Five WAC Teams Headed to NIVC
Five WAC Teams Headed to NIVC
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The bracket for the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) was announced on Sunday night and of the 31 participating teams, five will come from the Western Athletic Conference.
Sam Houston was one of 10 automatic qualifiers with Chicago State, NM State, Stephen F. Austin and UT Rio Grande Valley all earning at-large selections.
Sam Houston will open tournament action on Thursday against Evansville in a match played at Chicago State. The host Cougars will then host Bradley with the two winners facing off on Friday.
Stephen F. Austin was also announced as a host, taking on Jackson State on Friday with the winner facing off against Arkansas on Saturday.
The final two WAC squads will both travel to Tucson, Ariz. with UTRGV taking on the host Arizona Wildcats on Friday. Preceding that match will be NM State battling UNLV in a neutral-court match with winners advancing to play Saturday.
This is the fourth edition of the NIVC since its reboot through Triple Crown Sports; the event previously ran from 1989-95. Previous champions of the current NIVC are Georgia Tech (2019), Iowa State (2018) and Ole Miss (2017).
The 2021 NIVC features Round 1 and 2 action from Dec. 2-5, with Round 3 scheduled for Dec. 6-8. The semifinals will be held Dec. 8-11, and the championship match be played Dec. 12-14.
2021 NIVC Bracket