CLEVELAND, Ohio – After capturing the 2016 Horizon League Tournament title last weekend, the Cleveland State volleyball team learned who it will play in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday evening, as the Vikings are set to face the Arizona Wildcats in a first round contest in East Lansing, Michigan at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 2.
The field for the 2016 NCAA Volleyball Championship was announced Sunday evening on ESPNU.
This will be the first meeting between Cleveland State and Arizona.
This will be Cleveland State's fourth appearance in the NCAA Championship, and the second straight trip for the Vikings. All four of Cleveland State's NCAA Championship appearances (2007, 2012, 2015, 2016) have come under current head coach Chuck Voss.
This marks just the third time over the last 10 seasons that a Horizon League team will be playing in a neutral site match during the first round of the NCAA Tournament, with Milwaukee playing in a neutral site match during the 2009 season and Cleveland State facing Albany in a neutral site match during the 2007 season.
The Vikings enter the First Round of the NCAA Championship with a 25-5 record, as they notched the seventh 20-win season under Voss earlier this year. For the third time in program history, and the second straight year, Cleveland State won both the Horizon League Regular Season and Tournament titles, becoming the first Horizon League team since the 2008 & 2009 seasons to win back-to-back tournament crowns.
Arizona enters the NCAA Tournament with an 18-14 overall record, and earned its fourth consecutive at-large selection into the 64-team field. The Wildcats finished Pac-12 play with a 10-10 record, and have won just two of their last six matches.