Pairings set for Horizon League Volleyball Championship

Nov. 15, 2008

2008 Horizon League Volleyball Championship Bracket in PDF Format

INDIANAPOLIS -- The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has claimed the top seed in the 2008 Horizon League Volleyball Championship for a sixth consecutive season. The winner of the league's nine-team tournament earns an automatic berth into the 64-team NCAA Volleyball Championship.

Milwaukee (20-8 overall, 13-3 Horizon League) has won at least 20 matches in 11 of the past 12 years. The Panthers have posted a 79-10 (.888) conference record since 2003, but own just one tournament title during the six-year stretch.

Valparaiso University (23-6, 12-4), which has reached the 20-win mark for a seventh straight campaign, earns the tournament's No. 2 seed. The Crusaders, who are one of just 19 Division I teams to have at least 20 victories each year from 2002-07, have won 12 consecutive matches and 16 of their last 17.

Wright State University (15-15, 10-6), which has improved its league record in each of the past four seasons, earns the tournament's No. 3 seed. The Raiders have won nine of their last 12 matches.

The tournament's middle three seeds are No. 4 Loyola University Chicago (19-10, 8-8), No. 5 Butler University (18-10, 8-8) and No. 6 Cleveland State University (8-18, 7-9), while No. 7 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (9-17, 5-11), No. 8 University of Illinois at Chicago (13-17, 5-11) and No. 9 Youngstown State University (11-16, 4-12) round out the field.

The eight-match Horizon League Volleyball Championship will be played at Woodling Gymnasium on the campus of Cleveland State. The four-day event includes a first-round tilt on Thursday, four quarterfinal contests on Friday, two semifinal showdowns on Saturday and the championship affair on Sunday.

UIC and Youngstown State face off Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. Friday's schedule features Thursday's winner against Milwaukee (11:30 a.m.), Loyola vs. Butler (2 p.m.), Valparaiso against Green Bay (5 p.m.) and Wright State vs. Cleveland State (7:30 p.m.).

Saturday's semifinals are slated for 12:30 and 3 p.m., while Sunday's championship is set for Noon.

Cleveland State is the defending Horizon League Tournament champion. The Vikings defeated Valparaiso in the 2007 finale at the Klotsche Center in Milwaukee, Wis.

Horizon League Championship seeds (with league record in parenthesis)
No. 1 -- Milwaukee (13-3)
No. 2 -- Valparaiso (12-4)
No. 3 -- Wright State (10-6)
No. 4 -- Loyola (8-8)
No. 5 -- Butler (8-8)
No. 6 -- Cleveland State (7-9)
No. 7 -- Green Bay (5-11)
No. 8 -- UIC (5-11)
No. 9 -- Youngstown State (4-12)