Opening Round Pairings Announced

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially released the Volleyball National Championship Opening Round matches for the 32nd annual event. The top-11 teams, in addition to host school Morningside (Iowa), will receive a bye, while the other 24 qualifying teams will play in the Opening Round matches on Nov. 19. All matches will be played at on-campus sites.

The winners of the National Championship Opening Round matches will advance to the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa, location of the NAIA National Championship presented by CNOS Foundation Nov. 29 - Dec. 3.

The following teams have received an opening round bye: Azusa Pacific (Calif.), Biola (Calif.), Columbia (Mo.), Concordia (Calif.), Embry-Riddle (Fla.), Fresno Pacific (Calif.), Lee (Ten.), Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), Morningside (Iowa), Rocky Mountain (Mont.), Southern Oregon and Texas at Brownsville.

The final 24 teams will be placed into six pools and will play round-robin pool play Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, with the top-two teams from each pool advancing to the single-elimination bracket starting Dec. 2. The championship match will take place at on Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. CST in Sioux City.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OPENING ROUND PAIRINGS
Match 1	Carroll (Mont.) at College of Idaho
Match 2	Montreat (N.C.) at Indiana Wesleyan
Match 3	La Sierra (Calif.) at Vanguard (Calif.)
Match 4	Robert Morris (Ill.) at Missouri Baptist
Match 5	Xavier (La.) at Spring Hill (Ala.)
Match 6	Point Park (Pa.) at Indiana Tech
Match 7	Cal State San Marcos at Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.)
Match 8	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) at Taylor (Ind.)
Match 9	Oklahoma Baptist at Kansas Wesleyan
Match 10	MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) at Bellevue (Neb.)
Match 11	Grand View (Iowa) at Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
Match 12	Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) at Indiana East