Charlotte, NC - With the conclusion of regular season conference play today, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) has announced its official 2018 Volleyball Championship bracket. First round matches will be hosted on campus on November 6, 2018 with advancing teams playing in the semi-finals on November 9 at Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA. The championship match will tip-off at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 10.

Eight (8) teams will fight for the 2018 CIAA Volleyball Championship title. Representing the Northern Division will be No. 1 Virginia State University, No. 2 Virginia Union University, No. 3 Chowan University, and No. 4 Elizabeth City State University. The participating Southern Division teams include No. 1 Shaw University, No. 2 Fayetteville State University, No. 3 Winston-Salem State University, and No. 4 Johnson C. Smith University.

The Trojans of Virginia State University clinched the Northern Division Champion title on November 2 with their 3-1 victory over the Vikings of Elizabeth City State. The Trojans title is earned with a 13-4 record in conference play and 7-2 Northern Division record. Virginia Union and Chowan completed the regular season tied at 11-6 in CIAA competition and 8-2 in the division. The Panthers and Hawks split victories during the season, but the Panthers earn the No. 2 seed with a +2 point spread advantage.

The Lady Bears of Shaw University were the first to lock themselves in to this year's championship bracket, earning their Southern Division Champion title on October 27. The defending champion Lady Bears completed the regular season 16-2 in CIAA play and 10-2 in the South. The No. 2 seed came down to the final game of the season between Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State. With FSU's victory, the Broncos and Rams both finished the season with 14-3 conference records, but the tie was given to Fayetteville State due to a better Southern Division record.

First round of championship competition will open on November 6 at 6:00 p.m. on the campuses of Virginia State, Virginia Union, Shaw, and Fayetteville State.

Johnson C. Smith will travel to Ettrick, Va. to face Northern Division champion Virginia State Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m.

The last time these two teams met was on September 22 during the CIAA Roundup in Winston-Salem where the Trojans took a five set, 3-2, victory.

Semi-finals matches are scheduled for 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 9 while the championship match will tip off at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 10. The 2018 CIAA Volleyball Championship at Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia is free and open to the public.