NAIA VOLLEYBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tyson Events Center | Sioux City, Iowa
1 p.m. PST Tuesday – No. 10 SOU vs. No. 24 Jamestown (N.D.) – Live Stats
2 p.m. PST Wednesday – No. 10 SOU vs. Saint Xavier (Ill.) – Live Stats
2 p.m. PST Thursday – No. 10 SOU vs. No. 7 Viterbo (Wis.) – Live Stats
WATCH LIVE (Pool-Play Pass: $25 / Tournament Pass: $40)

Seventeen days after conquering the Cascade Conference Tournament, the stakes will be raised for the Southern Oregon University volleyball team as it begins NAIA National Championship pool play Tuesday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Raiders are at the tournament with 31 other teams, which were split into four-team pools last week. Ranked 10th with a record of 26-3, they're the No. 2 seed in a group that also includes No. 7 Viterbo (Wis.) (29-6), No. 24 Jamestown (N.D.) (22-8) and unranked Saint Xavier (Ill.) (28-9).

SOU is guaranteed three matches: at 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time Tuesday against Jamestown, 2 p.m. Wednesday against Saint Xavier and 2 p.m. Thursday against Viterbo. The top two teams in each group will advance to a 16-team single elimination bracket; the first round and quarterfinals will be held Friday, and the semifinals and championship are set for Tuesday.

The Raiders have already matched their highest win total since 2004. They qualified for the tournament for the 10th time, clinching an automatic bid by winning the CCC regular-season title, and are at the final site for the ninth time, making their first appearance since 2015. They've made it out of pool play once previously – in 2011, when they were one of the last 12 teams standing and got eliminated by Embry-Riddle (Fla.) in the first round of bracket action. Overall, they have a combined 12-15 record in pool matches.

JAMESTOWN (22-8)
Location: Jamestown, North Dakota
Conference: Great Plains (10-6, 5th)
NAIA Championship Appearance: 6th (5-9)
About: The Jimmies got in the tournament with an at-large bid and had to win an Opening Round match on Nov. 17 to reach the final site, sweeping past Haskell (Kan.)… They're in pool play for the fourth time in five years and last year advanced for the first time to the elimination bracket, where they were swept in the first round by Viterbo… They feature the GPAC Libero of the Year, senior Julina Niemeier, who averages six digs per set, and also post the ninth-most blocks per set (2.5) in the NAIA… Britta Knudson, a 6-foot right-side/middle, ranks fourth nationally in blocks (1.3) and 27th in attacking average (.328). She was selected to the All-GPAC second team along with 6-footer Kennedy Conzemius, who leads the team at 2.3 kills per set… The GPAC features four other final-site teams, all of which are top-two seeds… The Raiders and Jimmies have never previously matched up.

SAINT XAVIER (28-9)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Conference: Chicagoland Collegiate (17-1, 1st)
NAIA Championship Appearance: 5th (3-8)
About: The Cougars are in pool play for the third time. Last year, they got here for the first time since 2000 and went 1-2… They swept Indiana University Kokomo in the Opening Round, giving them a nine-match winning streak that stayed alive through their CCAC Tournament championship run… Their attack is directed by the CCAC Freshman of the Year, Cassidy Wyman. She led the Cougars to a .212 attack with 9.4 assists and also ranks 13th nationally in service aces (61)… Wyman will distribute to three other All-CCAC performers: seniors Helena Atton (2.3 kills/set, .350 average), Kate Bontrager (3.4, .194) and Alex Lambros (2.2, .325)…. The meeting between SOU and Saint Xavier will be the first.

VITERBO (29-6)
Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin
Conference: North Star (13-1, 1st)
NAIA Championship Appearance: 6th (21-6)
About: The V-Hawks have been a staple of the elimination bracket in recent history and are 14-1 overall in pool-play matches. They advanced to the quarterfinals in 2012, and the semifinals in 20015, 2016 and '17. Last year, they were stopped short of the title match by Dordt (Iowa)… After taking a loss at Dakota State (S.D.) in their regular-season finale, they swept through the North Star Tournament against Valley City State (N.D.) and DSU. Twenty of their wins have been in straight sets… The centerpiece of their team is 6-4 sophomore middle Lydia Xu, who was named the North Star Player of the Year with averages of 3.1 kills on .431 attacking and one block per set. She raised the team's average to .231 and helped hold opponents to a .139 clip… Audrey Aspen, a 6-3 middle/right-side, adds 3.0 kills on a .340 average and 6-2 middle/right-side Miah Garant adds 2.7 kills on a .223 average. As a team, they rank fifth nationally in kills per set (13.9) and 16th in blocks (2.3)… The Raiders and V-Hawks have met once – in the 2012 preseason, when Viterbo visited Ashland and went home with a sweep.