NAIA National Championship Pool Play Begins Today 11/29/16

2016 NAIA Volleyball National Championship – Pool Play Assignments

The 2016 NAIA Volleyball National Championship began today, Tuesday 11/29/16 in Sioux City, Iowa.  The Tyson Events Center in Sioux City is the venue for the ninth-straight time from November 29 through December 3 with the championship match slated for Saturday, December 3 at 7 p.m. CST and broadcast live on ESPN3. The 12 winners from the National Championship Opening Round games played on November 19 will join the 19 teams which received an opening round bye and host college Morningside to form the 32-team field for pool play. The 32 programs are divided into eight pools with four teams in each pool. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the single-elimination bracket starting December 2.

But, what is the NAIA? From the NAIA website (http://www.naia.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27900&ATCLID=205323019) we obtain this description.

“The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has administered programs and championships in proper balance with the overall college educational experience. The student-athlete is the center of all NAIA experiences. Each year more than 60,000 student-athletes have the opportunity to play college sports at NAIA member institutions. The seeds of the NAIA began in 1937 with the tipoff of a men’s basketball tournament in Kansas City that has become the longest running event in college basketball. Out of the tournament grew the NAIA, an association that has been an innovative leader.  The NAIA was the first collegiate athletics association to invite historically black institutions into membership and the first to sponsor both men’s and women’s national championships. In 2000, the NAIA reaffirmed its purpose to enhance the character building aspects of sport. Through Champions of Character, the NAIA seeks to create an environment in which every student-athlete, coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through five core values. In 2010, the association opened the doors to the NAIA Eligibility Center, where prospective student-athletes are evaluated for academic and athletic eligibility. It delivers on the NAIA’s promise of integrity by leveling the playing field, guiding student-athlete success, and ensuring fair competition.”

The NAIA Network – the association’s official video streaming home – will broadcast all 63 matches (including 48 pool-play matches) live at the 2016 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. 29 – Dec. 2) and an all-championship package is available at $39.95. For more information and the pre-register, click video info here.
For more information on the 2016 NAIA Volleyball National Championship Opening Round and National Championship final site, click tournament info here.

LET’S GROW VOLLEYBALL!