SAN ANTONIO – (Broadcast Links – Live Stats) - Twenty-four teams will participate in the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship Opening Round on Saturday. Matches will occur at 12 campus locations, including at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU), and the winners will advance to the final site, which takes place Nov. 28 – Dec. 2, in Sioux City, Iowa, along with the 20 teams who received an opening round bye.
This year's championship field includes 33 automatic qualifiers, 10 at-large selections and one host berth. Automatic berths were given to teams that either won their respective conference tournament title, regular-season championship or finished runner-up at the conference tournament. The at-large bids were determined by the final Coaches' Top 25 Poll on Nov. 13.
OLLU hosts Oklahoma City on Nov. 18. This afternoon, as part of the Champions of Character inititiave, both teams spent time with the Sisters of Divine Providence, the founders of Our Lady of the Lake University. The Stars and Saints had lunch with the sisters at their convent adjacent to the main campus of OLLU. Champions of Character recipients Mariza Cardenas from OLLU and Stephani Nell from OCU talked about what it means to be a Champions of Character Female Student-Athlete on and off the field.
After the talks, both teams served the Sisters, and two members of each team sat with the Sisters to enjoy fellowship. At the conclusion of the luncheon, the Sisters offered up a blessing for both teams, coaches and staff.