Nov. 26, 2006

ST. LOUIS, MO - The Saint Louis volleyball team will make its NCAA Tournament debut on Thursday, Nov. 30, against the 14th-seeded Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette, IN. The Billikens punched a ticket to their first-ever NCAA volleyball appearance after winning the Atlantic 10 Championship last weekend, which delivered an automatic berth into the 64-team tournament.

"We are ecstatic that we are going to Purdue," Billiken head coach and A-10 Coach of the Year Anne Kordes said. "They have an incredible program. It will be a challenge for us, but this team has proven all season that they love a challenge. It will be a great atmosphere for these players to get their first taste of the NCAA Tournament. It is going to be a fun experience."

The Billikens (22-8) won three matches in three days to earn their first Atlantic 10 Championship title and clinch a spot in the NCAA Tourney. SLU swept Fordham in the first round, beat Temple 3-1 in the semifinals, and downed host Dayton 3-1 to claim the Championship. In the regular-season, the Billikens earned a share of the A-10 title, their first regular-season conference crown since 1989 when SLU won the Mid-Continent Conference championship.

The Boilermakers are 21-10 overall and went 11-9 in Big Ten action. Purdue enters the NCAA Tourney ranked No. 22 nationally, but it has dropped six of its last eight matches. It is the third straight NCAA appearance for Purdue, which advanced to the Sweet 16 last season.

The winner of the SLU/Purdue matchup will advance to face the winner of the Kentucky/Ohio match, which will also take place on Thursday. A trip to the Sweet 16 will be on the line when the two first-round winners play on Friday, Dec. 1, in West Lafayette, IN.