PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Committee announced today the 64-team field for the 29th annual NCAA Volleyball Championship and Louisville, Notre Dame and Cincinnati were among those selected to participate. The Cardinals, the 2009 BIG EAST Champion, received the league's automatic berth, while the Fighting Irish and Bearcats earned at-large selections.

This is the first time since 2006 and second time in BIG EAST history that three league teams have advanced to the NCAA Championship.

The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and placed within four regions. First and second round matchups will be played at campus sites and teams winning both matches will move onto regional play on Dec. 11th and 12th at predetermined sites: Stanford, Calif., Gainesville, Fla., Minneapolis, Minn., and Omaha, Neb. The regional winners will advance to the semifinals and final hosted by USF and Tampa Bay Sports Commission at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, on Dec. 17th and 19th.

Louisville (21-10) will make its 20th appearance in the NCAA Championship and will face the No. 11 seed Minnesota (24-8) in the first round on Friday, Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. ET in Knoxville, Tenn. Host of the first and second rounds Tennessee (23-7), takes on Duke (27-5) with the winner facing either Louisville or Minnesota on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. ET.

Notre Dame (21-6) will make its 16th appearance in the Tournament and plays Ohio (26-6) in the first round on Friday, Dec. 4  at 5:30 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Mich. Host of the first and second rounds No. 13 Michigan (24-9), takes on Niagara (23-8) with the winner facing either Notre Dame or Ohio on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Cincinnati (25-10) will make its eighth appearance in the NCAA Championship and will take on Ohio State (24-9) in the first round on Friday Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. ET in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State also welcomes the No. 9 seed California (18-10) who will take on Lipscomb (28-3) with the winners facing each other on Saturday, Dec. 5.