Nov. 30, 2008

The Siena volleyball team will play No. 7-ranked and 8th seeded California in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament as announced late Sunday evening during the NCAA Selection Show on ESPNU. The match will take place at 8 p.m. Pacific time in Haas Pavilion on the Cal campus according to the school's athletics website.

Cal enters the Championships with a 23-6 overall record and finished Pac-10 play with a 13-5 record. The Bears started the season 18-1.

Siena, 20-12, earned its fourth straight automatic bid and fifth overall by virtue of its MAAC Tournament Championship match win over Fairfield Monday night on UHY Court at the ARC.

The Saints have played the eventual National Champion in the First Round of the Tournament twice in the last three years. Siena lost to Washington in straight sets in 2005 in fort Collins, Colo. and at Penn State last year.

New Mexico and St. Mary's (Calif.) meet in the other match in Berkeley at 6 p.m. Pacific time. The winners will advance to play Saturday at 8 p.m. and the winner of that match moves on to the University Park Regional at Penn State.

Tickets go on sale at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow (Dec. 1) and are only available through the Cal athletic ticket office website. Adult two-day packages that include admission to all three matches can be purchased for $18; $14 for seniors (65+), youth and students with valid identification.