A History of the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Tournament

The NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Tournament is the annual culmination of the season, hosted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to determine the national champions in women's collegiate volleyball among its Division II member institutions in the United States and Canada. This article delves into the history, format, and notable teams that have shaped this championship.

The Genesis of NCAA Women's Volleyball

From 1970 through 1980, before the NCAA governed women's collegiate athletics, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) solely conducted the women's collegiate volleyball championships. Volleyball was among twelve women's sports incorporated into the NCAA championship program for the 1981-82 academic year. This incorporation occurred as the NCAA and AIAW vied for the exclusive governance of women's collegiate sports. Separate tournaments are conducted within the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship for Division I, Division II, and Division III institutions. This divisional separation contrasts with NCAA men's volleyball, where a unified championship existed until the 2011-12 school year due to the smaller number of NCAA member schools sponsoring men's volleyball programs. It wasn't until the 2011-12 school year that men's collegiate volleyball adopted an official divisional structure. In the sport of beach volleyball, the NCAA conducts a women-only, all-divisions championship.

AIAW Champions (1975-1981)

Prior to the formation of NCAA Division II, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) recognized seven champions, the last being Hawaii-Hilo in 1981.

Tournament Format and Selection Process

The NCAA DII women's volleyball championship is a 64-team tournament. Twenty-three teams automatically qualify by winning their respective conferences. The remaining 41 teams are selected at-large by a selection committee. The selection process begins three weeks before the end of the season, with the release of regional rankings. These NCAA polls divide the conferences into eight regions, ranking the top 10 teams per region. These rankings evolve over the final weeks of the season, providing insight into the potential top eight teams from each region.

The 64-team bracket follows a single-elimination format, similar to March Madness. The eight regions conduct regional tournaments, with the winner from each advancing to the final site for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship match. Seeding at the final site, from No. 1 through 8, began in 2016 with the highest-seeded teams "hosting" the lowest-seeded teams. From 2016 to 2021, the No. 1 seed won every year under the new format until 2025.

Dominant Programs and Memorable Moments

Several programs have distinguished themselves in the history of the DII Women's Volleyball Championship.

Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears

Concordia-St. Paul is doing its best to make the DII volleyball record books all its own. Since 2007, the Golden Bears have won nine titles, the most in the 38-year history of the DII volleyball championship.

The Brady Starkey era has been one of the most dominant in all of DII volleyball's history. Starkey took over in 2003 and led the Golden Bears right to the championship match. They fell that season to North Alabama, but by 2007, the Golden Bears were championship-bound on an annual basis.

Tampa Spartans

The Spartans are the latest to move up the all-time list. If there is a DII fall festival, you can pencil in Tampa to make the finals. Tampa's first three titles have come at fall festivals, and the Spartans even finished as national runners-up at the 2010 festival.

Portland State Vikings

Portland State joined Division I officially in 1996, but not before the Vikings left their mark on the DII scene. In 1983, Portland State lost the national championship to Cal State Northridge by a score of 3-2. The Vikings would avenge that loss, becoming the first repeat champions in DII volleyball history.

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West Texas A&M Lady Buffs

It had been a while, with the Buffs having not won a title since last millennium, but their 3-1 victory over the Golden Bears bump them up into an elite club of four-time champions. The Lady Buffs were the second team in DII volleyball history to repeat, claiming the title in 1990 and again in '91. They have since become a familiar tournament face, racking up 27 appearances over the years, becoming one of the many to fall to the Golden Bears in their return to the 2009 title match.

Cal State Northridge Matadors

Five teams have won two championships. Cal State Northridge is one of those five teams, and perhaps the most perplexing. The Matadors went to every national championship match from 1982 to 1988 but were only able to walk away victorious in 1983 and '87.

Northern Michigan Wildcats

Northern Michigan has two titles as well and those trophies came in repeat fashion, winning in 1993 and '94.

MSU Denver Roadrunners

The 2025 season concluded with MSU Denver winning its first national championship in program history. The Roadrunners took down Concordia-St. Paul 3-1.

Undefeated Seasons

Achieving an undefeated season is a rare feat in college volleyball. Hawaii Pacific (2000) and Concordia St. are among the teams that have accomplished this remarkable achievement.

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