KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The NCAA unveiled the bracket for the 2023 NCAA Volleyball Championship on Sunday evening, with Western Michigan drawing a first-round matchup against No. 7 seed Auburn in Louisville, Ky. This marks the first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2014 and the 13th overall for WMU, the most appearances by any Mid-American Conference program.
 
The Broncos and Tigers are set to face off in the first round on Thursday, Nov. 30, at 4 pm. The other first-round matchup in Louisville features the host and No. 2 seed Louisville Cardinals taking on Wright State. The winners of the first-round matchups then square off the following day for a birth in the Sweet Sixteen.
 
Western Michigan went 18-0 in conference play to win the regular season title and then earned the Mid-American Conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament by winning the 2023 MAC Volleyball Championship with a five-set victory over No. 6 seed Bowling Green back on Nov. 20 at University Arena. The Broncos enter the NCAA Tournament at 30-2, their most wins since 1983, and riding a 20-match winning streak, which is their longest since that same 1983 campaign.  
 
As a result of their dominance in conference play, the Broncos racked up a litany of accolades, including head coach Colleen Munson earning the MAC Coach of the Year for the second time in her tenure. Senior setter Logan Case became just the second player in conference history to earn both the MAC Player and Setter of the Year awards in the same season, and also the league's first ever three-time Setter of the Year recipient. Senior libero Andelyn Simkins was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year, and WMU also boasted a league-high six All-MAC selections.
 
The first and second rounds of the 2023 NCAA Volleyball Championship are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 30-Sunday, Dec. 3 at campus sites. The regional rounds of the NCAA Tournament are set for Dec. 7 and Dec. 9 at national seed host sites. The National Semifinals and National Championship will be in Tampa, Fla., at Amalie Arena, home of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning. The National Semifinals are slated for Thursday, Dec. 14, with the National Championship then set for Sunday, Dec. 17.
 
Each match of the 2023 NCAA Volleyball Championship will be streamed on the ESPN family of networks, with the National Championship to air nationally on ABC.
 
Ticket information will be available soon at wmubroncos.com.