EVANSVILLE, Ind. – When Fernando Morales was named the permanent head coach of the University of Evansville volleyball team in 2019, he established goals for the program that ranged from short term to long term. On Sunday evening, one of those goals was accomplished when the Purple Aces received a bid to participate in the Women's National Invitational Volleyball Championship.
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This season marks the fourth NIVC since its reboot in 2017 (the tournament was not played in 2020 due to COVID-19). Previously played from 1989 through 1995, the tournament has provided postseason opportunities for multiple programs at all levels. Tournament champions since 2017 include Georgia Tech, Iowa State and Ole Miss.
For a program that is on the rise in the fashion that Evansville has been, this is an opportunity to provide an experience that may lead to even bigger success in the future. With over 87% of the roster set to return in the fall of 2022, the NIVC will allow UE to play in a true postseason atmosphere.
Set for its first postseason trip since joining the Missouri Valley Conference, the Aces are working to raise funds to cover travel and operational expenses that come with the tournament experience. The primary goal of the program is to give student-athletes the best experience possible while providing them with the opportunity to maximize what they do on and off the floor.
The experience gained from participating in the NIVC checks those boxes. Tying for the most wins that the program has enjoyed in the last 33 years while gaining unprecedented postseason conference recognition has warranted this opportunity for our student-athletes. To support that cause and the future of the program, please click on the link above.
Evansville is one of just 31 teams to earn a bid to the tournament and will open the event on Thursday evening with a trip to Chicago to take on Sam Houston State.
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