The Florida Gators volleyball team earned the No. 8 seed in the 2020-2021 NCAA Tournament. The Division I Women’s Volleyball Selection Committee selection revealed the bracket selections during Sunday’s selection show broadcast.
NO. 8๏ธโฃ NATIONAL SEED
๐ @GatorsVB
#NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/DMjzTcrKKa— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) April 4, 2021
With this year’s tournament appearance, the Gators extend their streak to 30-consecutive NCAA appearances. The Gators currently hold the third-longest active streak in the nation behind Penn State with (40) and Nebraska (39).
We're D A N C I N G (for the 30th time in a row) ๐
Gators earn the No. 8 overall seed & a first-round bye in Omaha!
Details: https://t.co/tykmV2Ai1H#GoGators pic.twitter.com/V6tsPUFkjh
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) April 4, 2021
Since the Gators earned a top-16 seed, the team was awarded with a first-round bye. In their first match-up of the tournament, the Gators will face the winner of Creighton/Morehead State on Thursday, April 15 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Ready for the biggest stage ๐https://t.co/tykmV2RTqh#GoGators pic.twitter.com/MQI0Vb1vtG
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) April 4, 2021
The Florida Gators finished their 2020-2021 season with a 19-3 record in the SEC-only season format. With this record, the Gators were ranked No. 2 in the SEC behind Kentucky (19-1) at the conclusion of the regular season.
Last season, the Gators fell to Minnesota in the Regional Semifinal round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Since the program’s inception in 1984, Florida has made 26 Regional Semifinals and 15 Regional Championships. This season, the Gators seek their ninth all-time NCAA semifinals appearance. The last time the Gators reached the NCAA semifinals was in 2017.
NCAA Tournament Setup
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-2021 NCAA Tournament is made up of 48 teams with 30 automatic bids and 18 at-large bids. Of those teams, the Top-16 seeded teams will receive a first-round bye. The tournament will take place from April 14-24 at the CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.
The dates of upcoming tournament matches are listed below:
- First Round โ Wednesday, April 14
- Second Round โ Thursday, April 15
- Regional Semifinals โ Sunday, April 18
- Regional Finals โ Monday, April 19
- National Semifinals โ Thursday, April 22
- National Championship โ Saturday, April 24