Loyola to meet Wisconsin in the NCAA Volleyball Championship

Nov. 28, 2005

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Loyola University Chicago (13-17) will face No. 11-seed University of Wisconsin (23-6) in the opening round of the 2005 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2 at the UW Field House in Madison, Wis., the NCAA announced Sunday (Nov. 27).

The match-up marks the second consecutive season that the two teams have met in the tournament's opening round. The Badgers defeated Loyola in three games last year, 30-27, 30-26, 30-25.

Loyola represents the Horizon League as an automatic qualifier to the tournament by virtue of the Ramblers' five-game victory over Wright State in the Horizon League Championship on Nov. 20. Wisconsin enters the tournament as an at-large berth, finishing second to Penn State University in the Big Ten standings this season.

The winner of the Loyola/Wisconsin match-up will face either Valparaiso (27-7) or California (18-10) in the second round of the tournament on Dec. 3. Valparaiso enters the tournament as the Mid-Continent Conference champions, while California is one of six Pac-10 teams in the field of 64. The Crusaders defeated Loyola in three games on Oct. 25 at Alumni Gym, while the Ramblers have never faced the Golden Bears.

The Ramblers are making their fifth overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the fourth in the last seven seasons. Last season, Loyola defeated Cleveland State, 3-2, in the championship match of the Horizon League tournament to reach the postseason. The other NCAA Tournament appearances came in 2000, 1999 and 1995.