Northern Colorado Bears women’s volleyball is set to return to the NCAA Tournament, traveling to Omaha, Nebraska, for a first-round match against No. 3 seed Creighton. The team secured its place in the tournament after winning the Big Sky Championship, marking their eighth conference title and earning an automatic berth into the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
This appearance marks Northern Colorado’s first time back at the national tournament since 2022. In that year, the Bears faced the University of San Diego in the opening round and were defeated in four sets. The previous year, they qualified by defeating Weber State in a five-set conference final before meeting Washington State in their first-round match.
During this year’s Big Sky Tournament, Brynn Reines, Bella LePore, and Isabel Bennett were named to the All-Tournament Team. Reines was recognized as MVP for her performance throughout the three-day event.
The Bears ended their regular season with a 17–15 overall record and an 11–5 record in conference play. They achieved a strong home-court presence with a 12–3 record at Bank of Colorado Arena.
Northern Colorado most recently played Creighton in a 2023 exhibition match in Omaha. Their last official meeting was in 2013 when Creighton won in straight sets.
Creighton enters this year’s NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed after winning its sixth consecutive Big East Championship. The Bluejays finished their regular season with a 25–5 overall record and went undefeated (16–0) in conference play. Three Creighton athletes were named to the Big East All-Tournament Team.
Matches will be streamed live on ESPN+. Fans can follow updates through UNC volleyball’s official social media channels on X (@UNC_BearsVB), Instagram (@UNC_BearsVB), and Facebook (/UNCBearsVB).
