(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 28)--The 28th Annual NAIA Volleyball National Championship returns to central Missouri as Columbia College serves as host of the four-day event. Pool play begins on Wednesday, Nov. 28 with the championship match scheduled for Saturday evening, Dec. 1. There will be 20 teams competing for the title, which was won last year by National American University.

This is the second consecutive year that Columbia has served as host of the tournament. All games will take place at The Arena of Southwell Complex and Stephens College. More than 200 volunteers will lend a hand during the course of the week.

Columbia, which won the American Midwest Conference regular-season and tournament championships and was the runner-up in the NAIA Region V Tournament, earned an at-large bid to the event. The Cougars are the No. 7 seed and will compete in Pool D of round-robin play. Columbia has won three NAIA national championships in the last decade. They captured the title in 1998, 1999 and 2001.

To keep up with the latest action at the NAIA Volleyball National Championship, visit http://naia.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/112707aaa.html. You can also visit the official tournament site at http://www.columbiacougars.com/NAIAvolleyball/index.asp.