WASHINGTON, DC --- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion Howard women's volleyball team will face No. 7 seed & two-time defending champion Penn State University in the First Round of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship, the NCAA announced this evening during its Tournament Selection Show on ESPNU. 

Howard and Penn State will face off on Friday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m. at PSU's Rec Hall in University Park, PA. Penn State will be a host site for the First & Second Rounds of the Tournament; Atlantic 10 champion Dayton (26-5) will take on Big East conference winner Villanova (25-8) Friday at 5 p.m. in Rec Hall. The winners of each match will meet in the NCAA Second Round on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Rec Hall.

The Bison (18-13) earned their way to the NCAA Tournament after winning the program's eighth MEAC Championship in straight sets over Bethune-Cookman on November 22. The title was also Howard's first in volleyball since 1994 - the first year the MEAC champion accepted an automatic bid to the Tournament. The Bison were selected to compete in a "Play-In" Game that year, falling to local area foe George Mason.

This time around, Howard is firmly positioned as one of the 32 automatic qualifiers for the 64-team tournament and one of six schools appearing in the tournament for the first time.

Their draw: the seven-time national champion Nittany Lions (26-5), who earned an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament after finishing the regular season fourth in the Big Ten with a 15-5 conference mark.

HOWARD HEAD COACH SHAUN KUPFERBERG...ON THE MATCHUP WITH PENN STATE
"Penn State is a very good team and it will be great to go play a program with so much history. It's similar to a basketball team playing UCLA back when John Wooden was coaching there. We're walking into a big-time environment against a strong team and one of the best coaches in the sport (PSU Head Coach Russ Rose) but it is all part of the stepping stone process for our program. We're looking forward to playing hard, having fun, giving it our best shot and learning from the entire experience."

TICKET INFORMATION (VIA PENN STATE WEBSITE)
-    All-session tickets for the 2015 NCAA tournament first and second rounds at Penn State will go on sale to the general public Monday, Nov. 30 at 10 a.m. All-session tickets are priced at $12 for adults and $10 for students and youth ages 12 and under. Groups of 20 or more may purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $8.
-    Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-NITTANY or by visiting the Athletics Ticket Office in the Bryce Jordan Center from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
-    Single-match tickets will only be sold at the door the night of each match. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and youth ages 12 and under. Doors will open at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4th and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5th.

Check back to www.HUBison.com throughout the week for more information and a preview of Friday's matchup.