ST. PAUL, Minn. - Concordia University, St. Paul athletics director Tom Rubbelke is please to announce that the NSIC volleyball match between the Concordia Golden Bears and Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs will air live on Fox Sports Net North. The match is set for Tuesday, November 4th at 7:00 pm at the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul. The league rivalry match will reach volleyball fans in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, northern Iowa and western Wisconsin, totaling over two million potential viewers.
"We are thrilled to have this opportunity to showcase some of the nation's most elite volleyball to a broad audience," said Rubbelke. "Last year's National Championship increased the visibility of our established and highly talented conference. The rivalry between Concordia and (Minnesota) Duluth has intensified through playoffs in previous years and is revived as the teams are now in the same league again."
Concordia University is the reigning NCAA Division II National Champion and is currently ranked #1 in the national poll. After dropping their first match of the season, the Golden Bears have won 23 consecutive matches and are 23-1 on the year and a perfect 12-0 in NSIC play. They have lost only two sets in league matches this year.
Minnesota Duluth is ranked #18 in the nation and is 18-6 overall and 9-3 in the NSIC. The Bulldogs have won three of the past five meetings with the Golden Bears, but Concordia knocked UMD out of postseason play on their home turf last season in the Regional Championship and also swept the Bulldogs 3-0 in their first NSIC meeting this year.
The two programs have each built a rich history of volleyball dominance in the past five years as the rivalry has grown. Both programs have reached the NCAA tournament each of the past five seasons, and the teams have met in the Regional Championship game the past four years, splitting wins and Elite Eight berths every other year.
This marks the first time that the NSIC has broadcast a live volleyball match after airing multiple NSIC Tournament Championships on a tape-delayed basis. The NSIC aired a live football game the last two seasons, including the Winona State at Minnesota State game played on Sept. 27, 2008. An NSIC men's basketball game was also aired live last season.
