KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Central Oklahoma will meet Emporia State in the MIAA Volleyball Championship Quarterfinals as the eight-team postseason tournament bracket was announced by the league Saturday night.
UCO finished the 2026 season with a 21-7 overall record and went 8-4 in the MIAA. The Bronchos are the No. 5 seed in the championship. Emporia State went 24-4 this season with a 9-3 record in the MIAA and earned the No. 4 seed.
The teams met only once this season, Oct. 28 in Emporia, where the Hornets won 3-0. The win by ESU snapped a 14-match win streak in the series by the Bronchos that dated back to 2018.
The two programs have met twice in the MIAA Volleyball Championship, with both meetings coming in the last two postseasons. The Bronchos won 3-0 in 2024 and 2025.
The winner of the MIAA Volleyball Championship receives an automatic qualification to the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship in the Central Regional. Three conference champions from the MIAA, the Great American Conference, and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, as well as five at-large bids make up the eight-team Central Regional, scheduled for Nov. 19-21 at a site to be determined.
Emporia is currently fourth in the NCAA Power Index (NPI) rankings for the Central Region. UCO is currently ranked 14th in the NPI.
Eight regional champions from around the country will meet in Kansas City, Missouri Dec. 3-5 to determine this year's national champion.
