WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL : NCAA Tournament Gets Under Way Today

Top-ranked UCLA begins its postseason drive for an unprecedented third consecutive national championship as the first round of the NCAA Division I women’s volleyball tournament starts today.

In the West Region, UCLA (29-0) plays host to Ball State (22-9) on Friday in the John Wooden Center, and USC (20-8) plays host to Cal State Northridge (27-7) on Saturday in the Lyon Center.

In the Northwest Region, UC Santa Barbara (22-7) plays host to Idaho (24-6) tonight, and third-ranked Cal State Long Beach (27-2) plays host to Arkansas State (41-5) on Friday.

All matches begin at 7:30 p.m.

UCLA, Pacific 10 Conference champion, has won 39 consecutive matches. If UCLA remains unbeaten, it will become the second team in women’s volleyball history to have an undefeated season.

Ball State, Mid-American Conference champion, makes its first appearance in an NCAA tournament. This season, the Cardinals have lost to four teams in the NCAA tournament.

USC won its first six home matches, one a four-game victory over Cal State Northridge, but lost four of its final seven. Northridge is making its first appearance in an NCAA tournament. Cal State Long Beach, Big West Conference champion, lost only its first and last matches this season, to third-ranked Stanford and UCLA, respectively.

Angela Lightfoot, who transferred to Arkansas State from Cal State Fullerton last season, has led the Sun Belt Conference champion to its first appearance in an NCAA tournament.