together and our synergy is stronger.”
The DII national championship kicks off at 1:30 p.m. Eastern and will be live-streamed via The Rugby Channel. The full lineup of women’s matches in Georgia this weekend (all times Eastern):
FRIDAY, MAY 5
10 a.m. DI Spring SF: Notre Dame College v Stanford
12 p.m. DI Spring SF: UC Davis v Central Florida
2 p.m. DI Elite SF: BYU v Penn State
4 p.m. DI Elite SF: Life v Lindenwood
SATURDAY, MAY 6
1:30 p.m. DII National Championship: Davenport v Kennesaw St.
3:30 p.m. DI Spring Championship
5:30 p.m. DI Elite Championship
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