They've been a great tournament team this season, but the eighth-ranked North Idaho College Cardinals volleyball team will need at least two more wins to keep their season alive starting Friday in Twin Falls.

NIC (20-4), seeded fourth, opens the Region 18 tournament Friday at 9 a.m. PDT against sixth-seeded Colorado Northwestern (0-23), with the winner advancing to face second-seeded Salt Lake (22-6) for a berth to the NJCAA tournament.

"We're excited," NIC coach Kandice Gregorak said. "I hope the girls are ready. Hopefully they're prepared both mentally and physically."

Fourth-seeded Snow College (15-8) faces fifth-seed Utah State-Eastern (11-16) in the other quarterfinal match, with that winner facing top-seeded Southern Idaho (27-1) in the semifinals.

NIC has advanced to nationals the past three seasons.

"We're excited to play and the girls seem ready to play," Gregorak said. "It won't be easy and the girls need to be on their game. Hopefully they're ready."

In tournament play this season, NIC went 12-0 in matches played at Salt Lake, Southern Idaho and North Idaho College.

NIC swept Colorado Northwestern in Scenic West Athletic Conference play, but lost twice to Salt Lake - with a five-set loss in Coeur d'Alene on Sept. 20 (when the Cardinals were ranked No. 1) - and a four-set loss at Salt Lake on Oct. 13.

"We got better every game in our preseason tournaments," Gregorak said. "The girls are in really good shape, so playing two games in a row might be a good thing for us. That way, we can get our jitters out and be ready for the next game. Hopefully the tournament format is good for us.”

Winners of the semifinal matches advance to nationals Nov. 15-17 at Missouri State University-West Plains in Missouri.

“We’re going to take it one game at a time,” Gregorak said. “Salt Lake is first and we’re not even thinking about CSI right now. Our minds need to be on CNCC (Colorado Northwestern). If we can beat Salt Lake, we go to nationals. If we get to nationals, we’ll do great there.”

REGION 18 VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

at College of Southern Idaho,

Twin Falls

Times PDT

Friday

Match 1 — North Idaho (20-4) vs. Colorado Northwestern (0-23), 9 a.m.

Match 2 — Snow College (15-8) vs. Utah State-Eastern (11-16), noon.

Match 3 — Winner Match 1 vs. Salt Lake (22-6), 3 p.m. (winner to nationals)

Match 4 — Winner Match 2 vs. Southern Idaho (27-1), 6 (winner to nationals)

Saturday

Match 5 — Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, noon (winner is District A representative to nationals, loser is District B representative).