CSU hosting trio of in-state foes in NCAA tournament
CSU will get a chance to prove it's the best volleyball team in the state this week.
The pride part is fun, but the stakes are much bigger than bragging rights.
First- and second-round action of the NCAA tournament will be played at Moby Arena in Fort Collins with Colorado State University the host and No. 15 overall seed.
The Rams will face the University of Denver (27-6) in the first round at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
The other first-round game will be the University of Northern Colorado (22-10) and the University of Colorado (19-13) playing at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
"I'm extremely excited to be hosting. It's great news for us. It's great news for our fans," coach Tom Hilbert said Sunday night after CSU's selection show watch-party at Fuzzy's Tacos. "It's a great tribute to the season our team has had. It's also a testament to how good volleyball is in the state of Colorado."
Friday's winners will meet in the second round at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. It is the first time CSU has hosted NCAA tournament action since 2009 when the Rams beat Middle Tennessee State in the first round before an upset of No. 6 Washington in the second round.
DU is coached by former CSU assistant Jesse Mahoney and one of his assistants is Katelin Batten, who played libero on the last CSU team to host.
"I think it's going to be amazing," said current libero Jaime Colaizzi, who graduated from Windsor High School. "It's going to be hard. DU is going to be out for blood. It's a good first round and it's going to be intense. I'm just excited to play in Moby."
The Rams beat the Pioneers 3-0 in early September.
"Denver is a very, very fast-paced team and they've been on a really great streak," Hilbert said. "I expect them to be very good and challenge us."
DU made the tournament via winning the Summit League tournament, and UNC won the Big Sky tournament. CU received an at-large berth after finishing sixth in the Pac-12. CSU is in the tournament for the 20th season in a row after winning its sixth-straight Mountain West title.
If CSU and CU advance to the second round, it will be the first time the schools have played in volleyball since 2010, a match won by the Rams. Hilbert turned down an offer to coach CU in 2009.
Season-ticket holders and Ram Club members can buy tickets immediately. Reserved tickets for all three sessions will cost $20. General admission for all sessions is $15 (single-game prices are also $15) and student tickets are $5 per match. Tickets can be purchased at csurams.com/tickets, by calling (800) 491-RAMS or at the McGraw Center box office.
The team to advance out of the group of four will advance to the regional semifinal to be played Dec. 12 in Minneapolis.
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle at twitter.com/Kevin_Lytle and at facebook.com/KevinSLytle.
NCAA tournament schedule
• Friday (first round): Northern Colorado vs. Colorado, 4:30 p.m.
• Friday (first round): University of Denver vs. CSU, 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday (second round): Friday's winners, 4:30 p.m.
• Tickets: $20 reserved all-session, $15 for general admission all-session, $15 for single-match (available only on day of match) and $5 per match for student tickets.
• Where: Tickets can be purchased at csurams.com/tickets, by calling (800) 491-RAMS or at McGraw Center box office, which will stay open until 8 p.m. each day this week.
Games are at Moby Arena.