The University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team, fresh off their Big West Championship win, is set to make their 10th appearance in the NCAA Championship. The Rainbow Warriors, seeded No. 2, will face the winner of Daemen and Penn State in the national quarterfinals on Thursday, May 8, at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Hawai’i (26-5), a two-time national champion, earned the Big West’s automatic berth after defeating Long Beach State in four sets during the tournament finals in Honolulu. Daemen (15-12) claimed the Northeast Conference title, while Penn State (14-15) captured the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association championship.
The nine-team national tournament will kick off with an opening round match on Friday, May 2, between Daemen and Penn State. All four quarterfinals will take place on Thursday, followed by the semifinals on Saturday, May 10, and the finals on Monday, May 12.
Tournament Overview and Key Matchups
Top-seeded Long Beach State will face eighth-seeded Fort Valley State, champions of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Two-time defending national champion UCLA, seeded No. 3, will play sixth-seeded Belmont Abbey (17-8), who won the Conference Carolina tournament. Loyola Chicago, the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association champion, is seeded fourth and will take on fifth-seeded Pepperdine, champions of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
Hawai’i’s national title run began in 2021 at the Covelli Center, where they defeated Brigham Young in straight sets. The Warriors also won the championship in 2022 in Los Angeles. After making four consecutive title match appearances from 2019 to 2023, the team is ready to defend their crown.
NCAA Tournament Schedule
Opening Round Match – Friday, May 2
Daemen vs. Penn State, 7:00 p.m. ET
Quarterfinals – Thursday, May 8
No. 3 seed UCLA vs. No. 6 seed Belmont Abbey, 11:00 a.m. ET
No. 2 seed Hawai’i vs. No. 7 seed Penn State/Daemen, 1:30 p.m. ET
No. 1 seed Long Beach State vs. No. 8 seed Fort Valley State, 5:00 p.m. ET
No. 4 seed Loyola Chicago vs. No. 5 seed Pepperdine, 7:30 p.m. ET
Semifinals – Saturday, May 10
Semifinal #1, 5:00 p.m. ET
Semifinal #2, 8:00 p.m. ET
Finals – Monday, May 12
Championship Match, 7:00 p.m. ET
Tickets for the NCAA Tournament are now available for purchase.
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