2019 NCAA Volleyball Championship Bracket | 2019 NIVC Bracket
HEADING TO THE POSTSEASON
For the second straight season, UCF and Cincinnati earned bids as American Athletic Conference representatives into the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship. The Knights and the Bearcats were selected to compete in the 2019 NCAA volleyball tournament with the bracket announcement by the NCAA selection committee on Sunday. Three teams from The American Athletic Conference were selected for the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) following the unveiling of the NCAA Volleyball Championship bracket. Tulane, Houston and Tulsa are set to represent The American in the third edition of the NIVC.
UCF WINS INAUGURAL AMERICAN TOURNEY
In the match of the year in the American Athletic Conference, home court held sway on Nov. 24. Despite being the designated visiting team as the tournament’s third seed, UCF rode the momentum of its home fans and stormed to a five-set victory over No. 1 seed Cincinnati to claim the inaugural American Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship tournament title at The Venue in Orlando.
THOMPSON HEADLINES AWARD WINNERS
Cincinnati’s Jordan Thompson earned unanimous American Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors for the third time in her career when the 2019 season awards were announced on Nov. 20. Other major award winners included Tulsa’s Taylor Horsfall as Libero of the Year, SMU’s Lily Heim as Setter of the Year, Tulsa’s Dilara Gedikoglu as Freshman of the Year and Houston’s first-year head coach David Rehr as Coach of the Year.
WHERE THE AMERICAN SITS IN THE NATIONAL RANKS
In the 12th full release of NCAA Division I statistics for the 2019 season on Nov. 30, Houston was slotted second in total team attacks; Cincinnati ranked first in kills per set and assists per set, fifth in hitting percentage and ninth in team kills; SMU ranked sixth in digs per set; Tulsa ranked seventh in team attacks per set; UCF ranked second in total team blocks and third in blocks per set; and Tulane was eighth in total blocks. Individually Cincinnati’s Jordan Thompson was first in points, points per set, kills per set, total kills and attacks per set, ranking second in total attacks. Tulsa’s Taylor Horsfall ranked third in total digs, while Houston’s Katie Karbo was fifth in that same statistical category. Cincinnati’s Armania Heckenmueller ranked first and SMU’s Lily Heim eighth in assists per set, while Houston’s Rachel Tullos was second and Tulane’s Kayla Dinkins fourth in total blocks.