University of North Texas Athletics
Volleyball Receives NIVC Bid, Meets UTEP in First Round
11/26/2023 8:13:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
UNT will compete in its third National Invitational Volleyball Championship, first since 2018
DENTON, Texas – UNT volleyball earned an at-large bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) on Sunday. North Texas will travel to meet hosts UTEP at 8:30 p.m. CT on Friday at Memorial Gym.
"We are excited to get an opportunity to extend our season," head coach Kristee Porter said. "I felt like we left some things unfinished after our last match, so to get another chance at it feels really special."
The Mean Green (17-15, 11-8 AAC) improved its win total for the fourth consecutive season and matched its highest mark since 2019 with 17 victories. North Texas fell 3-0 to Memphis in its regular season finale on Wednesday.
UNT has two previous appearances in the NIVC, most recently in 2018, and holds a 3-2 record in the tournament. In 2018, the Mean Green hosted the first and second round at the North Texas Volleyball Center and advanced to the quarterfinals against eventual champion Iowa State.
Porter will lead the Mean Green in her first national postseason tournament as a head coach. She made four appearances in the NCAA Tournament as a player at UCLA, including three consecutive regional finals from 2002-2004.
North Texas won its last match 3-1 against UTEP (21-9, 11-5 CUSA) at home on Oct. 28, 2022, when both were members of Conference USA. The Mean Green holds a 13-12 edge over the Miners in the all-time series record.
The winner of Friday's match will advance to the second round against either UT Arlington or Florida Atlantic on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT from El Paso, Texas.
