Courtesy: Missouri Valley Conference
2018 NCAA VOLLEYBALL Championship
Matches on ESPN3
Thursday, November 29
UNI vs. Pepperdine (Madison, Wis.) – 6 PM
Friday, November 30
Illinois State vs. Cincinnati (Milwaukee, Wis.) – 5:30PM
UNI vs. Wisconsin/Green Bay (Madison, Wis.) – 8 PM
Saturday, December 1
Illinois State vs. Marquette/High Point (Milwaukee, Wis.) – 8 PM
2018 NIVC VOLLEYBALL Championship
Thursday, November 29
Bradley vs. Bowling Green (Ames, Iowa)……………. 5 PM
Valparaiso vs. Ball State (Oxford, Ohio)………… 5:30 PM
Drake at Iowa State……………………. …………………… 7:30 PM
It Takes Two
For the 15th time in league history, at least two Valley volleyball teams have been selected as part of the field of 64 to play for the 2018 NCAA national title. MVC co-regular season and tournament champion UNI will be joined by co-regular season champion and at-large selection Illinois State in the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship field.
It is the 11th time in the last 13 years that the MVC has placed multiple teams into the NCAA tourney. Since 2007, The Valley has received 32 bids into the 64-team field, trailing only the Pac 12, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, ACC & West Coast Conferences.
MVC Selections for NCAA Tournament
Number Times Last
Four Teams 3 2015
Three Teams 4 2016
Two Teams 8 2018
One Team 22 2014
Multi-Bid League
The Missouri Valley Conference is one of 11 leagues to earn two or more bids to the 2018 NCAA Volleyball Championship, putting the MVC among the elite conferences this season.
The Pac 12 led the way with eight teams selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament, followed by the Big Ten (7), WCC (5), ACC (5), SEC (5), Big 12 (2), Southern (2), Big West (2), American (2), Missouri Valley (2) & Summit (2).
MVC in the NCAA Tourney
The Missouri Valley Conference is 28-60 (.318) all-time in the NCAA Championship, with four current league schools having made previous appearances in postseason play. UNI has the most NCAA Tournament wins, with 15.
MVC Records in the NCAA Tournament
UNI 15-21 (.417)
Illinois State 3-13 (.188)
Missouri State 1-13 (.071)
Southern Illinois 0-1 (.000)
*Creighton 2-2 (.500)
*Wichita State 7-10 (.412)
NCAA Tournament Appearances
UNI 22
Illinois State 14
Missouri State 13
*Wichita State 10
*Creighton 2
Southern Illinois 1
*Former league member
Sweet 16
Missouri Valley Conference teams have advanced to the Sweet 16 a total of four times. UNI has made three trips (1999, 2001 and 2002), while former member Wichita State appeared in the Round of 16 in 2012.
Second Round
Missouri Valley Conference teams have advanced to the Second Round a total of 24 times. UNI has the most trips – 12 – (1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2017), while Wichita State has six Second Round appearances (2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2015). Illinois State (1992, 1996 and 2014), Creighton (2010 and 2012) and Missouri State (2006) have made three, two and one Second Round appearance(s), respectively.
Winning!
The most wins the Missouri Valley Conference has registered in one NCAA Tournament event is four, in 2012, when all three league teams (Wichita State, UNI and Creighton) won their First Round matchup, while the Shockers advanced to the Sweet 16. The Valley also had at least two wins in five other seasons (1999, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2009).
MVC in NIVC
Bradley, Drake and Valparaiso each earned a bid into the 32 team NIVC. Bradley will make the first post-season appearance in program history with the Braves facing Bowling Green in the opening round. Drake (at Iowa State) is making its second postseason appearance in program history and first since 1995 when the Bulldogs competed in a previous incarnation of the NIVC. Valparaiso is heading to postseason play for the first time since 2005 and will play Ball State. The MVC has an 11-15 record all time in the NIVC.
Non-Conference Success
Since 2010, the Valley has posted a record above .500 in non-conference play every year except 2014 (55-57) and 2017 (61-66). The MVC is 81-49 (.623) in non-league play this season, which ranks second in that span. The Valley posted a league-best .756 non-conference win percentage in 2010.
20-Win Club
The conference enters the tournament with five teams sitting at 20 or more wins. It marks just the fourth time in The Valley era that the league has produced five 20 win programs in a single season. The league also had five 20+ win teams in 2007, 2010 and 2015. Each of those years, the MVC put four teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Can’t Hang
The MVC holds an unblemished record in non-conference action against 11 leagues, including America East (2-0), American (1-0), Big South (3-0), Ivy (2-0), Metro Atlantic (2-0), Mid-Eastern (2-0), Northeast (3-0), Patriot (1-0), Summit (9-0), SWAC (5-0) and WAC (2-0).
Against the Field
The MVC holds a winning record against 20 leagues in non-conference play (America East, American, A10, Atlantic Sun, Big East, Big South, Horizon, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, MEAC, Mountain West, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southland, Summit, Sun Belt, SWAC and WAC), and at least a .500 record against another three (Big Sky, Conference USA and Southern) through the non-conference season.
Power Five Wins
The Valley has four wins over Power Five programs this season. UNI beat Indiana and Kentucky, Missouri State beat Texas A&M and Illinois State beat Auburn.
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