The Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association championship match between Ball State University and No. 10 Ohio State University is not the only conference title match tonight.
No. 6 Penn State University and Juniata College will play in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association championship match at 7 p.m. in Pennslyvania, and No. 2 Pepperdine University will play No. 4 University of Southern California in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship match at 10 p.m. in California.
The winners of these matches tonight will receive the three automatic bids to the NCAA Final Four on Thursday in Provo, Utah. The other team to make the NCAA Tournament will receive the one at-large bid.
Below is a look at the EIVA and MPSF championship matches, and Ball State coach Joel Walton's thoughts on the two matches.
EIVA championship matchNo. 6 Penn State vs. JuniataA Division III team will play the defending NCAA champions for a chance to make the NCAA Tournament.
Returning a majority of starters from last season's championship team, Penn State swept George Mason University in the semifinals Thursday and is now one win away from securing its 12th consecutive EIVA title.
Finishing the regular season undefeated in conference play, Penn State had all seven of its starters make an all-conference team. In addition, EIVA Player of the Year and 2008 All-American middle attacker Max Holt leads the nation in attack percentage and aces per game.
Juniata reached the championship match with a four-game vicotry against St. Francis University in the semifinals Thursday.
This is the first time Juniata's program history it will play in the EIVA championship match.
It will also be a chance for the Eagles to win its second championship this season. Juniata entered the conference tournament after winning the Division III National Championship - a non-sanctioned NCAA event.
In their two matches during the regular season, the Nittany Lions swept the Eagles both times.
Walton's thoughts: "I think Penn State will handle Juniata."
MPSF championship matchNo. 2 Pepperdine vs. No. 4 USC
After sweeping No. 1 UC Irvine in the conference tournament semifinals, USC will now have to pull off another upset to win the conference title.
Having lost its two regular season matches to Pepperdine, the Trojans will play the Waves with a chance to reach their first NCAA Tournament in 18 years.
In its victory against UC Irvine, USC's all-conference outside attacker Troy Murphy had a team-high 19 kills and a .600 attack percentage. The Trojans won the match despite getting out-hit by the Anteaters .462 to .392.
Ranked No. 1 throughout parts of the regular season, Pepperdine defeated No. 3 Cal State Northrige in four-games Thursday to advance to the championship match.
The Waves right outside attacker Paul Carroll had a match-high 33 kills and digs in the semifinals.
Carroll is leading the nation with a 6.22 kills per game average and was named the MPSF Player of the Year last week. In the two wins agaisnt USC earlier this season, Carroll led the team in kills both times and finished with a combine 45 kills.
Walton's thoughts: "There are going to be some really interesting scenarios if USC wins it. Its either UC Irvine who was ranked No. 1 for most of the season, or Pepperdine who was ranked No. 2 and has the conference player of the year in Paul Carroll."
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