COVERITLIVE.COM

11:44

Before I go all blog-happy and start with the pre-match coverage, let's go through a brief crash course as to how this blog works. I'll provide play-by-play and a little bit of analysis and observation. You can interact with me and with other fans watching by submitting a comment in the box below and voting in any polls I may pose. Or you can just sit back and watch, if that's more your cup of tea. In any case, the match starts in about 75 minutes, with pre-match warmups getting underway at high noon.

11:59

I'm going to count this down and take off for half an hour or so. We're just at an hour before the match begins.

12:29

Half an hour remains until the Region 18 Championship volleyball match begins. Both teams are on the floor for warmups, which are well under way.

12:35

Salt Lake Community College is the top seed in this tournament. The fourth-ranked Bruins are 26-7 on the season, going 8-2 in the Scenic West Athletic Conference. Those two losses were both to CSI, which is the third seed and ranked No. 6 in the nation. The Golden Eagles are 27-5 on the season and went 7-3 in the SWAC.

12:37

CSI defeated second seed and national No. 1 North Idaho College in straight sets on Friday to get here, after knocking off sixth seed Colorado Northwestern Community College in the morning. Salt Lake defeated Snow College in four sets last night to advance to the final. This will be the fifth meeting between the two teams this year. CSI has won three of them -- the last three, in fact.

12:38

As you might remember, North Idaho had beaten CSI three straight times before yesterday. It's really hard to beat a team three times in a row, let alone four times. Both teams look ready to go though.

12:40

Plenty of storylines on offer today. In addition to the three-in-a-row for the second straight day, Salt Lake is trying to avoid losing the region championship match on its home floor for the second straight season. Salt Lake was the top seed last year and lost to North Idaho, the No. 3 seed -- the same seed CSI occupies this year.

12:45

CSI's adopted theme song for this tournament -- "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black-Eyed Peas -- is blaring as they finish their part of the staggered warmups.

12:47

As a reminder, anyone watching can submit a comment or question in the box below. That way we can interact during the match. Also, I'll start the first poll of the match here in a moment.

12:50

My prediction is CSI in four sets. The Golden Eagles are running extremely hot right now, and another straight-set win would not surprise me. But I'll give Salt Lake one set, if for no other reason than this is the Bruins' home floor.

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