INDIANAPOLIS, IN (November 14, 2022) - The 2022 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Volleyball Champions Elizabeth City State has been selected as the eighth seed in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament Sunday evening. The Vikings (26-8 overall) will face off against No. 1 seeded Gannon University in the first round of the super region playoffs. 

The first-round matchup between the Vikings and Golden Knights will commence on Friday, November 18 at 5 p.m. The Division II Atlantic Region Tournament will be hosted by Gannon after the Golden Knights finished with a 26-5 overall record and won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship.

Led by CIAA Coach of the Year David Brooks, Elizabeth City State earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament after defeating Shaw University in the CIAA Championship game on November 12. The Vikings won their first conference championship and are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008.

The winner of the Friday match will advance to the semifinal round on Saturday, November 19, and will play the winner of the fourth and fifth seed match, which features Charleston (WV) and Fairmont State.

The full 64-team field for the NCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament can be seen at NCAA.com. 


About the CIAA

Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. In 2020, the conference celebrated the special 75th anniversary of its Championship Basketball Tournament - an event that has become a must-see in the African American community. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member-institutions: Bowie State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine's University, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University. Chowan University is an associate member in football. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

About the NCAA Division II

The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes have the opportunity to earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA's three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.

About NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship

The NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Committee selects 64 teams that will participate in the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship. Eight teams are selected from each of the following eight regions: Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, Southeast, South Central, and West. Eight eight-team regionals will be played at on-campus sites. Regional competition will be single-elimination, best three-of-five-set matches and will not include a third-place match. The winners of each of the eight regionals will advance to the finals, Dec. 1-3, at the Royal Brougham Pavilion in Seattle, Washington. Competition at the finals site will be single-elimination; best three-of-five-set matches. This year's championship will be part of the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival in Seattle, hosted by Seattle Pacific University and the Seattle Sports Commission.