KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has released the pool assignments and schedule for the 2012 NAIA Volleyball National Championship final site presented by CNOS Foundation. The Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa, will serve as the final site for the event Nov. 27 - Dec. 1.

The final 24 teams have been placed into six pools and will play a round robin pool schedule Nov. 27-29, with the top-two teams from each pool advancing to the single-elimination bracket starting Nov. 30. The championship match will take be held at 8 p.m. CST on Dec. 1.
 
Embry-Riddle will be the top seed in Pool E and the No. 5 seed overall, opening up with a match against No. 23 Bellevue (Neb.) on Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 5:45 p.m. CST. On Wednesday, Nov. 28, the Eagles will take on No. 18 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) at 5:45 p.m. CST, and ERAU will conclude pool play with a contest against eighth-ranked Hastings (Neb.) on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. CST.
 
The Eagles (28-4, 10-0 TSC) will bring an 18-match winning streak into the tournament, having won The Sun Conference championship in convincing fashion last weekend, sweeping St. Thomas in the final. The Blue and Gold have not lost a set since a 3-2 win over NCAA II Daemen (N.Y) on Oct. 20, a string of seven straight sweeps. By virtue of a No. 5 national ranking in the final poll, Embry-Riddle was given an automatic bid to the final site.
 
ERAU ranks in the top 25 in assists/set (12.42, 13th), hitting percentage (.261, 16th) and kills/set (13.4, 21st). Adriana Vazquez has been solid running the offense, averaging 11.11 assists/set, good for sixth in the country. Taylor Martin has had a great senior season, ranking ninth in service aces/set (0.59) and 17th in kills/set (4.01). Morgan Shattuck is in the top 20 in blocks/set (1.19, 14th) and Jordan Holcomb is 25th in kills/set (3.86).
 
Bellevue comes into the tournament with a 35-9 overall record and a 13-0 mark in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Bruins carry a 12-match winning streak to the tournament. Bellevue knocked off Waldorf (Iowa) in three sets in the MCAC Championship match to earn an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship. The Bruins hosted Ottawa (Kan.) in the Opening Round, defeating the Braves, 3-1, to punch their ticket to Sioux City.
 
Bellevue ranks among the nation's best in a number of statistical categories, including an NAIA-leading 2,256 total kills this year. The Bruins are second in the nation in both kills/set (14.28) and total assists (2,085), and they rank fourth in assists/set (13.2). Setter Jordan Broady is No. 2 in the country with 1,617 assists while Meghan Evans is seventh in digs with 769.
 
This will be the second meeting between Embry-Riddle and Belleuve; the Eagles defeated the Bruins, 3-1, on Oct. 5 as part of the Embry-Riddle Tournament at the ICI Center.
 
MidAmerica Nazarene carries 25-4 mark into the tournament and a perfect 9-0 record in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. The Pioneers, who hail from Olathe, Kan., defeated Graceland (Iowa) in the HAAC Championship match and downed St. Thomas (Texas) in three sets in the Opening Round, earning a spot at the National Championship final site.
 
The Pioneers rank sixth in the country in hitting percentage (.288) and are ninth in blocks/set (2.67). Megan Hayes has been solid at the net, ranking eighth in blocks/set (1.41) and 10th in hitting percentage (.377).
 
Hastings comes into the tournament with a 28-4 record on the season. After finishing the regular season with a 15-0 record in the Great Plains Athletic Conference, the Broncos were upset by Doane in the conference final. Despite the loss, Hastings received an at-large bid to the National Championship and received a bye through the Opening Round thanks to its No. 8 national ranking in the final coaches' poll.
 
Hastings ranks in the top 25 in four major statistical categories: hitting percentage (.254, 19th), blocks/set (2.31, 20th), assists/set (12.02, 24th) and kills/set (13.2, 25th). Kendra Schwein leads the offense, averaging 4.38 kills/set, good for eighth in the NAIA.
 
NeuLion is the NAIA's Digital Media Partner and official video-streaming company of 12 select NAIA National Championship events. Select matches from the NAIA Volleyball National Championship final site will be streamed: single-elimination play, quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship final. For more information, go to www.WatchNAIA.com.