Pool Play pairings announced for NAIA National Championships

Pool Play Schedule

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Pool play pairings were announced today for the 2023 NAIA Volleyball National Championship beginning Nov. 29 inside the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The field has been split into eight pools of three teams, with the top team in each pool advancing to a single-elimination bracket, culminating in the national championship match on Dec. 5. 

The Bruins' opponents in Pool A include No. 1 Northwestern (Iowa) and No. 24 St. Ambrose. Bellevue advanced to the final site with a 3-1 victory over Indiana University-East on Saturday at Bellevue West High School. 

The action begins on Wednesday, Nov. 29, with the first of three days of pool play action. The top team from each pool will advance to single-elimination bracket play. The quarterfinals will take place on Saturday, Dec. 2, with the semi-finals on Monday, Dec. 4. The national championship match is set for Tuesday, Dec. 5. 

Ranked No. 18 nationally, Bellevue (25-9) will begin pool play with a 10:00 a.m. match on Nov. 30 against St. Ambrose (20-14). The Bruins will take on No. 1-ranked Northwestern (27-2) at 10 a.m. on Dec. 1.  

BU has not faced either team this season. 

St. Ambrose advanced to the final site with a five-set upset over No. 16-ranked College of St. Mary. Northwestern, champions of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, swept College of the Ozarks to earn its trip to Sioux City.  

This is BU's 16th appearance in the National Tournament and the 13th time they have qualified for the final site. Bellevue also reached the final site in 2000, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. 

With its victory over IU-East on Saturday, Bellevue now owns a 22-28 (.440) all-time record in National Tournament play and a 10-3 record in NAIA Opening Round matches.

The NAIA Network – the association's official video-streaming home – will broadcast all matches, excluding the semifinal and championship matches, live at the 2023 NAIA Volleyball Championship final site in Sioux City, Iowa. The video platform, powered by Presto Sports, 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 (November 29 – December 1), and a championship package is available at $39.95. The championship package includes all pool play and quarterfinal matches.

The semifinals and championship matches on December 4th and 5th will be streamed on ESPN3. The link can be found on the schedule at a closer date. 

2023 NAIA Volleyball National Championship Pool Play Assignments

Full schedule and times HERE on naia.org