For the first time in program history, the Valpo volleyball team will host postseason tournament action, as it was announced Sunday evening that Valpo has earned a bid to the 2021 National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) and will be a host for the first two rounds of tournament play. The Beacons will welcome Toledo, Indiana State and Butler to the ARC and will face Butler in the first round on Thursday night, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.

Toledo and Indiana State will face off in the initial first-round matchup on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. The winners of the two first-round matches will meet on Friday evening, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. with a berth in the tournament quarterfinals on the line.

This marks Valpo’s eighth postseason appearance all-time and first since advancing to the quarterfinals of the 2018 NIVC. The 1994, 1995 and 1996 Valpo squads appeared in the NCAA Tournament play-in match, while the 2003, 2004 and 2005 teams all earned spots in the NCAA Tournament.

The 2021 Valpo squad enters the 32-team NIVC with a 22-9 overall record and posted a 12-6 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play, tying for third place in the regular season — the program’s best finish since joining the Valley. Valpo came in at 65 in Sunday’s release of the latest NCAA volleyball RPI.

Butler ended the regular season with a 16-15 overall record and went 10-8 in Big East play, good for a fifth-place finish in the conference standings. The Bulldogs and the Beacons shared two mutual opponents – Valpo earned a 3-2 win over Milwaukee while Butler fell 3-0 to the Panthers, and both squads beat Youngstown State: Valpo in three sets, Butler in four. Butler’s RPI currently sits at 161.

Toledo comes into postseason competition with a 19-12 record and a 10-8 mark in the MAC, tying for third in the West division. The Rockets’ RPI entering the tournament is 150. Indiana State owns an 18-12 overall mark and went 9-9 in MVC play to tie for fifth place. The Sycamores’ RPI sits at 126.

Tickets for the two days of action at the ARC will go on sale Monday at noon, and will be available online at ValpoAthletics.com/tickets, over the phone at 219-464-5233 or in person at the Valpo Ticket Office inside the main entrance of the ARC.