The No. 6 nationally ranked Park University women's volleyball program has advanced to the 2023 NAIA Women's Volleyball Championship presented by Marriott South Sioux City Riverfront and Riverside Technologies Inc. beginning Wednesday, November 29 through Tuesday, December 5.

This makes 11 straight appearances at the final site of the national championship tournament. Park returns to Sioux City, Iowa at the Tyson Events Center for the 44^th annual NAIA women's volleyball national championship.

The Pirates enter the final site with a 27-match win streak spanning all the way back to September 8.

Park is the 2023 Heart of America Athletic Conference Regular Season and conference tournament title winner. The Pirates earn their spot at the head of Pool F with a sweep victory in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Championship Opening Round against University of the Cumberlands (Ky.).

Park's pool play matches will both be played at 7pm (CT) on Wednesday, November 29 and Friday, December 1. Park's schedule features matches against No. 19 Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio) on Wednesday and No. 11 Columbia College (Mo.) on Friday.

Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio.)

Mount Vernon Nazarene advanced past their opening round opponent Indiana Tech and hold a 31-7 overall record with a 14-4 record in the Crossroads League. The Cougars qualified into the 48 team opening round pairings with their Crossroads League Tournament Runner-Up finish, which was a 3-0 loss to No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan. The Cougars hosted their first opening round match since 2015.
Mount Vernon Nazarene had five Crossroads All-League recipients with three recipients on First Team.

This will be the first-ever match between Park and Mount Vernon Nazarene.

Columbia (Mo.)

Columbia, on the other hand, has a long history with the Pirates going back to Park's former days in the American Midwest Conference. Columbia shares the same mascot as Mount Vernon and also appeared in their respective conference tournament championship too.

The Cougars of Columbia have common ground this season with Park with their own conference regular season and tournament championship titles, like Park. Columbia is on a nine-match win-streak coming into the final site, including an upset, five-set victory over No. 8 Missouri Baptist University in the conference tournament championship match. Columbia had another five-set victory in the NAIA Opening Round against (RV) Blue Mountain Christian University at home.

The Cougars earned their 23^rd AMC conference tournament title and were led by their six All-Conference members. They had four student-athletes earn first team all-conference accolades and captured an AMC Setter of the Year award.

As mentioned Park has a long-standing history with the Cougars at 6-24 all-time. Park has a two-match win-streak against the Cougars. Their second to last win over Columbia came in the 2018 NAIA National Championship match for Park's second NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship.

Columbia's program has championship pedigree of their own with 29 appearances at the national tournament and boast four NAIA National Championship Banners.

Park and Columbia are among only four teams in the entire NAIA final site field that have won a national championship previously.