University Park, Pa. -- Penn State will serve as the host for the 2006 NCAA Men's Volleyball National Collegiate Championship, to be held May 4 and 6, 2006, at Rec Hall.
"We are delighted to be bringing the championship back here," said Tim Curley, Penn State's director of athletics. "We feel this is a great school for volleyball, both men's and women's, and we're very proud of our volleyball program. I've been involved in athletics for a long time, and I can tell you that the competition we had in the last championship we hosted was some of the best athletic competition and championship-caliber competition that I have ever been a part of. We are looking forward very much to hosting in 2006 and bringing the top four teams in the country to Happy Valley and to Rec Hall."
The NCAA selection of Penn State as the host institution marks the fourth time the national championship will be held in University Park. The Nittany Lions served as hosts for the 1982, 1986 and 2002 championships. Economic impact on the Centre County region during the 2002 championship was estimated at more than $2.3 million.
"Any time we have an opportunity to bring the best of NCAA men's volleyball to the state of Pennsylvania and to Penn State, the entire Pennsylvania volleyball community has responded very well," stated head coach Mark Pavlik, who will be starting his 10th season at the helm of the Nittany Lion program. "You are hard-pressed to find a better venue for volleyball than Rec Hall. [The NCAA National Collegiate Championship] is a special event for the four teams that participate in it."
During the 2002 NCAA National Collegiate Championship featuring Penn State, Ball State, Pepperdine and Hawaii, the total attendance for the weekend was more than 10,600 fans. A standing-room only crowd of 5,259 watched Hawaii and Pepperdine advance to the title match, with more than 5,350 fans witnessing Hawaii take home the NCAA crown on May 4, 2002.
"The team is definitely excited," said sophomore Matt Proper, a Guys Mills, Pa., native. "I know I am personally excited since it will be my senior year and the younger guys are really looking forward to this. Obviously it's a couple years down the road, but it is exciting that we will have the chance to compete for a national championship on our home floor in 2006."
The 2004 NCAA Men's Volleyball National Collegiate Championship will be hosted by the University of Hawaii on May 6 & 8, with the 2005 Championship hosted by UCLA on May 5 & 7.
The Nittany Lions have advanced to the NCAA semifinals 18 times, including the last five years. Penn State opens its season on Jan. 8 at the Outrigger Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii. The home opener is slated for Tuesday, Jan. 27 against St. Francis at 7 p.m.