The City of Sioux City is proud to announce that the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena and the Long Lines Family Recreation Center have been selected by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as the host for the 2008 and 2009 NAIA National Volleyball Championship(s).

The NAIA National Volleyball Championship will be a 24 team event, with nearly 400 participants, held December 2-6 in 2008 and December 1-5 in 2009. The 24 teams in Sioux City will be selected from the final NAIA rankings and 12 first-round matches that will be played at campus sites across the country.

The 2006 and 2007 NAIA National Volleyball Championship were held in Columbia, Missouri. The NAIA Volleyball Championship has also been held in San Diego, California; West Palm Beach, Florida; Kankakee, Illinois; and Fresno, California, over the last ten years.

The NAIA National Volleyball Championship will be a pool play tournament to a quarterfinal bracket single elimination event featuring the top NAIA programs in the country. Fresno Pacific from California is the defending NAIA National Champion, National American from Rapid City, South Dakota, claimed the 2006 title.

“We are excited to host another NAIA National Championship in Sioux City,” said Corey Westra,Sioux City Sports Authority President and Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Commissioner. “We are proud the NAIA has given us this opportunity and know we will do our very best to host the student-athletes of the NAIA”. “This event will be very similar to the NAIA Division II National Basketball Championship and we can not say enough for how well that event has been embraced by the people of this community (and beyond),” added Westra.

“The NAIA Volleyball Championship is going to be an exciting event for the fans of the area and we optimistic that we can fill our venues with people and provide a championship environment for the players,” said Spero Vlahoulis, Sioux City Convention Center Project Manager.

"Sioux City is proud to be home to another NAIA Championship," said Denny Gann, Events Facilities Department Executive Director. "This is very important as we look to grow sporting events here in Sioux City through our Sports Authority," added Gann. "Sioux City has always had a special place for the NAIA and we look forward to hosting this event in December along with the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship for the 11^th time and NAIA Wrestling Championship for a fourth time this March."

The Sioux City Sports Authority along with the Sioux City Events Facilities Advisory Board (EFAB) submitted the bid to the NAIA based out of Kansas City, Missouri. Representatives from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), Briar Cliff University and Morningside College also assisted in the bidding process. The NAIA Volleyball Championship was awarded to Sioux City after a successful site visit on Thursday, January 3.

Sioux City currently hosts the NAIA Women’s Division II National Basketball Championship (the event is under contract through 2009) and will host the NAIA Wrestling National Championships for a fourth and final time this March. Sioux City has hosted the basketball tournament since 1998 and the wrestling tournament since 2005. The City has also hosted the NAIA Baseball World Series and Women’s Golf Championships.

For more information, including sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, please contact Corey Westra at 712.226.4722 –or- Spero Vlahoulis at 712.279.4805.