On Sunday, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) released information for the first round of four of its fall championships. Both the Lindenwood football and volleyball had good news during the day, with football hosting a first-round game, and the volleyball team receiving a first-round bye.
The football team, ranked seventh in the country and sporting a 9-1 record, will take on No. 16 Lambuth (8-3), at 1:30 p.m. at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium. The playoff berth is the second straight for Lindenwood and the fourth in school history. The Lions will be looking for their first ever victory in the NAIA Football Championship Series.
The matchup with Lambuth will feature two of the top offenses in the nation. The Eagles are averaging 43.1 points and 468.8 yards a game. The Lions are putting up 38.5 points and 453.0 yards a contest.
The ninth-ranked Lady Lions women’s volleyball team automatically advances to the 24-team NAIA Championship with the first-round bye. That event begins on Dec. 2 in Sioux City, Iowa.
The final 24 teams are placed into six pools and will play a round robin pool play Dec. 2-4. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the single elimination bracket, which begins Friday, Dec. 5 and will end with the championship match on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Final site pool assignments and schedule will be announced on Sunday, November 23 by 1 p.m.
Lindenwood will be making its second straight appearance in the NAIA Championship after advancing last year for the first time in school history. The Lady Lions finished second in their pool and advanced to the NAIA Quarterfinals, before seeing their season come to an end.
Lindenwood, which won both the HAAC regular season and tournament championships, is currently 34-7 on the season.
Two other Lindenwood programs, men’s and women’s cross country, already earned a berth in the NAIA Championship meets, which will take place this Saturday.
