The Sun Belt Conference was founded on Aug. 4, 1976, primarily as a basketball league. The conference began sponsoring volleyball in 1983, just two years after the NCAA started overseeing the sport. This move sparked a 12-year conflict with the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women over control of women’s sports.
Unlike in some other sports, the Sun Belt did not need to add affiliate members to support its volleyball programs. In the inaugural season, Jacksonville won the conference tournament. The league held a round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals. Jacksonville finished 6-1 in round-robin play and avenged its only loss by shutting out VCU in the semifinals to reach the final.
The Sun Belt Conference earned its first automatic NCAA Tournament bid in 1992. That year, tournament champion Arkansas State faced Long Beach State. The Indians—their nickname until changing to the Red Wolves in 2008—won one set before falling 3-1 to the 49ers.
The Sun Belt’s first NCAA Tournament win came nine years later, when Florida International swept UCF 3-0 in the opening round. They fell to 10th-seeded Florida in the second round. The conference sent multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2007. That year, Middle Tennessee reached the regional semifinals by defeating Louisville and Hawaii — a first for the Sun Belt.
Since the 2012 realignment and its accompanying membership changes, only three Sun Belt teams have won a first-round match in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. Texas State earned first-round wins in 2018 and 2020 before falling in the second round both times. Little Rock advanced to the second round in 2014, and Coastal Carolina did so in 2017.
The 2023 season was the conference’s most successful for NCAA Tournament participation, with four teams qualifying. Tournament champion Coastal Carolina led the group. James Madison, which finished two games behind the Chanticleers in the East Division, earned a No. 7 seed in the Lincoln Regional. Despite the strong representation, all four teams were eliminated in the first round.
@Lowes Defining Moment: In 1996, MU beat Ga. Southern en route to 15-0 record & a national title! #DefiningMoment pic.twitter.com/4CXfGFs9Zl
— Marshall Football (@HerdFB) September 19, 2013
Three former Sun Belt players are now competing in the Pro Volleyball Federation, which launched in 2024. James Madison leads the way with two alumni, including Sophie Davis, the 2022 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year. She is joined on the Vegas Thrill by Hannah Maddux, a two-time first-team All-Sun Belt selection from South Alabama.
Maddux didn’t play early in the 2024 season but bounced back to rank in the top 10 in both kills and service aces. She also finished fourth in points, averaging 4.15 per set.
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