NAIA Volleyball Tournament Information
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29th Annual NAIA Volleyball Championship Tournament
December 2-6, 2008 -- Sioux City, Iowa
Gateway Arena
National Championship Press Book
National Championship Pool Schedule
SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- Azusa Pacific is returning to the NAIA Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament for the seventh time in the 29-year history of the tournament. The Cougars are making their third tournament showing in the past 4 years, all under head coach Chris Keife.
The Cougars, who were ranked No. 5 in last year's final NAIA Coaches' Poll and yet failed to earn a tournament berth, took advantage of this year's new direct qualification plan installed by the NAIA and thus enters the tournament ranked and seeded No. 8. Azusa Pacific is 22-10 on the season and has been placed in Pool E with Columbia College (Mo.), Dordt College (Iowa) and University of Mobile (Ala.). The Cougars open pool play Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 1:15 p.m. (CST) against Dordt. On Wednesday, Dec. 3, the Cougars face Mobile at 1:15 p.m. (CST). They close pool play Thursday, Dec. 4, again at 1:15 p.m. (CST) against Columbia. The top 2 teams from each pool advance to Friday's single-elimination championship bracket.
Azusa Pacific's student-run radio station, KAPU, will air live over the Internet all the Cougar matches in Sioux City with student Jimmy Lundgren calling the action. Click on the "Listen Live" button above to follow the Cougars on KAPU.
After 2 years in Columbia, Mo., the championship tournament moves north and west this year to Sioux City, Iowa, and the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena.
Azusa Pacific is 1 of a record 7 Golden State Athletic Conference schools comprising the 24-team final site field. Defending national champion and undefeated Fresno Pacific Univesity is the top seed. Biola University is No. 2, while Concordia University is No. 3. California Baptist University, which won the 2004 and 2005 national championships, is seeded No. 7. Vanguard University and Point Loma Nazarene are unseeded participants.
Columbia and Fresno Pacific have won the most national championship s(3) among the current tournament members. Both teams are making their 15th consecutive tournament appearance. Azusa Pacific won the first-ever NAIA championship in 1980, led by All-American and tournament MVP and now Cougar Sports Hall of Fame member Stephanie Alpenia.