2018 NIVC field announced, Round 1 starts Thursday

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- The field for the 2018 National Invitational Volleyball Championships has been announced, with 32 high-achieving Division-I programs officially bracketed and ready for Round 1 action on Thursday, Nov. 29.
 
This year marks the second running of the NIVC since its rebirth last year; the original event ran from 1989-1995.

In bracket order, here is the schedule for the first two rounds of the 2018 NIVC – all matches are hosted by participating schools:
 
(home team for each match listed first)
Nov. 29 at Iowa State
Bradley (23-8) vs. Bowling Green (19-11), 4 p.m. CT
Iowa State (16-13) vs. Drake (21-14), 6:30 CT
Nov. 30 at Iowa State
Winners, 6:30 p.m. CT
 
Nov. 29 at North Texas
Wichita State (13-17) vs. Central Arkansas (26-6), 4:30 p.m. CT
North Texas (17-16) vs. Tulsa (19-11), 7 p.m. CT
Nov. 30 at North Texas
Winners, 5:30 p.m. CT
 
Nov. 29 at UNLV
Fresno State (20-10) vs. UC Santa Barbara, (17-11), 4:30 p.m. PT
UNLV (19-11) vs. UC Irvine (16-12), 7 p.m. PT
Nov. 30 at UNLV
Winners, 7 p.m. PT
 
Nov. 29 at Wyoming
Portland (18-12) vs. Northern Colorado (15-13), 4 p.m. MT
Wyoming (20-10) vs. Utah Valley (19-13), 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 30 at Wyoming
Winners, 6:30 p.m. MT
 
Nov. 29 at Tulane
Arkansas-Little Rock (19-12) vs. Cal Baptist (19-10), 5 p.m. CT
Tulane (25-8) vs. Arkansas State (19-13), 7:30 p.m. CT
Nov. 30 at Tulane
Winners, 7 p.m. CT
 
Nov. 29 at Miami-Ohio
Valparaiso (25-10) vs. Ball State (22-9), 5:30 p.m. ET
Miami-Ohio (22-8) vs. Northern Kentucky, 8 p.m. ET
Nov. 30 at Miami-Ohio
Winners, 7 p.m. ET
 
Nov. 29 at Georgia Tech
College of Charleston (21-11) vs. St. John’s (23-11), 4 p.m. ET
Georgia Tech (17-14) vs. USF (20-11), 7 p.m. ET
Nov. 30 at Georgia Tech
Winners, 7 p.m. ET
 
Nov. 29 at Clemson
Appalachian State (22-8) vs. Radford (21-6), 4 p.m. ET
Clemson (17-14) vs. Alabama A&M (22-15), 7 p.m. ET
Nov. 30 at Clemson
Winners, 7 p.m. ET
 
Round 3 will be held Dec. 5-7, the semifinals run Dec. 7-9, and the 2018 NIVC Championship match will be held Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. ET. Ole Miss won the 2017 title over Texas Tech.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the makeup of the teams that will be competing for the 2018 NIVC crown,” said tournament director Jared Rudiger. “It’s an ideal blend of well-known Power 5 programs and a group of mid-major teams that have often missed out on the thrills and excitement of postseason play. The geographic mix also gives the tournament a fresh look, as teams will likely face opponents they’d never see otherwise.”

Much like the WNIT and NIT events in college basketball, the NIVC taps into the impressive depth of D-I volleyball and is designed to give more high-performing, highly skilled programs a chance to play for a postseason title. Teams with young rosters get to train and compete with an eye to the future; established rosters get one more chance to play together and memorably cap off their student-athlete experience.