| NCAA men's volleyball tournament | |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Dates: | May 1997 |
| Num Teams: | 4 |
| Winners: | Stanford (1st title) |
| Second: | UCLA (19th title match) |
| Matches: | 3 |
| Attendance: | 6237 |
| Award: | Mike Lambert (Stanford) |
| Prev Season: | 1996 |
| Next Season: | 1998 |
The 1997 NCAA men's volleyball tournament was the 28th annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA men's collegiate volleyball. The single-elimination tournament was played at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio, during May 1997.[1]
Stanford defeated UCLA in the final match, 3–2 (15–7, 15–10, 9–15, 6–15, 15–13), to win their first national title. The Cardinal (27–4) were coached by Ruben Nieves.
Stanford's Mike Lambert was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Lambert, along with five other players, comprised the All-Tournament Team.
Until the creation of the NCAA Men's Division III Volleyball Championship in 2012, there was only a single national championship for men's volleyball. As such, all NCAA men's volleyball programs, whether from Division I, Division II, or Division III, were eligible. A total of 4 teams were invited to contest this championship.
| Team | Appearance | Previous | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ball State | 14th | 1995 | |
| Penn State | 13th | 1996 | |
| Stanford | 3rd | 1992 | |
| UCLA | 20th | 1996 |
Ivan Contreras, Penn State