In a way, you could say that Bard has been preparing for this match all season long.

The North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Tournament begins on Friday in Hoboken, N.J. Bard, 20-11, is the No. 15 seed in the 16-team field. Rivier College (31-8) is the No. 2 seed, and that's who the Raptors will play at 2 p.m.

This season, Bard competed in its final season as a member of the Skyline Conference, winning a second consecutive league title and third in four years. But the Raptors also began participation this season in the United Volleyball Conference, an new league formed in 2011. The UVC quickly became a national Div. III powerhouse, and Bard went through a gauntlet of UVC opponents and came out bruised, battered and battle-tested.

Eight of Bard's 11 losses came to UVC opponents in 2011.

Six of the 16 teams in the NECVA Tournament are UVC members, including No. 1 overall seed Nazareth. When the Raptors play Rivier on Friday, they'll be seeing a team of the same caliber they've been used to in the UVC.

Rivier and Bard shared eight common opponents this season. The sobering truth is that Bard lost seven of those eight matches - Elmira, Vassar, SUNY New Paltz, Medaille, Stevens Tech, D'Youville, Nazareth, Ramapo, Mount Ida - and Rivier won seven of those eight matches. Both teams defeated Mount Ida and both teams lost to Stevens Tech.

Rivier won the Great Northeast Athletic Conference title - for the fourth straight season - over the weekend. Senior outside hitter Jared Andreozzi (Barrington, R.I.) had 16 kills in the semifinal match and 22 in the championship match to earn tournament MVP honors.

Bard won the Skyline Conference title over the weekend - its third in four years and second in a row - led by tournament MVP Nick Chan, who had 15 kills in the semifinals, and 14 kills in the championship match.

This isn't to say the teams are even heading into Friday. A Bard victory would be a huge upset. The Raiders were ranked ninth in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Div. III poll.

Andreozzi leads Rivier with 4.22 kills per set; Chan leads Bard with 4.10 kills per set. Sophomore setter Steve Visentin (Cheshire, Conn.) leads Rivier with 9.74 assists per set; freshman setter Henry Kasiske (Los Angeles, Calif.) leads Bard with 9.84 assists per set. Junior defensive specialist Chris Convertito (Trumbull, Conn.) leads Rivier with 1.70 digs per set, and junior liberto Andrew Cortrite (Los Angeles, Calif.) leads Bard with 3.59 digs per set.

Rivier was the top seed in last year's NECVA Tournament but lost in the semifinals to Philadelphia Biblical. The winner of last year's tournament - Nazareth - was the No. 15 seed. The Golden Flyers are the No. 1 seed this year.

Click here to see the 2011 NECVA Tournament bracket