BROOKLYN, N.Y. --- The LIU Brooklyn volleyball team will continue its 2017 campaign with a matchup against No. 8 seeded Washington in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship, the NCAA announced Sunday evening during its pre-tournament Selection Show on ESPNU. LIU and Washington will face off on Friday, December 1 at 10:30 ET at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.
The Northeast Conference champion Blackbirds (20-9) secured their second straight trip to the national tournament with their five-set victory over Central Connecticut State in the NEC Tournament Championship on November 18. LIU's NCAA appearance is also the program's fifth in six years and 11th overall since winning its first league title in 2004.
"We're super excited about making the NCAA Tournament for the second time in two years. I'm more excited for the team because of how hard they have worked to get to this point. I'm looking forward to seeing them compete on a national stage," head coach
Ken Ko said after the announcement.
Washington enters the NCAA Tournament after posting a 24-7 overall record and finishing tied for second in the Pac-12 with a 14-6 league record. The Huskies are one of the Pac-12's conferences-leading nine selections and the second-highest seeded Pac-12 team in the field behind defending champion and No. 3 Stanford. Washington has won one national championship, defeating Nebraska in straight sets back in 2005.
Ko lauded LIU's opening round opponent, saying, "Washington has a great tradition of volleyball. Coach Keegan [Cook] has done a great job taking over for coach [Jim] McLaughlin. Seattle is a great city and we're looking forward to an exciting first round."
The meeting between the Blackbirds and the Huskies will be the first-ever between the two schools. LIU will be facing a Pac-12 school for the fourth time in their 11 NCAA Tournament trips, having battled against UCLA twice (2012, 2014) and Stanford once (2009).
Joining LIU as visitors to Washington's campus site will be Illinois (21-10) of the Big Ten Conference and Hawaii (20-7) of the Big West Conference. The Fighting Illini and Rainbow Wahine will precede the LIU-UW match at 8 p.m. ET on Friday. The winners will meet on Saturday, December 2 at 10 p.m. ET.