The NCAA men’s volleyball postseason will get underway with the MIVA Tournament.
Check out what to know about the teams in MIVA Tournament and the historical tidbits to know before filling out your.
MIVA Tournament schedule
The MIA Tournament is a single-elimination, three-round event featuring eight teams. This is the only conference tournament in the nation with zero neutral site matches. The highest seeded team in each match will receive home court advantage throughout all three rounds. The winner of the MIVA Tournament will receive the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
MIVA Tournament quarterfinals (Saturday)
No. 1 seed Ball State vs. No. 8 seed Northern Kentucky
No. 2 seed Loyola vs. No. 7 seed Purdue Fort Wayne
No. 3 seed Lindenwood vs. No. 6 seed Lewis
No. 4 seed McKendree vs. No. 5 seed Ohio State
MIVA Tournament semifinals (Wednesday, April 22)
Ball State/Northern Kentucky vs. McKendree/Ohio State
Loyola/Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Lindenwood/Lewis
MIVA Tournament finals (Saturday, April 25)
Semifinals winner vs. Semifinal winner
MIVA Standings
| Team | MIVA | Overall | MB |
| 1.. Ball State | 13-3 | 22-4 | — |
| 2. Loyola | 12-4 | 18-7 | -1 |
| 3. Lindenwood | 11-5 | 19-6 | -2 |
| T-4. McKendree | 9-7 | 17-10 | -4 |
| T-4. Ohio State | 9-7 | 14-11 | -4 |
| 6. Lewis | 8-8 | 16-13 | -5 |
| 7. Purdue Fort Wayne | 7-9 | 12-11 | -6 |
| 8. Northern Kentucky | 2-14 | 5-18 | -11 |
| 9. Queens | 1-15 | 8-19 | -12 |
Team breakdowns
No. 1 seed Ball State
Record: 22-4, 13-3 MIVA
KPI ranking: No. 3 (No. 1 in MIVA)
RPI ranking: No. 3 (No. 1 in MIVA)
Bracketology status: Ball State is projected to receive an at-large bid if it loses in the MIVA Tournament and could bolster its resume for a top-four seed if it wins the MIVA Tournament
MIVA Tournament titles: 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2022
NCAA Tournament appearances: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2022
NCAA Tournament championships: None
Best win of regular season: Ball State swept Loyola in the regular season finale to win the MIVA regular season championship.
Season series vs. quarterfinals opponent: Ball State beat Northern Kentucky twice in the regular season.
Player to know: Outside attacker Patrick Rogers leads the MIVA and is in the nation’s top 10 with both a 3.90 kills per game average and a .404 attack percentage.
Stat to know: Mike Iandolo is in his first season as Ball State’s head coach. Ball State in its program history has twice won the MIVA Tournament with a first-year head coach.
No. 2 seed Loyola
Record: 18-7, 12-4 MIVA
KPI ranking: No. 6 (No. 2 in MIVA)
RPI ranking: No. 6 (No. 2 in MIVA)
Bracketology status: Loyola is projected to make the NCAA Tournament regardless of it fares in the MIVA Tournament.
MIVA Tournament titles: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2025
NCAA Tournament appearances: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2025
NCAA Tournament championships: 2014, 2015
Best win of regular season: Loyola on the road defeated Hawai’i in four games to split a two-match series in January.
Season series vs. quarterfinals opponent: Purdue Fort Wayne upset Loyola in four games in March, and then Loyola defeated Purdue Fort Wayne in four games last week.
Player to know: Middle attacker Aidan Klein is in the nation’s top 15 with a 1.04 blocks per game average and leads the Ramblers with a 0.30 aces per game average.
Stat to know: Loyola has won four consecutive MIVA Tournament championships when Shane Davis is the team’s head coach.
No. 3 seed Lindenwood
Record: 19-6, 11-5 MIVA
KPI ranking: No. 8 (No. 3 in MIVA)
RPI ranking: No. 8 (No. 3 in MIVA)
Bracketology status: Lindenwood is the first team out for the final at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in the latest Off the Block bracketology.
MIVA Tournament titles: None
NCAA Tournament appearances: None
NCAA Tournament championships: None
Best win of regular season: Lindenwood defeated Loyola in February as part of a nine-match winning streak.
Season series vs. quarterfinals opponent: Lindenwood at home swept Lewis in March, and then Lewis at home swept Lindenwood in April.
Player to know: Setter Zach Solomon leads the nation with a 0.61 aces per game average and has guided the Lindenwood offense to a .300 attack percentage.
Stat to know: Lindenwood has twice in its program history advanced beyond the MIVA Tournament quarterfinals, including reaching the finals in 2024.
No. 4 seed McKendree
Record: 17-10, 9-7 MIVA
KPI ranking: No. 10 (No. 4 in MIVA)
RPI ranking: No. 9 (No. 4 in MIVA)
Bracketology status: Unlikely to receive an at-large bid and needs to win the MIVA Tournament to make the NCAA Tournament.
MIVA Tournament titles: None
NCAA Tournament appearances: None
NCAA Tournament championships: None
Best win of regular season: McKendree swept a two-match home series against the defending EIVA champions Penn State in January.
Season series vs. quarterfinals opponent: McKendree had a road sweep against Ohio State and then lost in five games at home to the Buckeyes last week.
Player to know: Setter Nathan Flayter leads the MIVA with a 10.25 assists per game average and is in the nation’s top 25 with a 2.17 digs per game average.
Stat to know: McKendree with a win will reach to the MIVA Tournament semifinals in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.
No. 5 seed Ohio State
Record: 14-11, 9-7 MIVA
KPI ranking: No. 11 (No. 5 in MIVA)
RPI ranking: No. 12 (No. 5 in MIVA)
Bracketology status: Unlikely to receive an at-large bid and needs to win the MIVA Tournament to make the NCAA Tournament.
MIVA Tournament titles: 1969, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987,1993, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024
NCAA Tournament appearances: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1993, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024
NCAA Tournament championships: 2011, 2016, 2017
Best win of regular season: Ohio State swept Ball State in February.
Season series vs. quarterfinals opponent: Ohio State lost in three games to McKendree in March and then defeated the Bearcats on the road in five games last season.
Player to know: Opposite Shane Wetzel is fourth in the MIVA and among the national leaders with a 3.51 kills per game average.
Stat to know: A No. 5 seed has not defeated the No. 4 seed in the MIVA Tournament quarterfinals since 2015.
No. 6 seed Lewis
Record: 16-13, 8-8 MIVA
KPI ranking: No. 14 (No. 6 in MIVA)
RPI ranking: No. 16 (No. 6 in MIVA)
Bracketology status: Not in contention for an at-large bid and needs to win the MIVA Tournament to make the NCAA Tournament.
MIVA Tournament titles: 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2012, 2019, 2021
NCAA Tournament appearances: 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021
NCAA Tournament championships: 2003
Best win of regular season: Lewis on the road defeated Ball State in five games last week.
Season series vs. quarterfinals opponent: Lindenwood at home swept Lewis in March, and then Lewis at home swept Lindenwood in April.
Player to know: Libero Nico Paula leads the MIVA and is eighth in the nation with a 2.47 digs per game average.
Stat to know: A No. 6 seed has won a MIVA Tournament quarterfinal match three times during the 25-point rally scoring era.
No. 7 seed Purdue Fort Wayne
Record: 12-11, 7-9 MIVA
KPI ranking: No. 17 (No. 7 in MIVA)
RPI ranking: No. 20 (No. 7 in MIVA)
Bracketology status: Not in contention for an at-large bid and needs to win the MIVA Tournament to make the NCAA Tournament.
MIVA Tournament titles: 1991, 1992, 1999, 2006, 2007
NCAA Tournament appearances: 1991, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2006, 2007
NCAA Tournament championships: None
Best win of regular season: Purdue Fort Wayne pulled off a road upset Loyola in March.
Season series vs. quarterfinals opponent: Purdue Fort Wayne upset Loyola in four games in March, and then Loyola defeated Purdue Fort Wayne in four games last week.
Player to know: Pin-hitter Logan Muir is in the nation’s top 25 with both a 0.51 aces per game average and a 3.62 kills per game average.
Stat to know: A No. 7 seed has one win all-time in the MIVA Tournament, but that one time occurred against Loyola in 2023.
No. 8 seed Northern Kentucky
Record: 5-18, 2-14 MIVA
KPI ranking: No. 39 (No. 9 in MIVA)
RPI ranking: No. 39 (No. 9 in MIVA)
Bracketology status: Not in contention for an at-large bid and needs to win the MIVA Tournament to make the NCAA Tournament.
MIVA Tournament titles: None
NCAA Tournament appearances: None
NCAA Tournament championships: None
Best win of regular season: Northern Kentucky swept a two-match series against Queens to help it clinch a postseason berth in its first year in the MIVA.
Season series vs. quarterfinals opponent: Northern Kentucky lost both regular season meetings against Ball State.
Player to know: Pin-hitter Griffin Wheatley leads Northern Kentucky with a 2.70 kills per game average.
Stat to know: A No. 8 seed has never won a match in the MIVA Tournament.