VCSU volleyball earns at-large bid to NAIA Volleyball Championship Opening Round
The Valley City State volleyball team has earned an at-large bid to the NAIA Volleyball National Championship Opening Round for the first time in program history, the national office announced today.
Valley City State will travel to Fayette, Missouri to face Central Methodist University on Saturday, Nov. 18 for the NAIA Women's Volleyball Championship Opening Round. VCSU earned an at-large bid after finishing the regular season with a 22-9 overall record. The Vikings have been receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll since Sept. 12.
Central Methodist holds a 22-10 overall record in the regular season and finished with a 14-3 conference record. The Eagles earned an automatic bid to the NAIA Opening Round as the Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament runner-up. Central Methodist was ranked No. 21 in the final edition of the 2023 NAIA Coaches' Poll.
It is the first time in program history that VCSU has made the NAIA Women's Volleyball Championship Opening Round, which dates back to 2008. VCSU is one of seven teams who are qualifying for the national tournament for the first time. The Opening Round consists of 48 teams played at campus sites.
If VCSU wins its NAIA Opening Round match on Saturday, the Vikings will advance to the pool play tournament played Nov. 29-Dec. 1 at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. VCSU has never competed in pool play since the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Tournament's inception in 1980.
One team from each pool will advance to single-elimination championship bracket slated for Dec. 2-5 at the Tyson Events Center.