FARMINGTON, Minn. – The bracket is set for the 2026 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Women's Volleyball Playoffs.
Bethel secured the No. 1 seed and the MIAC regular season title with a perfect 11-0 record in league play, the program's first outright regular season championship and first undefeated conference season. The Royals' three previous titles (1999, 2001 and 2021) were all shared. The Royals, who carry a 15-match winning streak into the postseason, will have a bye to the semifinal round, as will St. Olaf, which earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament with a 9-2 mark against league opponents.
Gustavus (8-3), Saint Benedict (7-4), Concordia (6-5), and Carleton (6-5) complete the six-team field and will open play in the quarterfinal round on Tuesday, November 10. No. 6 Carleton will visit No. 3 Gustavus in the opening round, while No. 5 Concordia will travel to No. 4 Saint Benedict. Both matches are slated for 7:00 p.m. starts on Tuesday.
THE FIELD
| Seed |
Team |
MIAC |
Overall |
| 1 |
Bethel |
11-0 |
25-4 |
| 2 |
St. Olaf |
9-2 |
22-7 |
| 3 |
Gustavus |
8-3 |
18-11 |
| 4 |
Saint Benedict |
7-4 |
13-11 |
| 5 |
Concordia |
6-5 |
13-12 |
| 6 |
Carleton |
6-5 |
15-11 |
Seeding is ordered by conference wins. Concordia and Carleton both finished 6-5 in conference play, with Concordia earning the No. 5 seed on its 3-2 head-to-head win over Carleton on October 17.
PLAYOFF SUPERLATIVES
- Bethel is the No. 1 seed in the MIAC Volleyball Playoffs for the first time since 2001 and is looking for its first playoff title since that season.
- Bethel is the seventh different program to finish a MIAC regular season 11-0. Previous perfect seasons have been earned by Augsburg (2016), Concordia (1988, 2006), Gustavus (2015, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024), Saint Benedict (1987, 1989, 1997), St. Olaf (1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2025), and St. Thomas (1990, 1992, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2019).
- Of the 13 teams to go 11-0 in the regular season from 2005 through 2025, 10 went on to win the MIAC Playoff championship.
- St. Olaf is the No. 2 seed and is making its ninth consecutive MIAC Playoff appearance (no conference season was played in 2020).
- The Oles have won three MIAC Playoff championships (2000, 2002 and 2010) and have reached the championship match in three of the last four seasons.
- Gustavus has won six MIAC Playoff championships (2015, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023), including three straight from 2021 to 2023.
- Saint Benedict is the defending MIAC Playoff champion, having defeated St. Olaf in five sets in last year's championship match.
- The Bennies have won four MIAC Playoff championships (2009, 2017, 2024 and 2025) and are seeking a third straight title.
- Concordia is back in the MIAC Volleyball Playoffs for the first time since 2023.
- Concordia has won four MIAC Playoff championships (2003, 2004, 2006, and 2011).
- Carleton will make its return to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
- The Knights reached the playoff championship match in both 2003 and 2004.
QUARTERFINALS BEGIN ON TUESDAY
The quarterfinal round of the MIAC Volleyball Playoffs will get underway on Tuesday, November 10, with a pair of 7:00 p.m. matches. The top two seeds receive byes to the semifinal round.
No. 6 Carleton at No. 3 Gustavus
Tuesday, Nov. 10 | 7:00 PM | Gus Young Court, St. Peter
- Carleton defeated Gustavus, 3-1, in Northfield on October 14.
- This will be the first-ever playoff match between the two programs.
No. 5 Concordia at No. 4 Saint Benedict
Tuesday, Nov. 10 | 7:00 PM | Claire Lynch Hall, St. Joseph
- Concordia defeated Saint Benedict, 3-2, in Moorhead on October 31.
- The teams have met seven times in the MIAC Playoffs since 2001, with Concordia holding a 4-3 edge over Saint Benedict, including a five-set win in the 2006 championship match.
SEMIFINALS SET FOR THURSDAY
The MIAC Volleyball Playoff bracket will not re-seed following the quarterfinals, which means the top-seeded Royals will host the winner of the No. 4 versus No. 5, while the Oles will host the winner of the No. 3 versus No. 6 contest. Both semifinal matches will be played on the home courts of the top two seeds at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 12.
CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY
Thursday's two semifinal winners will meet on Saturday, November 14, in the 2026 MIAC Volleyball Playoff championship match. The match is tentatively scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on the home court of the highest remaining seed. The MIAC Playoff champion will receive the playoff championship trophy and the Conference's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament.
NPI OUTLOOK
UP NEXT
- The 64-team bracket for the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship will be revealed during the Selection Show on Monday, November 16.
- The national championship is scheduled for December 2-5 at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
PLAYOFF APPAREL
Official playoff apparel is available for online purchase via the MIAC Shop powered by UNRestricted MKTG. The online MIAC Shop features officially licensed short-sleeve t-shirts, long-sleeve t-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts to commemorate the 2026 conference tournament. The items available in this store are custom-decorated. Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. All apparel items are online-only, custom-made, and all sales are final.
Regular season team champion apparel is available for online purchase now, with playoff team champion apparel set to be released after the conference tournament concludes.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
All tickets for the 2026 MIAC Playoffs will be sold and purchased online via HomeTown Ticketing. There will not be cash sales at any venue; however, spectators can purchase tickets using a mobile device, including while at the venue. Tickets will go on sale Saturday night. General admission adult tickets are $12 (plus HTT service charge). Student (with ID) tickets are $3 (plus HTT service charge), and children ages five and under are admitted free. MIAC passes are accepted. As a reminder, artificial noisemakers are not permitted at any MIAC events.
The 2026 MIAC Volleyball Playoffs will be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network in a pay-per-view format. Individual playoff contests will be streamed for $10 each, or $25 for a "championship pass" to stream the entire tournament live. On-demand access to playoff matches will be available after the NCAA Tournament concludes.
The MIAC Sports Network Help Page provides guidance and links to help fans navigate the streaming platform. Hudl Customer Support is also available by email or 24/7 chat to assist with any issues.
2026 MIAC VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
MATCH TIMES ARE TENTATIVE