Tampa Volleyball Receives Bid to 2021 NCAA Tournament
INDIANAPOLIS - The University of Tampa volleyball team has been selected to the 2021 NCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament, receiving the No. 2 seed in the South Region. The University of West Florida has received the top seed and will host the eight-team regional.
The tournament will begin on Thursday, December 2, with the regional semifinals on Friday, December 3, and the regional championship on Saturday, December 4. Tampa will face No. 7 seed Palm Beach Atlantic University in the first round.
The University of Tampa is no stranger to the NCAA tournament, capturing three national championships and being selected to a total of 36 tournaments. Winning the national title in 2006, 2014 and 2018, UT has been selected to 25 consecutive regionals.
The Spartans enter the postseason with an overall record of 28-2 as the Sunshine State Conference champions sport a 19-1 league record. Ranked No. 9 in the recent AVCA Coaches Poll, UT is one of the nation's hottest teams, winning 15 consecutive matches.
Head coach Chris Catanach has been at the helm for 38 seasons, and stands as the winningest coach in the tournament with a career record of 1,139-213. Additionally, Catanach is 54-17 all-time in the NCAA South Regional and 3-0 against the Sailfish in the postseason.
UT will serve as the host of the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championships, which will include the eight regional champions. The dates of the championships are December 9-11 at the Bob Martinez Athletics Center. Please visit DIIVolleyball.com for the complete tournament page, and to purchase tickets.
The 2020 tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, 2019 champion Cal State San Bernardino will be the defending champion looking for a repeat title.
Please visit TampaSpartans.com and follow @TampaSpartans for complete information on the 2021 NCAA Volleyball Tournament.