BU to host Edward Waters in NAIA Opening Round

NAIA Release

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has officially announced the teams and Opening Round pairings for the 2021 NAIA Volleyball National Championship. The 48-team event will get underway with 24 National Championship Opening Round Matches at campus locations on Nov. 20. 

The Bruins return to the National Tournament for the sixth-straight season and the 13th time in the last 15 years. Bellevue (23-7), ranked No. 11 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll, earned an at-large bid and will host Edward Waters University (24-6) on Saturday, Nov. 20 for an opening-round matchup at 4:00 p.m. The match will be played at Bellevue West High School. Ticket prices will be $8 for adults and $5 for students. MASKS ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL FANS. 

Bellevue finished as the runner-up in the North Star Athletic Association regular-season standings and also in the NSAA Tournament. No. 2-ranked Viterbo won the NSAA regular-season and tournament championships and earned the NSAA's automatic berth. Edward Waters won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament title, earning the GCAC's automatic bid.  

The Bruins are making their 14th appearance (2000, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) in the National Tournament and this will be the 11th time that BU has played an Opening Round match. In its previous 10 Opening Round matches, BU has posted a record of 7-3, advancing to Sioux City on seven occasions.

EWU is making its first appearance in the NAIA National Tournament. The Tigers qualified by winning the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament with a 3-0 win over Philander Smith College. 

The 24 opening-round winners on Nov. 20 will advance to the final site in Sioux City, Iowa on Nov. 30-Dec. 4. 

This year's field includes 36 automatic qualifiers and 12 at-large selections. The automatic berths are determined by regular-season champions or runner-ups, conference tournament title winners or runner-ups, or by conference selection. The remaining at-large bids were determined by the final regular-season Women's Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Poll announced today. Final site pools will be determined on Sunday, Nov. 21, and released by 5 p.m.

The NAIA Network – the association's official video-streaming home – will broadcast all matches excluding the semifinals and championship matches live at the 2021 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. 30-Dec. 1) and a championship package is available at $39.95.

The semifinal and championship matches will be streamed via ESPN3.

Opening Round Schedule

Saturday, Nov. 20 | Campus Sites

Opening Round Pairings