Nov. 26, 2006

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 22 Boilermaker volleyball team will play host to the Saint Louis Billikens in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in West Lafayette on Thursday, Nov. 30.

Ohio and Kentucky round out the four-team pool that will play on Belin Court on Thursday and Friday. The Bobcats and Wildcats will meet at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Purdue/Saint Louis match will follow at 7 p.m. The winners of both matches will meet in a 7 p.m. Friday contest.

The NCAA Tournament berth is the Purdue's third in a row and the 10th in the program's 31-year history. Fan can listen to the match live on WLAS 1410 AM or purduesports.com.

Purdue's last trip to the tournament saw the team advance to the Sweet 16 after defeating Virginia Commonwealth (30-27, 30-24, 30-21) and College of Charleston (30-22, 30-20, 30-28) in the opening two rounds of action in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Boilermakers won both matches via sweep before falling to eventual national champion Washington (25-30, 19-30, 20-30) in the Sweet 16 match in College Station, Texas.

The Boilermakers first reached the postseason in 1981, when they advanced to the South Regional Semifinals before falling to UCLA in five games. The Boilermakers made the tournament five seasons in a row from 1981 to 1985, advancing to the regional semifinals each year except for 1984, when the team fell to San Jose State in the first round. In 1987, Purdue returned to the postseason and advanced to the second round. The 2004 berth was the team's first since 1990.

The Boilermakers will take on Saint Louis in West Lafayette. With a win, Purdue would take on the winner of the contest between Ohio and Kentucky.

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