FORT COLLINS, CO – The NCAA D-I volleyball postseason palate will be brightened again by the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC), as tournament officials have released details on the 32 teams that will take part in the event, produced for the fifth year by Triple Crown Sports.
 
The bracket launches with eight host schools, with action set to begin on Thursday, Dec. 1. The championship match is slated for Dec. 11, 12 or 13 – all matches are held on campus locations. A total of seven automatic qualifiers won or had a share of their regular season conference championship, and 12 teams in the 32-team field won at least 20 matches this season.

NIVC 2022 BRACKET

Buffalo
The National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) announced their 2022 tournament field on Sunday evening. Of the teams selected, the University at Buffalo women's volleyball team (19-13, 10-8 MAC) will continue their season.
 
The Bulls are coming off a semifinal appearance at the MAC Tournament, the farthest the program has ever gone in the tournament. This will mark the first postseason tournament that Buffalo has qualified for as a Division I program.
 
Buffalo will travel to Boston, Mass. to face Boston College (19-13) on Friday, Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. Boston College will also host St. John's and Binghamton for their region.
 
Other MAC schools that made the tournament are Ohio, Central Michigan, and Toledo in the 32-team field.
 
"We're very excited for our team and program to be selected for the NIVC and get another chance this season to play together," stated Head Coach Scott Smith. "Over the past few years, it has proven to be a great tournament and it looks like a fantastic field to compete against in postseason play! We are looking forward towards representing Buffalo and the University at this next stage of competition."
 
The Bulls have had one of their best seasons to date as they racked up 19 overall victories, including 10 in MAC play. They also finished with Mandy Leigh earning First Team All-MAC honors, as Abby Leigh and Courtney Okwara earned Second Team All-MAC honors.

Central Michigan
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan volleyball team is set to open play in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship on Thursday at Ohio's Convocation Center.
 
The Chippewas (20-11) will take on Xavier (19-11) at 5 p.m. at the Bobcats' Convocation Center. Ohio (19-11) is scheduled to play Valparaiso (22-10) following CMU-Xavier game. The two winners are slated to meet in a second-round game on Friday, Dec. 2 (6 p.m.) on the same court.
 
The NIVC is a 32-team single-elimination tournament. The first- and second-round games are played at eight sites, featuring four teams at each, across the country. The eight winners advance to the third round, which is scheduled for Dec. 6-8.
 
The Chippewas and Bobcats are two of four Mid-American Conference teams in the NIVC field. Buffalo and Toledo are the others. CMU made its first and only other appearance in the NIVC in 2019, falling in the first round at South Dakota.

Ohio
ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio volleyball team (19-11) is set to compete in the 2022 National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) and will host rounds one and two of the championship Dec. 1-2 in Athens. The Bobcats will take on Valparaiso (22-10) in round one on Dec. 1. The match will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be streamed on ESPN3 or ESPN+.

The winner of the Ohio vs. Valparaiso match will take on the winner of the Central Michigan vs. Xaiver match on Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. ET in round two. Round two will take place on Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. ET inside the Convocation Center. The winner of round two will go on to compete in the semifinals Dec. 8-11 for a chance to compete in the championships Dec. 11-13.

The championship will feature 32 teams in a single elimination format and will take place Dec. 1-13. This is the fifth year the event has been produced by Triple Crown Sports and will mark the Bobcats first appearance.

Toledo
TOLEDO, Ohio – For the second season in a row, the Toledo women's volleyball team has accepted an invitation to play in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
 
The Rockets (18-12) will face Clemson (13-17) in the first round on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 4:00 p.m. in Lynchburg, Va. on the campus of Liberty University.
 
"Postseason play is always our goal and to achieve that two years in a row is amazing," said head coach Jason Oliver. "I am excited to see this group compete again this year. It will be special for everyone involved."
 
The winner of Saturday's match between Toledo and Clemson will face the winner of the match between host Liberty and Western Carolina on Sunday, Dec. 4. Third round action will commence on Dec. 6-8, with the semifinals and championship match taking place between Dec. 8-13. All NIVC matches are played at campus sites.
 
Toledo earned its second straight MAC Tournament berth this year after posting an 11-7 record in conference play, falling to Central Michigan in the first round.
 
Last year's appearance in the NIVC was Toledo's first-ever postseason berth. The Rockets advanced to the second round after defeating Indiana State before falling to eventual runner-up Valparaiso.
 
Clemson is making its first postseason appearance since a 2018 trip to the NIVC.