At the NCAA Division I level, beach volleyball has exploded in the past few years. This spring more than 50 DI schools sponsor the sport, which made the quickest transition from emerging sport to a championship sport in NCAA history.

Interest in the sport is growing at the DII, DIII, and NAIA levels, too. And the proof of that can be seen this weekend in Siesta Key, Florida, at the eighth-annual Fiesta on Siesta Key beach volleyball tournament.

Fiesta on Siesta Key started the Rox Small College National Championships last year to give these DII, DIII, and NAIA schools a season-ending tournament equivalent to the NCAA beach volleyball championship.

This year, nine schools will compete in the Small College National Championships at Fiesta on Siesta Key, and you can watch the entire event LIVE right here on FloVolleyball.

The Teams

Eckerd College of St. Petersburg, FL, won the 2016 Small College National Championship title, and the Tritons are favorites again in 2017. Coached by a trio of former pro indoor and beach volleyball players--head coach Michelle Piantadosi and assistants Marcus Dos Santos and Priscilla Lima--Eckerd boasts a 9-7 record so far this season, with juniors Kaitlyn Sibson and Madison Whiting competing at the No. 1 spot.

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Spring Hill College of Mobile, Alabama, will provide some strong competition for Eckerd in Siesta Key this weekend, and in fact, the Badgers defeated Eckerd head-to-head earlier this season. The SHC team has played a tough schedule, often competing against Division I programs. Madison Seuzeneau and Julie Vujnovich have accumulated a 6-13 overall record at the No.1 spot.

Webber International of Babson Park, FL, has also battled with its share of Division I schools so far this season, taking matches off of Florida International and Florida Gulf Coast and defeating Jacksonville State.

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And just because a team isn't from the West Coast or the Gulf Coast doesn't mean it can't field a solid beach volleyball team. Stevenson University of Owings Mill, Maryland, is proof of that. The Mustangs are 8-8 heading into Fiesta on Siesta Key, with graduate student Samantha Perillo and senior Kristen Brooks playing at the No. 1 spot.

Huntingdon College of Montgomery, AL; Missouri Baptist University of St. Louis; Principia College of Elash, Illinois; St. Thomas College of Miami Gardens, FL; and Warner University of Lake Wales, FL, round out the Small College National Championships field.

Watch the Fiesta on Siesta Key Rox Small College National Championships LIVE, right here on FloVolleyball, starting at 9:30 AM ET on Saturday, April 8.