CIAA Announces 2026 Volleyball Championship Seeding Following Three-Way Tie
Fayetteville State Claims No. 1 Seed as Conference Finalizes Eight-Team Championship Field
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (November 5, 2026) – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA
®) has announced the official seeding and quarterfinal matchups for the
47th CIAA Volleyball Championship, scheduled for November 9–11, 2026, at the Rocky Mount Event Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
The championship field is highlighted by a three-way tie between Fayetteville State University, Virginia State University and Livingstone College at the conclusion of regular-season conference competition. With all three institutions finishing with identical conference records, the CIAA applied its established tiebreaker procedures outlined in the CIAA Volleyball Sporting Code to determine the top three seeds.
Following a review of head-to-head match results, sets lost and total points scored where necessary,
Fayetteville State secured the No. 1 seed, and will be named the CIAA Regular Season Champion, Virginia State earned the No. 2 seed and Livingstone received the No. 3 seed.
Official 2026 CIAA Volleyball Championship Seeding
| Seed |
Institution |
| No. 1 |
Fayetteville State University |
| No. 2 |
Virginia State University |
| No. 3 |
Livingstone College |
| No. 4 |
Elizabeth City State University |
| No. 5 |
Winston-Salem State University |
| No. 6 |
Shaw University |
| No. 7 |
Bowie State University |
| No. 8 |
Bluefield State University |
Breaking Down the Three-Way Tie
The CIAA Volleyball Sporting Code establishes a series of tiebreaker criteria to determine championship seeding and regular season champion when institutions finish with identical conference records.
2026 CIAA Volleyball Three-Way Tiebreaker Comparison
| Head-to-Head Matchup |
Match Results |
Tiebreaker Evidence |
Advantage |
| Fayetteville State vs. Virginia State |
FSU 3–0, VSU 3–2 |
FSU lost 3 sets; VSU lost 5 |
Fayetteville State |
| Fayetteville State vs. Livingstone |
FSU 3–0, LC 3–0 |
Both lost 3 sets; FSU won points 135–125 |
Fayetteville State |
| Virginia State vs. Livingstone |
VSU 3–1, LC 3–2 |
VSU lost 4 sets; LC lost 5 |
Virginia State |
Fayetteville State vs. Virginia State
Fayetteville State and Virginia State split their two regular-season meetings.
- Fayetteville State defeated Virginia State, 3–0.
- Virginia State defeated Fayetteville State, 3–2.
Across the two meetings, Fayetteville State won five sets and lost three, while Virginia State won three sets and lost five.
Tiebreaker Result: Fayetteville State held the head-to-head advantage based on fewer sets lost.
Fayetteville State vs. Livingstone
Fayetteville State and Livingstone also split their two regular-season meetings, with each institution earning a 3–0 victory.
With both teams winning three sets and losing three sets, the first tiebreaker criterion did not resolve the tie. The CIAA advanced to the second criterion, total points scored in head-to-head competition.
First Meeting: Fayetteville State defeated Livingstone, 3–0
| Set |
Fayetteville State |
Livingstone |
| Set 1 |
25 |
17 |
| Set 2 |
25 |
13 |
| Set 3 |
25 |
20 |
| Total Points |
75 |
50 |
Second Meeting: Livingstone defeated Fayetteville State, 3–0
| Set |
Fayetteville State |
Livingstone |
| Set 1 |
20 |
25 |
| Set 2 |
18 |
25 |
| Set 3 |
22 |
25 |
| Total Points |
60 |
75 |
Head-to-Head Point Comparison
| Category |
Fayetteville State |
Livingstone |
| Matches Won |
1 |
1 |
| Sets Won |
3 |
3 |
| Sets Lost |
3 |
3 |
| Total Points Scored |
135 |
125 |
Fayetteville State outscored Livingstone by 10 total points across the two meetings.
Tiebreaker Result: Fayetteville State earned the head-to-head advantage over Livingstone based on total points scored, 135–125.
With head-to-head advantages over both Virginia State and Livingstone, Fayetteville State secured the
No. 1 seed for the 2026 CIAA Volleyball Championship.
Virginia State vs. Livingstone
With the top seed determined, the CIAA reviewed the head-to-head results between Virginia State and Livingstone to establish the remaining two seeds.
The institutions split their regular-season meetings:
- Virginia State defeated Livingstone, 3–1.
- Livingstone defeated Virginia State, 3–2.
The head-to-head set comparison resulted in:
| Category |
Virginia State |
Livingstone |
| Matches Won |
1 |
1 |
| Sets Won |
5 |
4 |
| Sets Lost |
4 |
5 |
Tiebreaker Result: Virginia State held the head-to-head advantage based on fewer sets lost, earning the No. 2 seed. Livingstone received the No. 3 seed.
Because the set comparison resolved the tie, no additional point comparison or coin toss was necessary.
Final Seeding Determination
| Seed |
Institution |
Tiebreaker Result |
| 1 |
Fayetteville State |
Head-to-head advantage over both Virginia State and Livingstone |
| 2 |
Virginia State |
Head-to-head set advantage over Livingstone |
| 3 |
Livingstone |
Third following head-to-head comparisons |
CIAA Volleyball Tiebreaker Procedures
Per the CIAA Volleyball Sporting Code, the conference applies the following criteria in order to resolve ties in conference standings:
- Head-to-Head Competition: The institution with the fewest sets lost in head-to-head competition holds the advantage.
- Head-to-Head Point Total: If teams remain tied in sets, total points scored in head-to-head competition are compared.
- Overall Conference Winning Percentage: Applied if the tie remains unresolved.
- Coin Toss: Conducted only when all preceding criteria fail to resolve the tie.
The CIAA's review of the head-to-head results resolved the seeding positions without requiring a coin toss.
2026 CIAA Volleyball Championship Quarterfinal Matchups
The championship begins Monday, November 9, with four quarterfinal matches at the Rocky Mount Event Center.
Monday, November 9, 2026 | Quarterfinals
| Time (ET) |
Matchup |
| 11:00 AM |
No. 4 Elizabeth City State vs. No. 5 Winston-Salem State |
| 1:30 PM |
No. 3 Livingstone vs. No. 6 Shaw |
| 4:00 PM |
No. 2 Virginia State vs. No. 7 Bowie State |
| 6:30 PM |
No. 1 Fayetteville State vs. No. 8 Bluefield State |
The tournament continues with semifinal competition on Tuesday, November 10 at 2:00pm & 4:30pm, followed by the championship final on Wednesday, November 11 at 12:00pm.
Fans are encouraged to attend and support their institutions as the conference's top eight teams compete for the 2026 CIAA Volleyball Championship title.
Admission is FREE, with parking available for $10.
For additional championship information, visit
theciaa.com.
Media Contact
Matisse S. Lee
Senior Associate Commissioner, Communications & Marketing, Special Projects / SWA
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
mlee@theciaa.com
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 15 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University.
For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
#CIAA | #CIAAVolleyball | #MadeittoRockyMount | #CIAA4Life