Sunday, November 27, 2005

The Valparaiso University volleyball team will open the 2005 NCAA Tournament in the same spot they ended their 2004 season, Madison, Wis., this year taking on California, Friday, December 2 at 5:00 p.m.

The Crusaders earned a third-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament by defeating Oral Roberts in the Mid-Continent Conference Championship Match last Sunday at the Athletics-Recreation Center. Valpo fell to Nebraska 3-0 in the first round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament, and lost last year 3-1 to Notre Dame in the first round in Madison.

The Golden Bears (18-10, 10-8 Pac-10) earned an at-large berth into this year's field after finishing sixth in their conference. California and Valpo have never met, and the Crusaders had not played a Pac-10 team in the program's history before falling to UCLA 3-2 earlier this year in a tournament in Madison, Wis.

The winner of Friday's match will advance to the second round to take on the winner of 11th-seeded Wisconsin and Loyola (Ill.). The Crusaders defeated Loyola 3-1 earlier this year, but fell at Wisconsin 3-0.