Nov. 26, 2001

2001 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship bracket in PDF format
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The University of Notre Dame volleyball team (22-6) will face #20 Michigan State (20-7) in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Volleyball Championship in Madison, Wis., on Friday at 5 p.m. It will be the ninth meeting between the 25th-ranked Irish and the Spartans, with Michigan State holding a 5-3 edge in the series. The two teams met last season in the Joyce Center and the 16th-ranked Spartans came away with a five-game victory.

Sixth-ranked Wisconsin (25-3) and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (20-7) will play after the Irish-Spartan match on Friday, with the winners of the first round matches meeting on Saturday at 7 p.m.

"I think it is a great matchup," Irish head coach Debbie Brown says.

"It is one of the toughest matches in the first round this year. Playing against a team like Michigan State will force us to heighten our level of play, which is what you have to do to be successful at this time of the season."

San Diego State University will be playing host to the 2001 Women's Volleyball Final Four in Cox Arena at the Aztec Bowl on Dec. 13 and 15.