By: Mark Reinhiller
College of DuPage's track record of hosting successful NJCAA championships has paid off as it has been awarded the 2026 and 2027 NJCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championships.
The tournaments will be held Nov. 12-14, 2026 and Nov. 11-13, 2027, bringing 16 institutions each year to COD's Physical Education Center Arena and Don Klaas Court.
A total of 27 matches will be played on two courts during the three-day tournaments. Twelve matches are contested on Opening Day, 10 on Day 2 and Championship Saturday features five matches culminating with the championship match.
"We welcome the NJCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament to College of DuPage and the community of Glen Ellyn,” Director of Athletics and Recreation Ryan Kaiser said. "Chicagoland, and particularly its western suburbs, holds women's volleyball in the highest regard. We are grateful to partner with the NJCAA in promoting and hosting what promises to be another showcase event for College of DuPage.”
PEC Arena has a capacity of 4,620 and includes a 40,000-square foot main arena with a 160-meter indoor track. Klaas Court is named after long-time men's basketball coach Don Klaas, who coached the Chaparrals for 35 years and led the Chaps to a national championship in 2002.
"With the NJCAA Division III philosophy to uphold, promote and protect the educational experience of the student-athletes, the DIII Volleyball Committee discussed the importance of returning to a member-college campus within a competing DIII region for the 2026 and 2027 NJCAA Volleyball National Tournaments," said Kurt Kohler, NJCAA DIII Volleyball Chair. "College of DuPage, with its longstanding tradition of hosting national events and its exemplary facilities, was selected as the site for the 2026 and 2027 tournaments. I believe College of DuPage will create an incredible student-athlete experience, and we're excited that they will be hosting the tournament in 2026 and 2027.
COD has won three NJCAA championships in volleyball — 1998, 1999 and 2022.
The 2024 and 2025 championships will be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.