ATHENS -- TVCC and Cardinal Gym host the three-day Region XIV Volleyball Tournament for the first time.

A total of eight teams are battling for two available NJCAA Tournament berths  in the double-elimination meet this weekend. Action starts Thursday at 9 a.m. when Terry Gamble's top-seeded Blinn Buccaneers (21-1) take on eighth-seeded Victoria (4-17).

Coach Aleah Hayes' fifth-seeded TVCC Lady Cardinals (8-14) play No. 4 Panola (7-3) at 11 a.m., with the winner moving on to face the Blinn-Victoria winner at 5 p.m. Thursday in the championship-bracket semifinals.

Two other opening-round matches Thursday afternoon are second-seeded, defending NJCAA champion Navarro (17-4) against No. 7 Wharton (2-11) at 1 p.m. and No. 3 Tyler (8-4) opposing sixth-seeded Coastal Bend (6-12) at 3 p.m.

The championship game is scheduled at 5 p.m. Friday. The runner-up bracket title game is scheduled at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets for the tournament will be available at the door. Individual game tickets are $5. Tournament passes are $20.

2021 SPRING REGION XIV VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

April 1-3, Cardinal Gym, TVCC

Thursday, April 1

Game 1 – 9 a.m., (1) Blinn (21-1) vs. (8) Victoria (4-17)

Game 2 – 11 a.m., (4) Panola (7-3) vs. (5) TVCC (8-14)

Game 3 – 1 p.m., (2) Navarro (17-4) vs. (7) Wharton (2-11)

Game 4 – 3 p.m., (3) Tyler (8-4) vs. (6) Coastal Bend (6-12)

Game 5 – 5 p.m., Blinn-Victoria winner vs. Panola-TVCC winner

Game 6 – 7 p.m., Navarro-Wharton winner vs. Tyler-Coastal Bend winner

Friday, April 2

Game 7 – 9 a.m., Blinn-Victoria loser vs. Panola-TVCC loser

Game 8 – 11 a.m., Navarro-Wharton loser vs. Tyler-Coastal Bend loser

Game 9 – 1 p.m., Game 7 winner vs. Game 6 loser

Game 10 – 3 p.m., Game 8 winner vs. Game 5 loser

*Game 11 – 5 p.m., Championship Game, Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6

Saturday, April 3

Game 12 – 11 a.m., Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10

*Game 13 – 1 p.m., Runner-Up Game, Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11

*Winners of Game 11 and 13 advance to the NJCAA Tournament April 15-17 in West Plains, Mo.