Griffon volleyball will face regular season champion Nebraska-Kearney at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6 in Kearney, Nebraska in the first round of MIAA postseason tournament.
Last year, these two teams squared off in the title match of the MIAA Championship with UNK winning 3-1. This season, UNK took both regular-season matches from the Griffons, 3-0, including the match Nov. 2 in Kearney. Missouri Western ended the regular season tied for the eighth and final qualifying spot in the tournament with Pittsburg State, but kept its season alive due to the regular season win over the Gorillas.
Washburn (15-3, 17-3 MIAA) is the second-seed and host seventh-seeded Emporia State (14-17, 8-10 MIAA). The postseason edition of the Turnpike Tussle is set for Tuesday, November 6 at 7 p.m. in Topeka, Kansas. ESU knocked 17th-ranked Central Oklahoma in the final match of the regular season.
Through tiebreakers, the third-seed will be Central Oklahoma (26-6, 14-4 MIAA). UCO will host sixth-seeded Lindenwood on Tuesday, November 6 at 7 p.m. in Edmond, Oklahoma. LWU enters the postseason with three consecutive MIAA wins and earned the sixth spot through a tiebreaker.
Northwest Missouri (22-7, 14-4 MIAA) is the fourth-seed and hosts fifth-seeded Central Missouri (24-6, 14-4 MIAA) on Tuesday, November 6 at 7 p.m. in Maryville, Missouri. The Bearcats and Jennies split the season series 1-1 with each team winning on their home court.
Winners of Tuesday’s first-round matches will advance to the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 9. Semifinal and final rounds are hosted by the highest remaining seed, after the first round, with match times announced at a later date.