Two years ago Davenport’s women’s arrived in the fall finals weekend in Division 2, and careened through the competition to win comfortably.

No one blamed Davenport for being in D2 - the program has still young and geography made it difficult to find D1 opposition, but that weekend, everyone knew the move had to be made. Unafraid to face that stiffer competition, Davenport went right on winning, and took the D1 fall title last year.

Watch The Women's D1 Fall Final Live SUnday, Dec 2 at 10AM CT

This year’s Davenport may have graduated some highly-regarded talent, but still has the formula of a physically punishing forward pack and a backline that knows how to exploit space. The result has been impressive. The Panthers’ only losses came against Lindenwood and Penn State - two teams expected to challenge for the D1 Elite title in the spring. The rest has been all Davenport, with locks Ashley Willsea and Lily O’Connor playing superbly in difficult conditions in the quarters and semis, and Megan Bird busting through the lines at center.

But amid the power runners and physical forwards, tiny Olivia Ortiz is the metronome that keeps everyone in time. The scrumhalf and team’s goal kicker, Ortiz is the link between the two units, and as she goes, so goes a very, very good Davenport team.

Facing off with Davenport is the 2016 fall champion, Air Force. Head coach Amy Rusert has had to bring up some freshmen to fill in at the Air Force Academy and they have taken to the task brilliantly. But this is a young Air Force team, and Rusert said right after the semis that what her team needed more than anything was enough training time when all players could attend (the word in USAFA parlance is “deconflicted”). 

Watch Live Sunday Dec 2

Of note from the Air Force program, USAFA player Abigail Perkins will be in North Carolina, and will be playing rugby, but not for Air Force. Perkins is on an exchange at the Coast Guard Academy, and Coast Guard could very well come away with a championship, too.

Grace Loucks is in Colorado Springs on exchange from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. A wing and center, Loucks has been a key contributor to the Air Force effort.

Flanker Adrienne Yoder scored five tries in the two playoff matches two weeks ago. She and fellow back row mate Sierra DeHart scored 51 of the team’s 113 playoff points. Air Force’s attack is more than those two players. Against Sam Houston State, Air Force was shorthanded due to cards for the final 50 minutes of the game, and scored six tries while giving up just one.