The NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship

There’s nothing quite like seeing collegiate competition in a sold-out major league sporting arena. The 2008 semifinals match drew some 17,000 spectators alone – quite a crowd.

With roots dating back to the early seventies, the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament has been officially held since 1982, when the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), having grown rapidly in membership and influence, ceded most of their member schools to the NCAA, which became the governing body for women’s collegiate sports.

Dominance in college volleyball is not uncommon, which leads to both dynasties and significant upsets. Penn State has had quite a run in recent years, and teams from California seem to do rather well, due in no small part to the state’s beach volleyball culture. 

Programs that do well in the regular season tend to reach tournament time with a bit of confidence, which can be both an asset and a detriment. But recent history says that the number one seed has won the tournament three of the last four years, (2006 – 2009).