Pool Pairings Announced for NAIA National Championship

Pool Play Schedule

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- 

Pool play pairings were announced today for the 2019 NAIA Volleyball National Championship presented by Marriott South Sioux City River Front beginning Dec. 3 inside the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The field will be split into eight pools of four teams with the top two teams in each pool advancing to a single-elimination bracket, culminating in the national championship match on Dec. 7. 

The Bruins' opponents in Pool E include No. 5 Southern Oregon, No. 12 Central Methodist, and IU-Kokomo. Bellevue advanced to the final site with a 3-0 sweep over Lincoln College on Saturday at Bellevue West High School. 

The action begins on Tuesday, Dec. 3 with the first of three days of pool play action. The top two teams from each pool will advance to single-elimination bracket play. The round of 16 and quarterfinals will take place on Friday, Dec. 6 with the semi-finals and championship match to be played on Saturday, Dec. 7.

Ranked No. 23 nationally, Bellevue (27-8) will begin pool play with a 9 a.m. match on Dec. 3 against Central Methodist (30-3). The Bruins will take on Southern Oregon (28-4) at 10 a.m. on Dec. 4, before completing pool play with a 10 a.m. match against IU-Kokomo (27-11) on Dec. 5. 

BU has not faced Southern Oregon or IU-Kokomo this season. The Bruins fell at Central Methodist, 3-2, on Sept. 6 in Fayette, Mo. 

This is BU's 12th appearance in the National Tournament and the ninth time they have qualified for the final site. Bellevue also reached the final site in 2000, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2017. 

With their victory over Lincoln College on Saturday, Bellevue now owns a 14-22 (.389) all-time record in National Tournament play.

The NAIA Network – the association's official video-streaming home – will broadcast 60 matches live at the 2019 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 (Dec. 3-5) and a championship package is available at $39.95. You can also buy an All-Championship pass and watch every championship streamed on the NAIA Network in 2019. Buy your All-Championship Pass today. 

Both semifinal matches that take place at 11:00 a.m. CST on Saturday, Dec. 7 will be broadcast of ESPN3 as well as the NAIA Network. The championship match will be played at 7:P00 p.m. CST December 7 and will be broadcast on ESPN3 for the sixth time.

Pool E Schedule: