IRVING, Texas – The field is set for the 2020 American Athletic Conference Women’s Volleyball Championship, which will take place on April 2-3 at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. UCF and Temple will represent the American’s East Division while Houston and Tulane are set to compete from the American’s West Division in the single-elimination tournament.
The first tournament semifinal between East No. 1 UCF and West No. 2 Tulane is scheduled for April 2 at 2 p.m. (ET)/1 p.m. (CT). That match will be followed by West No. 1 Houston against East No. 2 Temple on April 2 at approximately 5 p.m. (ET). The championship match is set for 3 p.m. (ET) on April 3. Lincoln Rose and Adam Johnson will have the call throughout the tournament on ESPN+.
No. 1 Seed (East) UCF (14-1, 8-0 American) is the tournament’s defending champion after securing the league’s automatic NCAA Championship bid in a five-set thriller against Cincinnati in the inaugural American Volleyball Championship in November of 2019. The Knights entered the final day of the regular season with the only unbeaten record in American play at a perfect 7-0. UCF hosted Tulane in a nonconference crossover series on Feb. 5-6 in Orlando, Florida, and picked up a pair of 3-1 victories.
No. 2 Seed (West) Tulane (10-9, 7-3 American) returned to the American Volleyball Championship for the second straight season as the second entrant from the West Division following a series sweep at Tulsa to close the regular season. The Green Wave, who reached the semifinals of last season’s six-team tournament as the fifth seed, won five of the final six matches it competed in during the regular season on the way into the postseason.
No. 1 Seed (West) Houston (13-5, 9-1 American) won its first eight matches in conference play to clinch the top seed in the West Division and return to the American Volleyball Championship. The Cougars went five sets in conference play just twice after going the distance in 10 total American contests in 2019, with Houston winning both five-set matches in American play this season. Houston swept Temple in both meetings during the 2019 season, winning in five sets against the Owls on Oct. 4 and Oct. 6.
No. 2 Seed (East) Temple (10-5, 4-4 American) earned the fourth and final spot into the American Championship to mark its first berth into the tournament thanks to a weekend sweep of Cincinnati to close the regular season. The Owls claimed the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bearcats at 4-4 in conference play. Temple capped the regular season with wins in four of its last five starts overall headed into its April 2 semifinal match with Houston.
2020 American Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball Championship
April 2-3, 2021
Fifth Third Arena
Cincinnati, Ohio
Semifinals - Friday, April 2
No. 2 Tulane (West) vs. No. 1 UCF (East) – 2 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
No. 2 Temple (East) vs. No. 1 Houston (West) – 5 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Final - Saturday, April 3
Semifinal winners – 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT (ESPN+)