2017 NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship Final Site Preview
KANSAS CITY, Mo. –The 38th annual Women’s Volleyball National Championship will begin on Tuesday, November 28, at the Tyson Events Center with Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), Texas Wesleyan, Hastings (Neb.) and Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) opening up play. The championship runs through Saturday, December 2 with the national championship final scheduled for 7 p.m. CST. The Great Plains Athletic Conference and city of Sioux City, Iowa play as host for the 10th straight year.
The NAIA Network – the association’s official video streaming home – will broadcast all 63 matches (including 48 pool-play matches) live at the 2017 NAIA Volleyball National Championship final site in Sioux City, Iowa. The video platform, powered by Stretch Internet, allows users access to live video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while a pool play pass is $24.95 (Nov. 28 – Dec. 1) and an all-championship package is available at $39.95.
- 2017 National Championship Final Site Notes
The 32-team field includes the host team Morningside (Iowa), 19 teams that received an automatic bid and 12 teams that won the national championship opening round match. - The following teams advanced to the final site after winning their national championship opening round match-up Saturday: Bellevue (Neb.), Embry-Riddle, Indiana Wesleyan, Lourdes (Ohio), Marian (Ind.), Missouri Valley, Northwest (Wash.), Ottawa (Kan.), Our Lady of the Lake (Texas), Saint Xavier (Ill.), Tabor (Kan.) and Texas Wesleyan.
- The following teams received a bye to the final site: College of Idaho, Columbia (Mo.), Corban (Ore.), Cornerstone (Mich.), Dordt (Iowa), Eastern Oregon, Georgetown (Ky.), Grand View (Iowa), Hastings, Jamestown (N.D.), Lindsey Wilson, Madonna (Mich.), Midland (Neb.), Missouri Baptist, Montana Tech, Morningside, Northwestern (Iowa), Park (Mo.), Viterbo (Wis.) and Westmont (Calif.).
- Amongst the qualifiers, three programs previously won a national title: Columbia, Hastings and Park.
- Twenty-seven programs are back from the 2016 national championship, including last season’s national champion, Hastings.
- The only undefeated team in the field is Lindsey Wilson, which enters the championship with a record of 28-0.
- The Great Plains Athletic Conference brings the most qualifiers this year with five institutions including: Dordt, Hastings, Midland, Morningside and Northwestern. Hastings was the first of the Great Plains Athletic Conference to win a national title. The Cascade Collegiate Conference follows right behind with four qualifiers: College of Idaho, Corban, Eastern Oregon and Northwest.
- Perennial contender, Columbia, is the active leader in both championship appearances at 24 and playoff wins with a 90-44 record.
- Four will compete at the final site for the first time in program history – Embry-Riddle, Marian, Missouri Valley and Northwest.