[Men's Volleyball] NAIA Men's Volleyball Championship to Remain at Grand View through 2021

Provided by the NAIA

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced that the men's volleyball championship will remain in Iowa through the 2021 season. The Charles S. Johnson Wellness Center will play host to the 2020 and 2021 NAIA National Championships on the campus of Grand View University.

"Grand View and its staff created a great environment for men's volleyball in 2018 and raised the bar for the newest NAIA championship," said Jim Carr, NAIA president and CEO. "We look forward to extending this partnership through the second and third men's volleyball championship events."

Grand View was the recipient of the 2017-18 Best New NAIA Championship Host Excellence Award for their commitment to providing a top-notch student-athlete experience and dedication to creating a fun and exciting atmosphere around men's volleyball.

"Building off the momentum of hosting last year's National Invitational we are honored to host the inaugural NAIA Men's Volleyball National Tournament this spring and look forward to keeping the excitement in Des Moines in 2020 and 2021," said Troy Plummer, Director of Athletics at Grand View. "Hosting this event on campus offers our Des Moines community the opportunity to attend another local national championship and be part of this unique experience. Grand View is proud to partner with Catch Des Moines to continue to host this event for two additional years."

During the 2018 NAIA National Convention, the National Administrative Council (NAC) granted championship status to men's volleyball. In order to gain national championship status, a sport must be sponsored by a minimum of 40 varsity institutions, have completed at least two national invitational competitions and get approved by the NAC. There are currently 43 NAIA institutions that sponsor a varsity men's volleyball program, with more rapid growth anticipated for the foreseeable future.

 "Men's volleyball has not been a very visible sport in Iowa, but the media coverage of the 2018 invitational was phenomenal and the community support far exceeded our expectations," said Kent Henning, Grand View president. "Des Moines has fallen in love with the sport."

Grand View will be the host for the first men's volleyball championship in 2019 and was the final invitational host in 2018.

The format of the NAIA Men's Volleyball National Championship consists of eight qualifying teams that will compete in pool play. The top two teams from each pool advance to the semifinals where the winners of the semifinals advance to the championship match.