EUGENE, Ore. – A body of work dating back to their first match and membership in the strongest conference in the NAIA proved to be enough for the Bushnell volleyball team to avoid a disappointing finish to the season, escaping the bubble to claim one of 14 at-large bids for the 48-team NAIA National Championship tournament.
The Beacons, who earn their third trip to the national tournament in five years, and their first since 2021, will face off against No. 17-ranked Montana Tech for their opening round game in Butte, Montana on Saturday, November 23.
Bushnell was one of six teams from the Cascade Collegiate Conference to qualify for the 2024 NAIA National Championship tournament, more than any other conference in the NAIA with no other body earning more than four bids. The Beacons join automatic qualifiers Southern Oregon and Eastern Oregon, along with fellow at-large bids in Corban, College of Idaho, and Oregon Tech.
The Beacons (19-12) built a strong resume this season, beginning with their season-opening game at the Big Sky Challenge in Montana where they went five sets with then No. 2-ranked Northwestern College of Iowa, taking the first two sets before falling 23-25, 24-26, 27-25, 25-10, 15-11. The same Northwestern team heads into the NAIA tournament undefeated as the reigning Great Plains Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament champion and the tournament’s top overall seed.
Playing in the grueling gauntlet of the CCC led to the Beacons having seven excusable losses to NAIA Top-Ten ranked opponents, and they also earned two top-25 wins over The College of Idaho, along with a win over a team receiving votes in the national poll at the time. Those plaudits, along with a tie with the Yotes for fourth-place in the CCC were enough to convince to selection committee.
In all three of their trips to the NAIA national championship the Beacons have headed to Montana for their opening round games, including a five-set loss to Montana Tech in their last appearance in 2021.
The game time for Saturday’s contest has not been determined, but will be announced on Bushnell’s social media channels when it becomes available.