While Judgment Day may have belonged to NCAA football last Saturday, the closing of the volleyball regular season this weekend is of similar significance to four Missouri Valley Conference teams.

Of the six teams that qualify for the Nov. 20-22 MVC tournament in Normal, three spots already have been solidified. Illinois State University and the University of Northern Iowa own the top two seeds. The third team to clinch a spot, Creighton University, will not know its conference seed until the completion of the season.

Tonight’s match between Southwest Missouri State University and Illinois State begins a four-team struggle for the final three bids into the tournament. SMSU, along with SIUC, Wichita State University and Indiana State University, are the competitors.

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We’ve been here before, unfortunately, SIUC coach Sonya Locke said. It’s not a position we want, but since we’re here we have to deal with it.

Wichita State stands ahead of the pack at 9-7. The Shockers need only one win in their two remaining matches to ensure a spot in the tourney.

Meanwhile, the Salukis are in a three-way tie for fifth place with SMSU and Indiana State. All three teams have 8-8 conference records.

SIUC faces Bradley University (13-15, 4-14) in Peoria Friday night, and then must travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, Saturday. The Salukis will attempt Saturday to avenge a Sept. 12 loss to Northern Iowa (15-8, 11-5) and end a seven-game losing skid to the Panthers.

We played them earlier this season, and we know we can beat them, junior middle blocker Laura Pier said. We’re just going up there with a positive attitude because we don’t want to sneak our way into the tournament.

The Northern Iowa match will showcase two of the league’s top setters in Saluki sophomore Debbie Barr and UNI’s Shannon Perry. Barr’s 13.12 assists per game rank first in the conference, while Perry’s 12.67 come a close second.

They’re both going to be their steady selves, Locke said. I don’t think it’s going to be who’s the better setter, but who plays the best defense that day.

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A loss would not necessarily eliminate the Salukis. If Indiana State, SIUC and SMSU still are tied following the completion of the regular season, SIUC’s fate will be based on the MVC power ratings.

The power ratings are based on the team’s success against higher-ranked clubs in the conference. Because the Salukis split the season series with all the teams in contention, the head-to-head tie breaker is not an option.

SMSU appears to have the toughest task of making it to Normal. The Bears have road matches against Illinois State and Indiana State, who between the two of them have only one conference loss on either of their home courts.

But Locke said all the teams are in the same situation.

Southwest is playing the first-place and fifth-place teams on the road, and we’re playing the second-place and ninth-(place teams), she said. (Indiana State) plays a team (SMSU) that’s tied with us and a team (Wichita State) fighting to keep its position in the tournament. I don’t think anyone has an easier way, because it’s crunch-time for all us.