The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced that the 2016 and 2017 NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship will continue to be hosted in Sioux City, Iowa.
The City of Sioux City will serve as hosts at the Tyson Events Center on Nov. 29 – Dec. 3, 2016 and Nov. 28 – Dec. 2, 2017.
The 2017 event will mark the 10th year that Sioux City will host the NAIA Volleyball National Championship. Since 2008, five different programs have been crowned national champion, most recently with Columbia (Mo.) winning it all last December.
Attendance in Sioux City has been outstanding, which included a high of 30,500 fans during the 2011 championship. Overall, the average fan attendance has been over 22,000 each year.
“The entire community has really rallied around this tournament, and in the eight years since the NAIA Volleyball National Championship first started in Sioux City, the passion for it has grown exponentially,” said Erika Newton, Events & Facilities Executive Director, City of Sioux City. “We see business owners, volleyball fans, and local citizens all sponsoring the tournament, buying tickets to the games, volunteering their time, and providing a welcoming atmosphere for the fans and athletes who visit Sioux City each year. It’s become an annual tradition.”
In 2016, the national championship will see a significant format change as 32 teams (increase from 24 teams) compete in pool play during the first three days of action. There will be eight pools of four teams each looking to advance to single-elimination play. The national championship match is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT on Dec. 3.
