Week Seventeen, Final Four Match Highlights:
What a weekend was had by all in San Antonio. Even with much of the Alamodome cordoned off, the Final Four of Women's Volleyball drew five-figure crowds and a national audience on ESPN2. What were they subjected to? One epic match, one near-great match, and only one blowout.
In the first semifinal, Florida State appeared jittery against UCLA, who appeared confident after knocking off both Penn State and Texas the previous weekend. The Seminoles were only competitive in the third and final set, but by then it was too late. UCLA won the match, 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-21). The Bruins outhit (.328 to .173), out-assisted (52 to 33), out-aced (5 to 2), and out-dug (54 to 44) the Seminoles. They took care of business.
The second semifinal was the epic match of the weekend, as Illinois persevered against USC, 3-2 (25-27, 25-18, 25-22, 18-25, 15-10). The Trojans appeared to have the edge until the Fighting Illini ran off 8 straight points to come from behind and close out the second set. After that, confidence surged, even with the fourth set hiccup, where USC's Alex Jupiter had a great game. She and other Trojans were neutralized by the powerful Illini block and attack in the fifth set.
Obviously, statistics were close, but the Trojans grew frustrated with the Illini's ability to get to almost all spikes at the net, slowing them down if not completely blocking them. Illinois outhit (.279 to .233), out-assisted (75 to 70), out-dug (95 to 87), and outblocked (12 to 9) the Trojans in a match that lasted over two hours.
The final was epic as well until UCLA broke Illinois' spirit with a come-from-behind 4-point run to take the third set, 26-24. The fourth set saw the Fighting Illini in disarray, almost as if they had been listening to the overhyped ESPN Big Ten bias storyline ("This will be their first volleyball championship and their first women's championship of any kind"), and the pressure got to them.
The Bruins beat Illinois, 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 26-24, 25-16) because they matched up size-wise and gritty-defense-wise. They also played cooler under the pressure. Tellingly, UCLA outblocked (15 to 11.5) and out-dug (87 to 76) the Fighting Illini. Illinois had more service aces, but also more service errors. Nerves.
Week Seventeen, Final Four Individual Highlights:
UCLA won the national championship for the first time in 20 years because they would not quit and they had the deeper bench. Rachael Kidder (41 kills, 1 ace, 20 digs, 4 blocks), Tabi Love (26 kills, 2 digs, 4 blocks), Kelly Reeves (14 kills, 4 aces, 5 assists, 26 digs, 5 blocks), Lauren Van Orden (8 kills, 96 assists, 25 digs, 8 blocks, 1 ace), and Lainey Gera (9 assists, 36 digs) played great as expected. Who expected Zoe Nightingale to have 14 blocks, 11 of those in the title match, as well as 11 kills? Who expected Sara Sage to hit .857 in compiling 6 kills in the title match? Who expected Bojana Todorovic to have 24 digs for the weekend, 18 of those in the title match? Mariana Aquino (10 kills, 5 digs, 8 blocks) was also vital to the victories.
Illinois had a successful, if not triumphant, weekend thanks to the two-pronged massive attack of Colleen Ward (44 kills, 6 assists, 35 digs, 3 blocks, 1 ace) and Michelle Bartsch (44 kills, 36 digs, 7 blocks, 3 assists). While Erin Johnson (17 kills, 8 blocks, 2 digs) and Liz McMahon (17 kills, 10 blocks, 2 digs) were also vital players at the net, they only hit .050 and .034, respectively, in the title match against UCLA. Anna Dorn was a blocking machine (13 for the weekend), but she only hit about .063. Other major contributors for the Fighting Illini were Anne Luhrsen (113 assists, 25 digs, 9 kills, 4 blocks) and Jennifer Beltran (58 digs, 8 assists, 1 ace).
ESPN2 Coverage of the Final Four:
The broadcasters. Karch Kiraly, the man and the legend, knows more about the sport and is probably the greatest player of all time. Obviously, he is a qualified and talented analyst, providing a laidback SoCal lexicon, dialect, and delivery--appropriate for a sport that blossomed on the beaches of the Pacific. His deliberate pace strewn with insightful commentary kept the match interesting for non-devotees watching. Even though Karch is a UCLA man, he kept his own partisan feelings in check. It was the professional thing to do, but it allowed the other commentator, Beth Mowins, to control the matches' sentiment, which fell entirely to Illinois in their battles against USC and UCLA.
Was it Beth Mowins' fault that her play-by-play came off workmanlike, professional, and decidedly pro-Big Ten, pro-NCAA (after all, the NCAA selection committee had shown complete anti-West biases in their rankings and seedings for the tournament)? Not entirely. She did good work for the Midwest and East Coast viewership (which makes sense for the Lafayette and Syracuse grad Mowins). What was missing was a dynamic personality and glib volleyball play-by-play announcer like Chris Marlowe or Paul Sunderland. Couldn't ESPN afford them? Couldn't NBC and Fox release them temporarily for the special event?
The production. Do we really need to see players from all four teams fondling the national championship trophy before game time? Whose idea was that? Otherwise, the production was fine, even with abbreviated post-match discussions before sending the broadcasts over to ESPN3. The camerawork didn't miss much, but closer shots of disputed judgment touch calls at the net and calls at the lines would have enhanced the coverage.
The perspective. It seemed like Illinois had the sentiment and majority of storylines in the title match against UCLA. Yes, there was some focus on second-year Bruin coach Michael Sealy. I didn't hear any mention of the rebuilding job he did after UCLA lost a great setter and hitter to transferring. However, Tabi Love's transfer into the Bruin program was discussed, as if they were only the poachers and not the victims of poaching.
Additionally, ESPN stuck to the NCAA rankings and seedings, giving the AVCA poll rankings short shrift. The controversy of the selection committee's conduct was never an issue. Why? ESPN has lucrative deals with the NCAA in many sports, and it isn't about to step on any toes. Think I'm imagining this? Try and
find an ESPN football analyst who strongly favors a full playoff system in the top tier of teams.
Naturally, the AVCA poll gives western schools more respect, as it is compiled by the voting of experts in the volleyball field--the coaches. Incredibly enough, in the last NCAA women's volleyball rankings, posted December 19th, two days after the title match, Illinois is still at number one. Sad, really.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Sandflea's Week Seventeen NCAA Women's Volleyball Top 40: Final Poll
(through Final Four games of 12/17/11)
Rank School Record Ranked Teams Rank Last Week
Played to Date
1. UCLA (30-6) 19 3
2. Illinois (32-5) 17 2
3. Southern Cal (29-5) 18 1
4. Hawaii (31-2) 9 4
5. Florida (28-6) 10 5
6. Texas (26-5) 15 6
7. Iowa State (25-6) 18 8
8. Purdue (29-5) 14 9
9. Pepperdine (25-8) 14 10
10. Florida State (28-7) 15 7
11. Kentucky (28-6) 11 11
12. Tennessee (28-4) 12 12
13. Colorado State (24-6) 7 13
14. Miami FL (26-5) 9 14
15. Nebraska (25-5) 11 15
16. Northern Iowa (33-2) 6 16
17. Washington (24-8) 14 17
18. Stanford (22-8) 17 18
19. California (25-7) 13 19
20. Penn State (25-8) 15 20
21. Dayton (25-7) 7 21
22. San Diego (28-5) 9 22
23. Western Kentucky (31-4) 3 23
24. Tulsa (28-7) 7 24
25. Long Beach State (23-7) 7 25
26. Minnesota (20-12) 19 26
27. Cincinnati (27-10) 13 27
28. Michigan (22-13) 16 28
29. Texas A&M (23-8) 10 29
30. North Carolina (23-9) 10 30
31. Oregon (20-10) 14 31
32. Duke (21-9) 8 32
33. Northern Illinois (28-7) 8 33
34. Kansas State (22-11) 10 34
35. Ohio State (21-15) 16 35
36. Milwaukee (25-5) 2 36
37. TCU (25-7) 4 37
38. Michigan State (22-12) 12 38
39. Louisville (24-9) 9 39
40. Delaware (21-13) 4 40
Too Late to Move Up, but Teams with Fine Seasons (20+ wins): Jackson State (29-10), Sacred Heart (27-8), Texas State (27-8), North Dakota (26-5), Samford (29-5), Morehead State (26-8), North Dakota State (26-9), Ball State (25-8), Niagara (25-9), College of Charleston (25-10), Maryland-Eastern Shore (24-7), Marquette (24-11), Western Michigan (24-9), Army (23-8), UAB (23-9), Utah Valley (23-9), Towson (23-9), New Mexico State (23-10), Ohio U. (23-10), American (23-11), Northern Colorado (22-9), Houston Baptist (22-9), Missouri State (22-9), UTSA (22-11), Northeastern (21-6), Cleveland State (21-8), BYU (21-9), Albany NY (21-9), Belmont (21-9), IPFW (21-9), Furman (21-9), Cal-Davis (21-10), Arkansas State (21-10), Wichita State (21-11), Appalachian State (21-11), Wyoming (21-11), Xavier (21-11), Eastern Michigan (21-11), Middle Tennessee (21-12), Missouri (21-13), Long Island (21-13), Winthrop (20-8), Oral Roberts (20-10), Florida International (20-10), George Washington (20-10), Fairfield (20-10), Clemson (20-11), Lipscomb (20-11), Central Florida (20-11), Central Connecticut State (20-11), James Madison (20-11), North Carolina State (20-13), Memphis (20-13), Liberty (20-13), Valparaiso (20-15)
Dropped Out: None!
Rank School Record Ranked Teams Rank Last Week
Played to Date
1. UCLA (30-6) 19 3
2. Illinois (32-5) 17 2
3. Southern Cal (29-5) 18 1
4. Hawaii (31-2) 9 4
5. Florida (28-6) 10 5
6. Texas (26-5) 15 6
7. Iowa State (25-6) 18 8
8. Purdue (29-5) 14 9
9. Pepperdine (25-8) 14 10
10. Florida State (28-7) 15 7
11. Kentucky (28-6) 11 11
12. Tennessee (28-4) 12 12
13. Colorado State (24-6) 7 13
14. Miami FL (26-5) 9 14
15. Nebraska (25-5) 11 15
16. Northern Iowa (33-2) 6 16
17. Washington (24-8) 14 17
18. Stanford (22-8) 17 18
19. California (25-7) 13 19
20. Penn State (25-8) 15 20
21. Dayton (25-7) 7 21
22. San Diego (28-5) 9 22
23. Western Kentucky (31-4) 3 23
24. Tulsa (28-7) 7 24
25. Long Beach State (23-7) 7 25
26. Minnesota (20-12) 19 26
27. Cincinnati (27-10) 13 27
28. Michigan (22-13) 16 28
29. Texas A&M (23-8) 10 29
30. North Carolina (23-9) 10 30
31. Oregon (20-10) 14 31
32. Duke (21-9) 8 32
33. Northern Illinois (28-7) 8 33
34. Kansas State (22-11) 10 34
35. Ohio State (21-15) 16 35
36. Milwaukee (25-5) 2 36
37. TCU (25-7) 4 37
38. Michigan State (22-12) 12 38
39. Louisville (24-9) 9 39
40. Delaware (21-13) 4 40
Too Late to Move Up, but Teams with Fine Seasons (20+ wins): Jackson State (29-10), Sacred Heart (27-8), Texas State (27-8), North Dakota (26-5), Samford (29-5), Morehead State (26-8), North Dakota State (26-9), Ball State (25-8), Niagara (25-9), College of Charleston (25-10), Maryland-Eastern Shore (24-7), Marquette (24-11), Western Michigan (24-9), Army (23-8), UAB (23-9), Utah Valley (23-9), Towson (23-9), New Mexico State (23-10), Ohio U. (23-10), American (23-11), Northern Colorado (22-9), Houston Baptist (22-9), Missouri State (22-9), UTSA (22-11), Northeastern (21-6), Cleveland State (21-8), BYU (21-9), Albany NY (21-9), Belmont (21-9), IPFW (21-9), Furman (21-9), Cal-Davis (21-10), Arkansas State (21-10), Wichita State (21-11), Appalachian State (21-11), Wyoming (21-11), Xavier (21-11), Eastern Michigan (21-11), Middle Tennessee (21-12), Missouri (21-13), Long Island (21-13), Winthrop (20-8), Oral Roberts (20-10), Florida International (20-10), George Washington (20-10), Fairfield (20-10), Clemson (20-11), Lipscomb (20-11), Central Florida (20-11), Central Connecticut State (20-11), James Madison (20-11), North Carolina State (20-13), Memphis (20-13), Liberty (20-13), Valparaiso (20-15)
Dropped Out: None!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
NCAA Volleyball Week Sixteen Highlights (12/5-12/11/11)
Week Fifteen Selected Match Highlights:
Just when it looked like the Pac-12 was being read its last rites by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, a strange thing happened. The two Pac-12 teams left in the Sweet Sixteen, USC and UCLA, made it through to the Final Four. Even with the blossoming of the sport in the Midwest and Southeast, Southern California (the region, not just the school) remains the mecca of volleyball.
In Honolulu, underseeded USC and underseeded Hawaii faced each other in the Sweet Sixteen. Down 2-1, USC pulled out the crucial fourth set, 25-23, and secured victory with a 15-12 final set win. In the other regional semifinal, another SoCal power, Pepperdine, crushed Kansas State, 3-0 (25-18, 25-12, 25-23). The Waves outhit the Wildcats, .289 to .121, and outblocked them, 12 to 6.
In the regional final, USC again came from behind to beat its foe, defeating Pepperdine, 3-2 (25-16, 26-28, 19-25, 25-19, 15-10). The Trojans outhit (.223 to .175), out-aced (8 to 4), and outblocked (14 to 6) the Waves. Nonetheless, Pepperdine had a great run.
In Lexington, Kentucky, UCLA stunned four-time defending champion Penn State, 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-21) by outhitting the Nittany Lions, .310 to .248. Some observers called that an upset; I was not one of them, having ranked the Bruins above PSU for most of the year. Of course, Penn State will be back in the Final Four in the near future.
In the other semi, Texas squeezed by host Kentucky, 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 27-25, 25-23), due to slightly more accurate hitting (.308 to .279). In the regional final, UCLA did achieve a bona fide upset, knocking off the Longhorns, 3-1 (19-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21). The Bruins achieved victory primarily due to better passing and defense--Texas outblocked them and hit as accurately.
In the Gainesville regional, the powerful host Gators of Florida handled Michigan, 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 27-25), in one semifinal. They hit a scorching .439 and outblocked the Wolverines, 8 to 3. The other semi saw Big Ten powerhouse Illinois beat Big Ten upstart Ohio State, 3-1 (23-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-19). Illinois fashioned a similarly close 3-1 victory (25-22, 23-25, 25-14, 25-20) over Florida in the regional final, decisively outhitting the Gators, .338 to .225.
Perhaps Florida would have prevailed if it was still landing all of the five-star recruits in the Southeast as it used to do. However, rising powers Tennessee, Kentucky, Miami FL, and Florida State are now getting their share of blue-chippers.
Speaking of the Seminoles, they had a terrific regional in Minneapolis, where they knocked off both Purdue (3-1: 25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 25-19) and overseeded Iowa State (3-2: 25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 19-25, 15-11). Florida State outblocked the Boilermakers, 15 to 5, before outblocking the Cyclones, 16 to 8. Truly, Iowa State did overachieve on its run, even knocking off host Minnesota, 3-1 (18-25, 25-23, 25-15, 31-29), in the other semifinal.
NCAA Tournament Preview, Final Four:
Props to the Selection Committee for separating USC and UCLA in San Antonio, making an all-Pac-12 final possible. The Final Four has it all: a clear favorite (USC-AVCA poll #1, though seeded seventh here), two talented teams from power conferences that opted for tough preseason schedules (Illinois and UCLA), and a cinderella of sorts (Florida State of the ACC).
What makes it more fair in San Antonio? Texas didn't reach the Final Four, so there is no home-crowd advantage.
In one semifinal, UCLA takes on Florida State. The teams have identical 28-6 records, but the Bruins had a tougher schedule. Nevertheless, the team with the hot hitters should win, as both schools dig, set, serve, and block well. In the other semifinal, USC takes on Illinois. USC, because of its great defense and setting, should win.
However, if the Fighting Illini pull off the upset, they should also prevail against the FSU-UCLA winner. Should doesn't mean will. Matches are won on the court, not on paper. It all makes for a great coda to the season. Who will achieve the storybook ending?
Just when it looked like the Pac-12 was being read its last rites by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, a strange thing happened. The two Pac-12 teams left in the Sweet Sixteen, USC and UCLA, made it through to the Final Four. Even with the blossoming of the sport in the Midwest and Southeast, Southern California (the region, not just the school) remains the mecca of volleyball.
In Honolulu, underseeded USC and underseeded Hawaii faced each other in the Sweet Sixteen. Down 2-1, USC pulled out the crucial fourth set, 25-23, and secured victory with a 15-12 final set win. In the other regional semifinal, another SoCal power, Pepperdine, crushed Kansas State, 3-0 (25-18, 25-12, 25-23). The Waves outhit the Wildcats, .289 to .121, and outblocked them, 12 to 6.
In the regional final, USC again came from behind to beat its foe, defeating Pepperdine, 3-2 (25-16, 26-28, 19-25, 25-19, 15-10). The Trojans outhit (.223 to .175), out-aced (8 to 4), and outblocked (14 to 6) the Waves. Nonetheless, Pepperdine had a great run.
In Lexington, Kentucky, UCLA stunned four-time defending champion Penn State, 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-21) by outhitting the Nittany Lions, .310 to .248. Some observers called that an upset; I was not one of them, having ranked the Bruins above PSU for most of the year. Of course, Penn State will be back in the Final Four in the near future.
In the other semi, Texas squeezed by host Kentucky, 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 27-25, 25-23), due to slightly more accurate hitting (.308 to .279). In the regional final, UCLA did achieve a bona fide upset, knocking off the Longhorns, 3-1 (19-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21). The Bruins achieved victory primarily due to better passing and defense--Texas outblocked them and hit as accurately.
In the Gainesville regional, the powerful host Gators of Florida handled Michigan, 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 27-25), in one semifinal. They hit a scorching .439 and outblocked the Wolverines, 8 to 3. The other semi saw Big Ten powerhouse Illinois beat Big Ten upstart Ohio State, 3-1 (23-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-19). Illinois fashioned a similarly close 3-1 victory (25-22, 23-25, 25-14, 25-20) over Florida in the regional final, decisively outhitting the Gators, .338 to .225.
Perhaps Florida would have prevailed if it was still landing all of the five-star recruits in the Southeast as it used to do. However, rising powers Tennessee, Kentucky, Miami FL, and Florida State are now getting their share of blue-chippers.
Speaking of the Seminoles, they had a terrific regional in Minneapolis, where they knocked off both Purdue (3-1: 25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 25-19) and overseeded Iowa State (3-2: 25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 19-25, 15-11). Florida State outblocked the Boilermakers, 15 to 5, before outblocking the Cyclones, 16 to 8. Truly, Iowa State did overachieve on its run, even knocking off host Minnesota, 3-1 (18-25, 25-23, 25-15, 31-29), in the other semifinal.
NCAA Tournament Preview, Final Four:
Props to the Selection Committee for separating USC and UCLA in San Antonio, making an all-Pac-12 final possible. The Final Four has it all: a clear favorite (USC-AVCA poll #1, though seeded seventh here), two talented teams from power conferences that opted for tough preseason schedules (Illinois and UCLA), and a cinderella of sorts (Florida State of the ACC).
What makes it more fair in San Antonio? Texas didn't reach the Final Four, so there is no home-crowd advantage.
In one semifinal, UCLA takes on Florida State. The teams have identical 28-6 records, but the Bruins had a tougher schedule. Nevertheless, the team with the hot hitters should win, as both schools dig, set, serve, and block well. In the other semifinal, USC takes on Illinois. USC, because of its great defense and setting, should win.
However, if the Fighting Illini pull off the upset, they should also prevail against the FSU-UCLA winner. Should doesn't mean will. Matches are won on the court, not on paper. It all makes for a great coda to the season. Who will achieve the storybook ending?
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Sandflea's Week Sixteen NCAA Women's Volleyball Top 40
(through games of 12/11/11, second week of NCAA's)
Rank School Record Ranked Teams Rank Last Week
1. Southern Cal (29-4) 17 3
2. Illinois (31-4) 15 5
3. UCLA (28-6) 17 6
4. Hawaii (31-2) 9 1
5. Florida (28-6) 10 7
6. Texas (26-5) 15 4
7. Florida State (28-6) 14 16
8. Iowa State (25-6) 18 9
9. Purdue (29-5) 14 2
10. Pepperdine (25-8) 14 15
11. Kentucky (28-6) 11 8
12. Tennessee (28-4) 12 10
13. Colorado State (24-6) 7 11
14. Miami FL (26-5) 9 12
15. Nebraska (25-5) 11 14
16. Northern Iowa (33-2) 6 17
17. Washington (24-8) 14 18
18. Stanford (22-8) 17 20
19. California (25-7) 13 19
20. Penn State (25-8) 15 13
21. Dayton (25-7) 7 24
22. San Diego (28-5) 9 25
23. Western Kentucky (31-4) 3 22
24. Tulsa (28-7) 7 23
25. Long Beach State (23-7) 7 21
26. Minnesota (20-12) 19 30
27. Cincinnati (27-10) 13 26
28. Michigan (22-13) 16 29
29. Texas A&M (23-8) 10 27
30. North Carolina (23-9) 10 28
31. Oregon (20-10) 14 31
32. Duke (21-9) 8 32
33. Northern Illinois (28-7) 8 34
34. Kansas State (22-11) 10 33
35. Ohio State (21-15) 16 37
36. Milwaukee (25-5) 2 35
37. TCU (25-7) 4 36
38. Michigan State (22-12) 12 38
39. Louisville (24-9) 9 39
40. Delaware (21-13) 4 40
Too Late to Move Up, But Teams with Good Seasons: See last week's "Too Late to Move Up" section!
Dropped Out: None!
Rank School Record Ranked Teams Rank Last Week
1. Southern Cal (29-4) 17 3
2. Illinois (31-4) 15 5
3. UCLA (28-6) 17 6
4. Hawaii (31-2) 9 1
5. Florida (28-6) 10 7
6. Texas (26-5) 15 4
7. Florida State (28-6) 14 16
8. Iowa State (25-6) 18 9
9. Purdue (29-5) 14 2
10. Pepperdine (25-8) 14 15
11. Kentucky (28-6) 11 8
12. Tennessee (28-4) 12 10
13. Colorado State (24-6) 7 11
14. Miami FL (26-5) 9 12
15. Nebraska (25-5) 11 14
16. Northern Iowa (33-2) 6 17
17. Washington (24-8) 14 18
18. Stanford (22-8) 17 20
19. California (25-7) 13 19
20. Penn State (25-8) 15 13
21. Dayton (25-7) 7 24
22. San Diego (28-5) 9 25
23. Western Kentucky (31-4) 3 22
24. Tulsa (28-7) 7 23
25. Long Beach State (23-7) 7 21
26. Minnesota (20-12) 19 30
27. Cincinnati (27-10) 13 26
28. Michigan (22-13) 16 29
29. Texas A&M (23-8) 10 27
30. North Carolina (23-9) 10 28
31. Oregon (20-10) 14 31
32. Duke (21-9) 8 32
33. Northern Illinois (28-7) 8 34
34. Kansas State (22-11) 10 33
35. Ohio State (21-15) 16 37
36. Milwaukee (25-5) 2 35
37. TCU (25-7) 4 36
38. Michigan State (22-12) 12 38
39. Louisville (24-9) 9 39
40. Delaware (21-13) 4 40
Too Late to Move Up, But Teams with Good Seasons: See last week's "Too Late to Move Up" section!
Dropped Out: None!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Sandflea's Week Fifteen 2011 NCAA Football Top 40
(through games of 12/10/11)
Rank School Record Ranked Teams Rank Last Week
Played to Date
1. LSU (13-0) 8 1
2. Alabama (11-1) 4 2
3. Stanford (11-1) 4 4
4. Oklahoma State (11-1) 5 7
5. Boise State (11-1) 4 6
6. Oregon (11-2) 5 9
7. Southern Cal (10-2) 5 10
8. Arkansas (10-2) 5 12
9. TCU (10-2) 5 14
10. South Carolina (10-2) 5 16
11. Wisconsin (11-2) 4 17
12. Michigan (10-2) 4 13
13. Kansas State (10-2) 6 18
14. Virginia Tech (11-2) 5 5
15. Houston (12-1) 2 3
16. Baylor (9-3) 8 19
17. Michigan State (10-3) 7 11
18. Georgia (10-3) 6 15
19. Clemson (10-3) 6 25
20. Nebraska (9-3) 7 20
21. West Virginia (9-3) 5 21
22. Southern Mississippi (11-2) 3 22
23. Cincinnati (9-3) 3 23
24. BYU (9-3) 3 24
25. Arkansas State (10-2) 3 27
26. Oklahoma (9-3) 7 8
27. Northern Illinois (10-3) 2 28
28. Penn State (9-3) 4 26
29. Notre Dame (8-4) 4 30
30. Georgia Tech (8-4) 4 31
31. Rutgers (8-4) 4 32
32. Florida State (8-4) 4 33
33. Tulsa (8-4) 5 35
34. Virginia (8-4) 4 38
35. Wyoming (8-4) 3 37
36. San Diego State (8-4) 4 NR
37. Ohio U. (9-4) 2 29
38. Toledo (8-4) 3 39
39. Temple (8-4) 2 36
40. Louisiana Tech (8-4) 2 NR
Other Successful 2011 Teams: Florida International (8-4), Auburn (7-5), North Carolina State (7-5), Louisville (7-5), Western Michigan (7-5), California (7-5), SMU (7-5), Utah State (7-5), Western Kentucky (7-5), North Carolina (7-5), Missouri (7-5), Air Force (7-5), Washington (7-5), Utah (7-5)
Dropped Out: Texas (7-5), Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4)
Jobbed by Bowl Selection Committee: Boise State, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Western Kentucky
Michigan State
Unworthy of Bowls They Received: Virginia Tech, Michigan, West Virginia, UCLA, Alabama
Rank School Record Ranked Teams Rank Last Week
Played to Date
1. LSU (13-0) 8 1
2. Alabama (11-1) 4 2
3. Stanford (11-1) 4 4
4. Oklahoma State (11-1) 5 7
5. Boise State (11-1) 4 6
6. Oregon (11-2) 5 9
7. Southern Cal (10-2) 5 10
8. Arkansas (10-2) 5 12
9. TCU (10-2) 5 14
10. South Carolina (10-2) 5 16
11. Wisconsin (11-2) 4 17
12. Michigan (10-2) 4 13
13. Kansas State (10-2) 6 18
14. Virginia Tech (11-2) 5 5
15. Houston (12-1) 2 3
16. Baylor (9-3) 8 19
17. Michigan State (10-3) 7 11
18. Georgia (10-3) 6 15
19. Clemson (10-3) 6 25
20. Nebraska (9-3) 7 20
21. West Virginia (9-3) 5 21
22. Southern Mississippi (11-2) 3 22
23. Cincinnati (9-3) 3 23
24. BYU (9-3) 3 24
25. Arkansas State (10-2) 3 27
26. Oklahoma (9-3) 7 8
27. Northern Illinois (10-3) 2 28
28. Penn State (9-3) 4 26
29. Notre Dame (8-4) 4 30
30. Georgia Tech (8-4) 4 31
31. Rutgers (8-4) 4 32
32. Florida State (8-4) 4 33
33. Tulsa (8-4) 5 35
34. Virginia (8-4) 4 38
35. Wyoming (8-4) 3 37
36. San Diego State (8-4) 4 NR
37. Ohio U. (9-4) 2 29
38. Toledo (8-4) 3 39
39. Temple (8-4) 2 36
40. Louisiana Tech (8-4) 2 NR
Other Successful 2011 Teams: Florida International (8-4), Auburn (7-5), North Carolina State (7-5), Louisville (7-5), Western Michigan (7-5), California (7-5), SMU (7-5), Utah State (7-5), Western Kentucky (7-5), North Carolina (7-5), Missouri (7-5), Air Force (7-5), Washington (7-5), Utah (7-5)
Dropped Out: Texas (7-5), Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4)
Jobbed by Bowl Selection Committee: Boise State, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Western Kentucky
Michigan State
Unworthy of Bowls They Received: Virginia Tech, Michigan, West Virginia, UCLA, Alabama
Friday, December 9, 2011
NCAA Volleyball Week Fifteen Highlights (11/28-12/4/11)
Week Fourteen Selected Match Highlights:
There were upsets and epic battles between high-quality teams. Of course they were high-quality squads, because it's tournament time.
The Big Ten had a terrific first weekend in the Big Dance, excepting Nebraska's upset loss at home to Kansas State, 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 31-29, 22-25, 15-11). Returning the mild upset favor, Michigan took out host Stanford, 3-1, and Ohio State surprised host Tennessee, 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 15-12). Host Minnesota took out a talented but underachieving Washington squad, 3-2 (18-25, 20-25, 25-11, 25-21, 15-11).
In other Big Ten news, Purdue cruised past Morehead State and Louisville (3-0 and 3-1, respectively), Illinois smashed Central Michigan and Marquette (by identical 3-0 scores), and Penn State crushed deer-in-the-headlights foes Liberty and Delaware (also by identical 3-0 scores).
Washington's and Stanford's woes illustrated the Pac-12's generally disappointing first weekend. Cal-Berkeley got thumped by North Carolina at a neutral site (Malibu), 3-2 (25-17, 16-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-9). Colorado State hammered streaky Oregon, in what was not an upset, in Honolulu, 3-2 (24-26, 25-21, 25-21, 15-25, 15-10). Arizona getting rolled by Michigan State, 3-1, barely deserves an asterisk since the Wildcats really didn't deserve a tourney bid.
USC and UCLA both won two matches at home, USC not losing a set in beat-downs of Yale and Tulsa while UCLA lost only one set in defeating Maryland-East Shore and a quality San Diego team.
The Big 12 had a solid weekend. Host Texas slammed Texas State and Michigan State without losing a set, as expected. Host Iowa State routed Milwaukee and Miami FL by the same 3-0 scores, a mild upset to some. Kansas State shocked Nebraska after breezing by Wichita State, a huge upset to most.
On the down side, Texas A&M was shut out by Kentucky in the second round, and Oklahoma was embarrassed by Tulsa in the first round, 3-1. For schools that really didn't belong in the Big Dance, Missouri and Baylor showed well, winning a set from Florida and MIchigan, respectively, in the first round.
The SEC lost Tennessee in the second round, but Florida and Kentucky made it through the weekend, allowing them to host their own regionals this week, a marked advantage. Kentucky had a tough match with Dayton, beating the tenacious Flyers, 3-2 (25-20, 16-25, 22-25, 25-15, 16-14).
The ACC had an interesting week, with flagship programs Miami FL and Duke falling by the wayside. On the other hand, North Carolina upset Cal-Berkeley before getting throttled by host Pepperdine, 3-0. Florida State is the sole survivor, with an easy win over Albany NY, 3-0, before an epic win over Cincinnati, 3-2 (25-23, 16-25, 25-20, 20-25, 15-13).
Before its epic loss to FSU, Cincinnati of the Big East struggled to get by Samford, 3-2 (25-17, 22-25, 25-16, 23-25, 15-9). Cardiac kids. In other conference news, a disappointing Louisville squad shut out Ball State before putting up a valiant fight against host Purdue before falling, 3-1. Marquette notched a quality win over a decent Western Kentucky team, 3-1, before getting shut out by Big Ten powerhouse Illinois.
Of the tiny conference teams in the tournament, only Delaware had a victory (3-1 over peer American) in the first round before getting humbled by Penn State, 3-0.
Of the mid-level conference teams, San Diego of the WCC beat Long Beach State, 3-1, before losing by an identical score to Pac-12 power UCLA. Another WCC school, Pepperdine, shut out both Missouri State and North Carolina. Hosting the first weekend didn't hurt. Elsewhere, Tulsa stomped Oklahoma, 3-1, before falling to host USC, 3-0. Northern Iowa shut out Niagara before falling to Florida, 3-1. Colorado State had a quality win against Oregon, 3-2, before falling to host Hawaii, 3-1.
Hawaii is the monster of the mid-level conferences (now in the WAC, next year in the Big West). My top-ranked Rainbow Wahines pummelled Northern Colorado, 3-0, before defeating a strong Colorado State squad, 3-1, at home.
NCAA Tournament Preview, Rounds 3 and 4:
Only seven of my top ten seeds made it into the second weekend of the Big Dance, but accidents happen! Top seed Hawaii has good news and bad news. The good news? The Rainbow Wahines host for the second weekend in a row. The bad news? They play third-seeded USC in the third round! It should be an epic battle. If they get by the Trojans, they should get by either Pepperdine or Kansas State in the fourth round.
Minnesota should get by Iowa State at home, but then the team should face an ultra-powerful Purdue. Is a home-court advantage enough?
Host Florida has an inconsistent Michigan squad in the third round. Which Wolverine team will show up? If the Gators get by that obstacle, they could give Big Ten power Illinois fits. Or not.
Host Kentucky has the slimmest chance of emerging from their regional with tickets to San Antonio and the Final Four. However, the Wildcats are talented, a genuine new power in volleyball. Unfortunately, they have to beat old, established powers Texas and UCLA or Penn State to move on. Expect the Bruins to give the powerful-but-vulnerable Nittany Lions trouble, in what should be an epic match. I expect Texas to advance, but the regional final should be another epic contest.
There were upsets and epic battles between high-quality teams. Of course they were high-quality squads, because it's tournament time.
The Big Ten had a terrific first weekend in the Big Dance, excepting Nebraska's upset loss at home to Kansas State, 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 31-29, 22-25, 15-11). Returning the mild upset favor, Michigan took out host Stanford, 3-1, and Ohio State surprised host Tennessee, 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 15-12). Host Minnesota took out a talented but underachieving Washington squad, 3-2 (18-25, 20-25, 25-11, 25-21, 15-11).
In other Big Ten news, Purdue cruised past Morehead State and Louisville (3-0 and 3-1, respectively), Illinois smashed Central Michigan and Marquette (by identical 3-0 scores), and Penn State crushed deer-in-the-headlights foes Liberty and Delaware (also by identical 3-0 scores).
Washington's and Stanford's woes illustrated the Pac-12's generally disappointing first weekend. Cal-Berkeley got thumped by North Carolina at a neutral site (Malibu), 3-2 (25-17, 16-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-9). Colorado State hammered streaky Oregon, in what was not an upset, in Honolulu, 3-2 (24-26, 25-21, 25-21, 15-25, 15-10). Arizona getting rolled by Michigan State, 3-1, barely deserves an asterisk since the Wildcats really didn't deserve a tourney bid.
USC and UCLA both won two matches at home, USC not losing a set in beat-downs of Yale and Tulsa while UCLA lost only one set in defeating Maryland-East Shore and a quality San Diego team.
The Big 12 had a solid weekend. Host Texas slammed Texas State and Michigan State without losing a set, as expected. Host Iowa State routed Milwaukee and Miami FL by the same 3-0 scores, a mild upset to some. Kansas State shocked Nebraska after breezing by Wichita State, a huge upset to most.
On the down side, Texas A&M was shut out by Kentucky in the second round, and Oklahoma was embarrassed by Tulsa in the first round, 3-1. For schools that really didn't belong in the Big Dance, Missouri and Baylor showed well, winning a set from Florida and MIchigan, respectively, in the first round.
The SEC lost Tennessee in the second round, but Florida and Kentucky made it through the weekend, allowing them to host their own regionals this week, a marked advantage. Kentucky had a tough match with Dayton, beating the tenacious Flyers, 3-2 (25-20, 16-25, 22-25, 25-15, 16-14).
The ACC had an interesting week, with flagship programs Miami FL and Duke falling by the wayside. On the other hand, North Carolina upset Cal-Berkeley before getting throttled by host Pepperdine, 3-0. Florida State is the sole survivor, with an easy win over Albany NY, 3-0, before an epic win over Cincinnati, 3-2 (25-23, 16-25, 25-20, 20-25, 15-13).
Before its epic loss to FSU, Cincinnati of the Big East struggled to get by Samford, 3-2 (25-17, 22-25, 25-16, 23-25, 15-9). Cardiac kids. In other conference news, a disappointing Louisville squad shut out Ball State before putting up a valiant fight against host Purdue before falling, 3-1. Marquette notched a quality win over a decent Western Kentucky team, 3-1, before getting shut out by Big Ten powerhouse Illinois.
Of the tiny conference teams in the tournament, only Delaware had a victory (3-1 over peer American) in the first round before getting humbled by Penn State, 3-0.
Of the mid-level conference teams, San Diego of the WCC beat Long Beach State, 3-1, before losing by an identical score to Pac-12 power UCLA. Another WCC school, Pepperdine, shut out both Missouri State and North Carolina. Hosting the first weekend didn't hurt. Elsewhere, Tulsa stomped Oklahoma, 3-1, before falling to host USC, 3-0. Northern Iowa shut out Niagara before falling to Florida, 3-1. Colorado State had a quality win against Oregon, 3-2, before falling to host Hawaii, 3-1.
Hawaii is the monster of the mid-level conferences (now in the WAC, next year in the Big West). My top-ranked Rainbow Wahines pummelled Northern Colorado, 3-0, before defeating a strong Colorado State squad, 3-1, at home.
NCAA Tournament Preview, Rounds 3 and 4:
Only seven of my top ten seeds made it into the second weekend of the Big Dance, but accidents happen! Top seed Hawaii has good news and bad news. The good news? The Rainbow Wahines host for the second weekend in a row. The bad news? They play third-seeded USC in the third round! It should be an epic battle. If they get by the Trojans, they should get by either Pepperdine or Kansas State in the fourth round.
Minnesota should get by Iowa State at home, but then the team should face an ultra-powerful Purdue. Is a home-court advantage enough?
Host Florida has an inconsistent Michigan squad in the third round. Which Wolverine team will show up? If the Gators get by that obstacle, they could give Big Ten power Illinois fits. Or not.
Host Kentucky has the slimmest chance of emerging from their regional with tickets to San Antonio and the Final Four. However, the Wildcats are talented, a genuine new power in volleyball. Unfortunately, they have to beat old, established powers Texas and UCLA or Penn State to move on. Expect the Bruins to give the powerful-but-vulnerable Nittany Lions trouble, in what should be an epic match. I expect Texas to advance, but the regional final should be another epic contest.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Sandflea's Week Fifteen NCAA Women's Volleyball Top 40
(through games of 12/4/11, first week of NCAA's)
Rank School Record Ranked Opponents Rank Last Week
Played to Date
1. Hawaii (31-1) 8 1
2. Purdue (29-4) 13 2
3. Southern Cal (27-4) 15 3
4. Texas (24-4) 13 4
5. Illinois (29-4) 13 5
6. UCLA (26-6) 15 7
7. Florida (27-5) 8 10
8. Kentucky (28-5) 10 12
9. Iowa State (24-5) 16 13
10. Tennessee (28-4) 12 6
11. Colorado State (24-6) 7 16
12. Miami FL (26-5) 9 9
13. Penn State (25-7) 14 17
14. Nebraska (25-5) 11 8
15. Pepperdine (24-6) 12 19
16. Florida State (26-6) 12 20
17. Northern Iowa (33-2) 6 11
18. Washington (22-8) 14 23
19. California (25-7) 13 15
20. Stanford (22-8) 17 21
21. Long Beach State (23-7) 7 18
22. Western Kentucky (31-4) 3 14
23. Tulsa (28-7) 7 24
24. Dayton (24-7) 7 26
25. San Diego (28-5) 9 27
26. Cincinnati (27-10) 13 28
27. Texas A&M (23-8) 10 22
28. North Carolina (23-9) 10 33
29. Michigan (22-12) 15 35
30. Minnesota (20-11) 18 39
31. Oregon (20-10) 14 25
32. Duke (21-9) 8 31
33. Kansas State (22-10) 9 NR
34. Northern Illinois (28-7) 8 30
35. Milwaukee (25-5) 2 29
36. TCU (25-7) 4 37
37. Ohio State (21-14) 15 NR
38. Michigan State (22-12) 12 NR
39. Louisville (24-9) 9 NR
40. Delaware (21-13) 4 NR
Too Late to Move Up: North Dakota (26-5), Missouri State (22-9), Oklahoma (20-12), Yale (18-7), Wyoming (21-11), Furman (21-9), New Mexico State (23-10), Ball State (25-8), Western Michigan (24-9), BYU (21-9), San Diego State (20-10), Lipscomb (20-11), Arizona (19-13), Marquette (24-11), Missouri (21-13), Central Michigan (19-14), Texas State (27-8), Maryland-East Shore (24-7), American (23-11), Liberty (20-13), Morehead State (26-8), Albany NY (21-9), North Dakota State (26-9), Jackson State (26-10), Wichita State (21-11), Northern Colorado (22-9), Niagara (25-9), Sacred Heart (27-8), Middle Tennessee (21-12)
Dropped Out: North Dakota (26-5), Missouri State (22-9), Oklahoma (20-12), Yale (18-7), Samford (29-5)
Rank School Record Ranked Opponents Rank Last Week
Played to Date
1. Hawaii (31-1) 8 1
2. Purdue (29-4) 13 2
3. Southern Cal (27-4) 15 3
4. Texas (24-4) 13 4
5. Illinois (29-4) 13 5
6. UCLA (26-6) 15 7
7. Florida (27-5) 8 10
8. Kentucky (28-5) 10 12
9. Iowa State (24-5) 16 13
10. Tennessee (28-4) 12 6
11. Colorado State (24-6) 7 16
12. Miami FL (26-5) 9 9
13. Penn State (25-7) 14 17
14. Nebraska (25-5) 11 8
15. Pepperdine (24-6) 12 19
16. Florida State (26-6) 12 20
17. Northern Iowa (33-2) 6 11
18. Washington (22-8) 14 23
19. California (25-7) 13 15
20. Stanford (22-8) 17 21
21. Long Beach State (23-7) 7 18
22. Western Kentucky (31-4) 3 14
23. Tulsa (28-7) 7 24
24. Dayton (24-7) 7 26
25. San Diego (28-5) 9 27
26. Cincinnati (27-10) 13 28
27. Texas A&M (23-8) 10 22
28. North Carolina (23-9) 10 33
29. Michigan (22-12) 15 35
30. Minnesota (20-11) 18 39
31. Oregon (20-10) 14 25
32. Duke (21-9) 8 31
33. Kansas State (22-10) 9 NR
34. Northern Illinois (28-7) 8 30
35. Milwaukee (25-5) 2 29
36. TCU (25-7) 4 37
37. Ohio State (21-14) 15 NR
38. Michigan State (22-12) 12 NR
39. Louisville (24-9) 9 NR
40. Delaware (21-13) 4 NR
Too Late to Move Up: North Dakota (26-5), Missouri State (22-9), Oklahoma (20-12), Yale (18-7), Wyoming (21-11), Furman (21-9), New Mexico State (23-10), Ball State (25-8), Western Michigan (24-9), BYU (21-9), San Diego State (20-10), Lipscomb (20-11), Arizona (19-13), Marquette (24-11), Missouri (21-13), Central Michigan (19-14), Texas State (27-8), Maryland-East Shore (24-7), American (23-11), Liberty (20-13), Morehead State (26-8), Albany NY (21-9), North Dakota State (26-9), Jackson State (26-10), Wichita State (21-11), Northern Colorado (22-9), Niagara (25-9), Sacred Heart (27-8), Middle Tennessee (21-12)
Dropped Out: North Dakota (26-5), Missouri State (22-9), Oklahoma (20-12), Yale (18-7), Samford (29-5)
Friday, December 2, 2011
NCAA Volleyball Tournament Selection Committee: Taking Care of Their Own
First, a little history lesson is in order. The NCAA has been sanctioning Division One women's volleyball championships since 1981. In those past 30 years, 13 titles have been won by Pac-12 teams (Stanford, USC, UCLA, Washington), 5 titles have been won by Big West schools (Pacific and Long Beach State), and 3 have been won by Hawaii (joining the Big West next year). You do the math: 21 of 30 women's volleyball titles have been won by schools in states with at least one border meshing with the Pacific Ocean.
In contrast, how many titles has the currently composed Big 12 accrued (not including Nebraska, now a member of the Big Ten)? One. Texas in 1988.
Flash forward to 2011. In the last coaches' poll (AVCA), 6 of the top 16 came from the Pac-12, 2 from the Big 12. In that same poll, the top 4 were USC, Nebraska, Hawaii, and UCLA--3 from the Far West. The last NCAA committee rankings ran like this to set up the tournament seedings: only 3 of the top 16 came from the Pac-12, while an equal number came from the . . . Big 12! More incredulously, the NCAA deigned no school west of Nebraska worthy of a top 4 seed--their top 4 were Texas, Nebraska, Illinois, and IOWA STATE!!! Purdue was in at 5 and NORTHERN IOWA in at 6!!! The coaches' poll had Iowa State #14 and Northern Iowa #12. My own rankings had Northern Iowa #11 and Iowa State #13. More stupefying is this: according to the NCAA selection committee, the Big 12 had as many quality teams as the Pac-12--each had seven member schools chosen for the Big Dance.
So what's going on? Is it that prevalent anti-Far West bias affecting the committee members? Is it an unusually distorted pro-Big 12 and pro-Missouri Valley viewpoint? If so, why?
Well, who's on the NCAA volleyball committee? The chairperson, Diane Turnham, is the associate athletic director at Middle Tennessee State from the Sun Belt Conference. Incidentally, Middle Tennessee State made the field of 64, and the "powerful" Sun Belt has two teams in the field--Middle Tennessee (questionable) and Western Kentucky (deserved).
Of the 9 other committee members, only 2 are from west of Missouri: Nona Richardson of Cal-Davis (Big West) and Colleen Lim of Pacific (also Big West). In other words, the most historically dominant women's volleyball conference has no direct representation on the NCAA volleyball committee. Why is that? To be fair, the glaring omission didn't diminish the Pac-12 numbers in the Big Dance field. It probably impacted the lower-than-deserved seedings, however.
The real problem lies in the disproportionate number of regions and regional representation found on the committee. The regions represented are as follows: East, Northeast, Mideast, South, Central, Midwest, West, and Pacific.
Could we have some redistricting here? They do it in politics, and the NCAA is, alas, nothing but a machine full of political machinations. Two suggestions: 1) either add Northwest and Mountain regions or delete the redundant Central and Northeast regions from the committee to create more geographical balance, and 2) limit representation to one member from each region. As it is, both the Mideast and Midwest regions have two representatives each. Ouch! What's fair about that? No wonder a slight Ohio State team got shoehorned in, giving the Big Ten, a legitimate volleyball power conference, a ludicrous eight-school representation in the Big Dance.
No wonder mediocre squads like Baylor, Kansas State, and Missouri from the Big 12 made it. If two Midwest reps and one redundant Central region rep weren't enough to make sure the Big 12 was over-represented, having Cynthia Gannon of Missouri State (Midwest) and Sarah Reesman of Missouri (Central) on the committee sealed the deal at least for Missouri and Missouri State's inclusion!
What's more, Missouri State's Ms. Gannon probably didn't take a backseat when it was suggested that Missouri Valley Conference mate Northern Iowa deserved an inflated seeding/ranking, for it made her own school look better in losing to them. Ditto Missouri's Ms. Reesman, when it was suggested that not one, but two Big 12 teams deserved top 4 seeds, including overhyped Iowa State. That logic led to the conclusion that Missouri was a very good team, not mediocre, because it lost to several great Big-12 teams, not just one.
On the other hand, was Colorado State the only Mountain West school deserving of a Big Dance bid? What about TCU (25-7), Wyoming (20-11), and San Diego State (20-10)? Yes, CSU won the MWC tournament, but CSU also beat Nebraska. Then again, just as in football, how could the Mountain West Conference be respected in women's volleyball when THERE IS NO MOUNTAIN REGION, or representative of same, present at NCAA volleyball committee meetings?
Elsewhere, the Big East and SEC have no direct representation on the committee; tournament schools from those conferences deserved inclusion: Marquette, Cincinnati, Louisville (Big East) and Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky (SEC). Even a few conferences with direct representation didn't take advantage of the situation.
The ACC (Ms. Barbara Walker of Wake Forest) placed four deserving teams in the tourney: Duke, Florida State, Miami (FL), and North Carolina. The abovementioned Ms. Lim and Ms. Richardson of the Big West only placed one Big West team in the Big Dance, Long Beach State. Of course, those two Westerners may have lobbied for more Western teams to be included, but they could have been outvoted or vetoed by the other eight members.
On the other hand, some conferences with direct representation, including the Big Ten (Ms. Terry Gawlik of Wisconsin) and Big 12 (the abovementioned Ms. Reesman of Missouri) could be viewed as stuffing the ballot box. Perhaps Ms. Gawlik considers herself a legendary leader (well, she was the chairperson of this committee in recent years and the Big Ten football divisions are called Legends and Leaders), but how could she get away with Ohio State (19-14) and, some would argue, Minnesota (18-11)? True, Minnesota is hosting a regional. True, Minnesota had one of the toughest schedules in the nation. But Ohio State?
As for the Big 12, what already hasn't been said? Sure, Texas deserved a Top 4 seed, but not Iowa State. Sure, Texas A&M and Oklahoma also deserved inclusion, but not necessarily Baylor, Kansas State, and Missouri. Is the Big 12 really on the same level as the Pac-12 in volleyball? We'll see how that plays out over the next three weekends.
As a brief postscript, could there be other explanations for the illogical seedings and conference over-representations and under-representations?
Committee chair Ms. Turnham may not know volleyball, but she definitely knows football and politics. In both, a good defense is a good offense. These are her words recently in why the committee disregards the AVCA poll: "The Coaches' Poll is based off of the votes of the Division I volleyball coaches. The coaches do not necessarily have to use the NCAA selection criteria when placing their votes." TRANSLATION: "We are more objective, fair, unbiased, and knowledgeable than the Division I coaches."
While Ms. Turnham tries to be as dispassionate and judicious when explaining that the selection committee's formula comes from a combination of RPI, won-loss record, results against common opponents, results from head-to-head competition, and input from regional advisory committees, we all know that the regional input and direct selection committee member input are the over-riding factors, making them even more biased and fallible than the AVCA poll. In other words, like with the BCS committee's so-called strictly objective and mathematical formulas in determining BCS standings and team placements in bowl games, it's all smoke and mirrors, with a dose of reality for surface credibility and a veneer of justice.
At least Division I volleyball coaches have historical perspective and show Far West teams the proper respect. My historical perspective allows me to approve of Penn State's super-cupcake path to the regionals. Why? They are the defending four-time national champion. They deserve respect, and so do the Pac-12 powers and Hawaii.
Are most or all of the small-school administrators trying to impress big-school administrators? Do all of the non-West, small-school committee members dream of jobs in the Big Ten or Big 12? Interesting thought. Could other, more insidious, influences be involved here? I hope not.
In contrast, how many titles has the currently composed Big 12 accrued (not including Nebraska, now a member of the Big Ten)? One. Texas in 1988.
Flash forward to 2011. In the last coaches' poll (AVCA), 6 of the top 16 came from the Pac-12, 2 from the Big 12. In that same poll, the top 4 were USC, Nebraska, Hawaii, and UCLA--3 from the Far West. The last NCAA committee rankings ran like this to set up the tournament seedings: only 3 of the top 16 came from the Pac-12, while an equal number came from the . . . Big 12! More incredulously, the NCAA deigned no school west of Nebraska worthy of a top 4 seed--their top 4 were Texas, Nebraska, Illinois, and IOWA STATE!!! Purdue was in at 5 and NORTHERN IOWA in at 6!!! The coaches' poll had Iowa State #14 and Northern Iowa #12. My own rankings had Northern Iowa #11 and Iowa State #13. More stupefying is this: according to the NCAA selection committee, the Big 12 had as many quality teams as the Pac-12--each had seven member schools chosen for the Big Dance.
So what's going on? Is it that prevalent anti-Far West bias affecting the committee members? Is it an unusually distorted pro-Big 12 and pro-Missouri Valley viewpoint? If so, why?
Well, who's on the NCAA volleyball committee? The chairperson, Diane Turnham, is the associate athletic director at Middle Tennessee State from the Sun Belt Conference. Incidentally, Middle Tennessee State made the field of 64, and the "powerful" Sun Belt has two teams in the field--Middle Tennessee (questionable) and Western Kentucky (deserved).
Of the 9 other committee members, only 2 are from west of Missouri: Nona Richardson of Cal-Davis (Big West) and Colleen Lim of Pacific (also Big West). In other words, the most historically dominant women's volleyball conference has no direct representation on the NCAA volleyball committee. Why is that? To be fair, the glaring omission didn't diminish the Pac-12 numbers in the Big Dance field. It probably impacted the lower-than-deserved seedings, however.
The real problem lies in the disproportionate number of regions and regional representation found on the committee. The regions represented are as follows: East, Northeast, Mideast, South, Central, Midwest, West, and Pacific.
Could we have some redistricting here? They do it in politics, and the NCAA is, alas, nothing but a machine full of political machinations. Two suggestions: 1) either add Northwest and Mountain regions or delete the redundant Central and Northeast regions from the committee to create more geographical balance, and 2) limit representation to one member from each region. As it is, both the Mideast and Midwest regions have two representatives each. Ouch! What's fair about that? No wonder a slight Ohio State team got shoehorned in, giving the Big Ten, a legitimate volleyball power conference, a ludicrous eight-school representation in the Big Dance.
No wonder mediocre squads like Baylor, Kansas State, and Missouri from the Big 12 made it. If two Midwest reps and one redundant Central region rep weren't enough to make sure the Big 12 was over-represented, having Cynthia Gannon of Missouri State (Midwest) and Sarah Reesman of Missouri (Central) on the committee sealed the deal at least for Missouri and Missouri State's inclusion!
What's more, Missouri State's Ms. Gannon probably didn't take a backseat when it was suggested that Missouri Valley Conference mate Northern Iowa deserved an inflated seeding/ranking, for it made her own school look better in losing to them. Ditto Missouri's Ms. Reesman, when it was suggested that not one, but two Big 12 teams deserved top 4 seeds, including overhyped Iowa State. That logic led to the conclusion that Missouri was a very good team, not mediocre, because it lost to several great Big-12 teams, not just one.
On the other hand, was Colorado State the only Mountain West school deserving of a Big Dance bid? What about TCU (25-7), Wyoming (20-11), and San Diego State (20-10)? Yes, CSU won the MWC tournament, but CSU also beat Nebraska. Then again, just as in football, how could the Mountain West Conference be respected in women's volleyball when THERE IS NO MOUNTAIN REGION, or representative of same, present at NCAA volleyball committee meetings?
Elsewhere, the Big East and SEC have no direct representation on the committee; tournament schools from those conferences deserved inclusion: Marquette, Cincinnati, Louisville (Big East) and Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky (SEC). Even a few conferences with direct representation didn't take advantage of the situation.
The ACC (Ms. Barbara Walker of Wake Forest) placed four deserving teams in the tourney: Duke, Florida State, Miami (FL), and North Carolina. The abovementioned Ms. Lim and Ms. Richardson of the Big West only placed one Big West team in the Big Dance, Long Beach State. Of course, those two Westerners may have lobbied for more Western teams to be included, but they could have been outvoted or vetoed by the other eight members.
On the other hand, some conferences with direct representation, including the Big Ten (Ms. Terry Gawlik of Wisconsin) and Big 12 (the abovementioned Ms. Reesman of Missouri) could be viewed as stuffing the ballot box. Perhaps Ms. Gawlik considers herself a legendary leader (well, she was the chairperson of this committee in recent years and the Big Ten football divisions are called Legends and Leaders), but how could she get away with Ohio State (19-14) and, some would argue, Minnesota (18-11)? True, Minnesota is hosting a regional. True, Minnesota had one of the toughest schedules in the nation. But Ohio State?
As for the Big 12, what already hasn't been said? Sure, Texas deserved a Top 4 seed, but not Iowa State. Sure, Texas A&M and Oklahoma also deserved inclusion, but not necessarily Baylor, Kansas State, and Missouri. Is the Big 12 really on the same level as the Pac-12 in volleyball? We'll see how that plays out over the next three weekends.
As a brief postscript, could there be other explanations for the illogical seedings and conference over-representations and under-representations?
Committee chair Ms. Turnham may not know volleyball, but she definitely knows football and politics. In both, a good defense is a good offense. These are her words recently in why the committee disregards the AVCA poll: "The Coaches' Poll is based off of the votes of the Division I volleyball coaches. The coaches do not necessarily have to use the NCAA selection criteria when placing their votes." TRANSLATION: "We are more objective, fair, unbiased, and knowledgeable than the Division I coaches."
While Ms. Turnham tries to be as dispassionate and judicious when explaining that the selection committee's formula comes from a combination of RPI, won-loss record, results against common opponents, results from head-to-head competition, and input from regional advisory committees, we all know that the regional input and direct selection committee member input are the over-riding factors, making them even more biased and fallible than the AVCA poll. In other words, like with the BCS committee's so-called strictly objective and mathematical formulas in determining BCS standings and team placements in bowl games, it's all smoke and mirrors, with a dose of reality for surface credibility and a veneer of justice.
At least Division I volleyball coaches have historical perspective and show Far West teams the proper respect. My historical perspective allows me to approve of Penn State's super-cupcake path to the regionals. Why? They are the defending four-time national champion. They deserve respect, and so do the Pac-12 powers and Hawaii.
Are most or all of the small-school administrators trying to impress big-school administrators? Do all of the non-West, small-school committee members dream of jobs in the Big Ten or Big 12? Interesting thought. Could other, more insidious, influences be involved here? I hope not.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
NCAA Volleyball Week Fourteen Highlights (11/21-11/27/11)
Week Fourteen Selected Match Highlights:
Five of last week's Top 40 (Western Kentucky, San Diego, Milwaukee, North Dakota, and Yale) were idle, as many teams wrapped their regular seasons early. On the other hand, the major conference teams played, although many had just one game all week, while others concluded with nonconference matches.
Appropriately, most of the top matches involved either the best team (Hawaii) or the best conferences (Big Ten and Pac-12). In a whacky WAC tournament in Las Vegas, Hawaii had to fight off a pesky Fresno State team, 3-2 (23-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-11, 15-10), before steamrolling a more talented New Mexico State, 3-0. Then, the Rainbow Warriors outfought the Titans of Cal State Fullerton, 3-1, in an inconsequential nonconference match on the long way home. However, Hawaii should get used to Big West foes, for next year they'll be back in the conference (in all sports except football), creating more epic grudge matches with Long Beach State.
In the Pac-12, USC swept the season series with crosstown rival UCLA, beating the Bruins, 3-1. They also took the conference crown with superior overall play: hitters who do more than hit, blockers who do more than block, and setters who do more than set. Hoping it was the beginning of a 2011 Final Four run, Cal-Berkeley pounded a recently underachieving Stanford squad in Palo Alto, 3-1 (24-26, 29-27, 25-23, 25-14).
Up north, Washington mashed Washington State, 3-0, at home, but the Cougars took the Huskies to five sets (21-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-19, 15-4) in the return match before falling in Pullman. Oregon State got clobbered by their superior in-state rival Oregon, 3-0, as well on the road, but the Beavers displayed even more mettle at home, upsetting the Ducks in their return match, 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-19).
In the Sonoran desert, a superior Arizona squad shut out Arizona State at home, but the Sun Devils gained revenge in a 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23) upset to make their season.
Elsewhere in the west, Long Beach State had a great pre-Big Dance week, toying with Loyola Marymount, 3-0, and defeating New Mexico and far-from-home foe Central Michigan (fresh off an upset MAC tourney title) by identical 3-1 scores.
In the Big Ten, Purdue, Illinois, and Penn State all looked good in avoiding upsets, the Nittany Lions even humbling a suddenly red-hot Michigan State Spartans in Lansing, 3-1. Nebraska wasn't as fortunate, as the Cornhuskers fell to Northwestern in Evanston, 3-1 (25-20, 9-25, 25-21, 25-23).
On a lesser scale, Ohio State upset Michigan, 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 16-25, 25-20), not to say that such a victory warranted an NCAA tourney bid (more on that in a separate blog, coming tomorrow).
The ACC and SEC each enjoyed one great showdown match. Host Miami (FL) defeated Florida State, 3-1 (25-16, 33-31, 21-25, 25-22), while host Tennessee got by Kentucky in four sets as well (28-30, 25-20, 30-28, 25-18).
Conference-USA had one great match:SMU (14-17) upset Tulsa(27-5), 3-2 (25-19, 20-25, 11-25, 25-8, 15-12). In a surprising nonconference upset, Ohio U. knocked off Big East powerhouse and host Cincinnati, 3-2 (21-25, 26-24, 25-21, 27-29, 15-13).
Week Fourteen Selected Individual Highlights:
Since the anti-West bias reared its ugly head again in the NCAA volleyball selection committee's seedings and at-large berths, allow this section to start in the West and work its way eastward.
Hawaii had a great three-win week to cap its regular season. Most responsible for the victories over Fresno State, New Mexico State, and Cal State Fullerton were Kanani Danielson (54 kills, 43 digs, 4 blocks), Jane Croson (42 kills, 2 aces, 37 digs, 3 blocks), Brittany Hewitt (26 kills, 9 digs, 9 blocks), Emily Hartong (22 kills, 12 digs, 10 blocks), Mita Uiato (137 assists, 26 digs, 4 kills, 6 blocks, 1 ace), and Emily Maeda (43 digs and 5 assists).
Long Beach State had an equally impressive three-win week, including a decisive win over visiting MAC champ Central Michigan, and triumphs over Loyola Marymount and New Mexico. The principal 49ers were Janisa Johnson (33 kills, 32 digs, 5 blocks, 1 ace), Caitlin Ledoux (29 kills, 27 digs, 4 blocks, 3 aces), Haleigh Hampton (27 kills, 3 aces, 17 blocks, 6 digs), Alma Serna (28 kills, 19 blocks), Erin Juley (121 assists, 9 kills, 14 digs, 5 blocks, 1 ace), and Lauren Minkel (43 digs, 1 ace).
In the Pac-12, many great individual efforts turned into great team wins. Proving a top 4 seed and Pac-12 title was earned, USC defeated UCLA, outhitting the Bruins .208 to .136. Helping the cause most of all were Alex Jupiter (18 kills, 5 blocks, 1 ace, 5 digs), Katie Fuller (16 kills, 4 blocks, 1 ace, 8 digs), Lauren Williams (10 kills, 4 blocks), Alexis Olgard (6 kills, 6 blocks), Sara Shaw (5 kills, 1 ace, 4 digs), and Kendall Bateman (46 assists, 9 digs, 2 blocks).
Cal-Berkeley had another quality win over host Stanford, thanks to Tarah Murrey (23 kills, 1 ace, 9 digs, 1 block), Correy Johnson (16 kill, 4 blocks, 5 digs), Shannon Hawari (12 kills, 5 blocks), Kat Brown (7 kills, 1 ace, 5 blocks, 3 digs), Elly Barrett (60 assists, 2 aces, 7 digs, 1 kill, 1 block), and Robin Rostratter (25 digs, 2 aces).
Oregon State upset Oregon once and lost to them once during the week. The home 3-0 victory was due to a .381 team hitting percentage and Dre Shaw (19 kills, 2 blocks, 8 digs), Camille Saxton (18 kills, 8 digs), Arica Nassar (8 kills, 3 blocks), Megan McBride (41 assists, 8 digs, 3 block, 1 kill), and Becky Defoe (14 digs, 4 assists) overachieving.
Arizona State's big home victory over in-state rival Arizona (also losing on the road to the Wildcats the same week) happened because Ashley Kasti (18 kills, 16 digs, 2 blocks), Nora Tuioti-Mariner (12 kills, 2 aces, 6 blocks, 2 aces, 8 digs), Malia Bachynski (10 kills, 2 blocks), Erica Wilson (7 kills, 6 blocks, 2 aces, 3 digs), Shannon McCready (41 assists, 2 kills, 11 digs, 2 blocks), and Stephanie Preach (36 digs, 5 assists, 1 ace) came to play. On the other hand, the hitting by both sides was brutal (.159 to .143).
Washington avoided an upset from their in-state rival, WSU, beating them twice thanks to Krista Vansant (39 kills, 2 aces, 12 digs), Bianca Rowland (16 kills, 9 blocks), Lauren Barfield (15 kills, 7 blocks), Summer Ross (11 kills, 3 aces, 10 blocks, 7 digs), Jenni Nogueras (56 assists, 5 aces, 7 digs), Evan Sanders (43 assists, 17 digs, 1 ace), Kylin Munoz (16 kills, 4 blocks), and Jenna Orlandini (36 digs, 4 aces, 4 digs).
TCU, not in the West but in the Mountain West Conference and playing last week in San Diego where they beat two nonconference foes (Pittsburgh and Cal-Santa Barbara), lost only one set in both matches thanks to Stephanie Holland (20 kills, 4 blocks), Yvonne Igodan (21 kills, 8 blocks), Kristen Hester (21 kills, 8 blocks, 1 ace, 7 digs), Jordan Raines (18 kills, 21 digs, 6 blocks, 1 ace), Megan Munce (11 kills, 81 assists, 3 aces, 10 digs, 8 blocks), and Sarah Joeckel (35 digs, 7 assists, 2 aces).
An SMU team, at 14-17, could upset a Tulsa team, at 27-5, because players like Jessica Oliver (17 kills, 4 blocks), Dana Powell (10 kills, 1 ace, 19 digs, 3 blocks), Courtney Manning (8 kills, 6 blocks), Kelli Becerra (27 assists, 12 digs), and Sidney Stewart (who set a single-season SMU record for digs with 625, including 19 against Tulsa) would not quit.
Texas lost only one set in disposing of Texas A&M and Oklahoma, primarily due to the efforts of Haley Eckerman (30 kills, 5 aces, 3 blocks, 7 digs), Bailey Webster (27 kills, 6 blocks), Sha'Dare McNeal (18 kills, 12 digs, 4 blocks), Rachael Adams (18 kills, 9 blocks), Madelyn Hutson (8 kills, 9 blocks, 1 ace, 5 digs), and Hannah Allison (73 assists, 24 digs, 3 blocks, 3 kills, 1 ace).
Minnesota finished strong, sweeping Wisconsin and Indiana, thanks to Tori Dixon (20 kills, 8 blocks, 5 digs), Ashley Wittman (25 kills, 4 blocks, 13 digs, 1 ace), Ariana Filho (16 kills, 7 blocks, 2 aces), Hailey Cowles (16 kills, 30 digs, 5 blocks, 2 aces), Mia Tabberson (80 assists, 15 digs, 3 blocks, 1 ace, 2 kills), and Jessica Granquist (23 digs, 5 assists).
In the week's biggest upset, Northwestern surprised Nebraska. The biggest reasons were Yewande Akanbi (20 kills, 3 blocks), Stephanie Holthus (19 kills, 16 digs, 1 ace, 1 block), Madalyn Shalter (44 assists, 13 digs, 2 kills, 1 block, 1 ace), and Caroline Niedospial (18 digs, 2 aces). While out-hit and out-blocked by the imposing Cornhuskers, the Wildcats were not out-dug, out-set, or out-aced.
Purdue lost only one set against both Indiana and Wisconsin combined, thanks primarily to Ariel Turner (43 kills, 5 blocks, 2 aces, 19 digs), Kierra Jones (16 kills, 6 blocks), Tiffany Fisher (14 kills, 3 aces, 7 blocks, 10 digs), Rachel Davis (76 assists, 14 digs, 6 kills, 3 blocks), and Blair Bashen (25 digs, 3 aces).
Penn State slammed Ohio State and Michigan State on the road in their last Big Dance warm-up. Most responsible for the victories were Ariel Scott (27 kills, 2 aces, 3 blocks, 9 digs), Deja McClendon (23 kills, 25 digs, 3 blocks), Maddie Martin (23 kills, 6 blocks, 9 digs, 2 aces), Katie Slay (20 kills, 6 blocks), Micha Hancock (89 assists, 2 aces, 4 blocks, 15 digs, 9 kills), and Ali Longo (35 digs, 3 ace, 5 assists).
Finally, Florida was able to sweep Auburn and South Carolina because Kelly Murphy (17 kills, 30 assists, 7 digs, 3 blocks, 1 ace), Chanel Brown (36 assists, 1 ace, 9 digs), Kristy Jackel (18 kills, 3 aces, 15 digs, 3 blocks), Stephanie Ferrell (13 kills, 3 digs, 1 block), Chloe Mann (12 kills, 8 blocks), and Tangerine Wiggs (12 kills, 4 blocks) didn't overlook the opposition.
NCAA Tournament Preview, Rounds 1 and 2:
There are 48 Division I matches this week in the first two rounds of the Big Dance. This particular blog only views the best matches and potential upsets, avoiding scrutinizing the Selection Committee's decisions. That controversy will be analyzed elsewhere.
In the Gainesville bracket, good first-round matches should include Duke at Tennessee and Marquette taking on Western Kentucky on Illinois' campus. Tennessee and WKU may have far fewer losses to this point, but Duke and Marquette have the talent to take the favorites to five, or even win.
Potential quality second-round matches include Michigan at Stanford and Florida at Northern Iowa. Will the traditions of Stanford and Florida be enough to intimidate the new kids on the block?
In the Lexington bracket, good first-round matches should include Michigan State-Arizona in Austin, Long Beach State-San Diego in Westwood, and Delaware-American in State College/University Park.
Excellent potential second-round matches should include Kentucky-Texas A&M and Long Beach State or San Diego at UCLA.
In the Minneapolis bracket, interesting first-round matches should include Ball State-Louisville in Lafayette, IN, and Northern Illinois-Miami (FL) in Ames. In this relatively weak bracket, look for Washington to give Minnesota trouble and Louisville to give host Purdue problems in potential second-round matches.
In the extremely difficult Honolulu bracket, Oregon-Colorado State in Honolulu and Tulsa-Oklahoma in Los Angeles should be close first-round matches. In the second round, look for Pepperdine to give Cal-Berkeley fits and Oregon or CSU to give recently untested Hawaii a strong test in Honolulu.
Five of last week's Top 40 (Western Kentucky, San Diego, Milwaukee, North Dakota, and Yale) were idle, as many teams wrapped their regular seasons early. On the other hand, the major conference teams played, although many had just one game all week, while others concluded with nonconference matches.
Appropriately, most of the top matches involved either the best team (Hawaii) or the best conferences (Big Ten and Pac-12). In a whacky WAC tournament in Las Vegas, Hawaii had to fight off a pesky Fresno State team, 3-2 (23-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-11, 15-10), before steamrolling a more talented New Mexico State, 3-0. Then, the Rainbow Warriors outfought the Titans of Cal State Fullerton, 3-1, in an inconsequential nonconference match on the long way home. However, Hawaii should get used to Big West foes, for next year they'll be back in the conference (in all sports except football), creating more epic grudge matches with Long Beach State.
In the Pac-12, USC swept the season series with crosstown rival UCLA, beating the Bruins, 3-1. They also took the conference crown with superior overall play: hitters who do more than hit, blockers who do more than block, and setters who do more than set. Hoping it was the beginning of a 2011 Final Four run, Cal-Berkeley pounded a recently underachieving Stanford squad in Palo Alto, 3-1 (24-26, 29-27, 25-23, 25-14).
Up north, Washington mashed Washington State, 3-0, at home, but the Cougars took the Huskies to five sets (21-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-19, 15-4) in the return match before falling in Pullman. Oregon State got clobbered by their superior in-state rival Oregon, 3-0, as well on the road, but the Beavers displayed even more mettle at home, upsetting the Ducks in their return match, 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-19).
In the Sonoran desert, a superior Arizona squad shut out Arizona State at home, but the Sun Devils gained revenge in a 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23) upset to make their season.
Elsewhere in the west, Long Beach State had a great pre-Big Dance week, toying with Loyola Marymount, 3-0, and defeating New Mexico and far-from-home foe Central Michigan (fresh off an upset MAC tourney title) by identical 3-1 scores.
In the Big Ten, Purdue, Illinois, and Penn State all looked good in avoiding upsets, the Nittany Lions even humbling a suddenly red-hot Michigan State Spartans in Lansing, 3-1. Nebraska wasn't as fortunate, as the Cornhuskers fell to Northwestern in Evanston, 3-1 (25-20, 9-25, 25-21, 25-23).
On a lesser scale, Ohio State upset Michigan, 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 16-25, 25-20), not to say that such a victory warranted an NCAA tourney bid (more on that in a separate blog, coming tomorrow).
The ACC and SEC each enjoyed one great showdown match. Host Miami (FL) defeated Florida State, 3-1 (25-16, 33-31, 21-25, 25-22), while host Tennessee got by Kentucky in four sets as well (28-30, 25-20, 30-28, 25-18).
Conference-USA had one great match:SMU (14-17) upset Tulsa(27-5), 3-2 (25-19, 20-25, 11-25, 25-8, 15-12). In a surprising nonconference upset, Ohio U. knocked off Big East powerhouse and host Cincinnati, 3-2 (21-25, 26-24, 25-21, 27-29, 15-13).
Week Fourteen Selected Individual Highlights:
Since the anti-West bias reared its ugly head again in the NCAA volleyball selection committee's seedings and at-large berths, allow this section to start in the West and work its way eastward.
Hawaii had a great three-win week to cap its regular season. Most responsible for the victories over Fresno State, New Mexico State, and Cal State Fullerton were Kanani Danielson (54 kills, 43 digs, 4 blocks), Jane Croson (42 kills, 2 aces, 37 digs, 3 blocks), Brittany Hewitt (26 kills, 9 digs, 9 blocks), Emily Hartong (22 kills, 12 digs, 10 blocks), Mita Uiato (137 assists, 26 digs, 4 kills, 6 blocks, 1 ace), and Emily Maeda (43 digs and 5 assists).
Long Beach State had an equally impressive three-win week, including a decisive win over visiting MAC champ Central Michigan, and triumphs over Loyola Marymount and New Mexico. The principal 49ers were Janisa Johnson (33 kills, 32 digs, 5 blocks, 1 ace), Caitlin Ledoux (29 kills, 27 digs, 4 blocks, 3 aces), Haleigh Hampton (27 kills, 3 aces, 17 blocks, 6 digs), Alma Serna (28 kills, 19 blocks), Erin Juley (121 assists, 9 kills, 14 digs, 5 blocks, 1 ace), and Lauren Minkel (43 digs, 1 ace).
In the Pac-12, many great individual efforts turned into great team wins. Proving a top 4 seed and Pac-12 title was earned, USC defeated UCLA, outhitting the Bruins .208 to .136. Helping the cause most of all were Alex Jupiter (18 kills, 5 blocks, 1 ace, 5 digs), Katie Fuller (16 kills, 4 blocks, 1 ace, 8 digs), Lauren Williams (10 kills, 4 blocks), Alexis Olgard (6 kills, 6 blocks), Sara Shaw (5 kills, 1 ace, 4 digs), and Kendall Bateman (46 assists, 9 digs, 2 blocks).
Cal-Berkeley had another quality win over host Stanford, thanks to Tarah Murrey (23 kills, 1 ace, 9 digs, 1 block), Correy Johnson (16 kill, 4 blocks, 5 digs), Shannon Hawari (12 kills, 5 blocks), Kat Brown (7 kills, 1 ace, 5 blocks, 3 digs), Elly Barrett (60 assists, 2 aces, 7 digs, 1 kill, 1 block), and Robin Rostratter (25 digs, 2 aces).
Oregon State upset Oregon once and lost to them once during the week. The home 3-0 victory was due to a .381 team hitting percentage and Dre Shaw (19 kills, 2 blocks, 8 digs), Camille Saxton (18 kills, 8 digs), Arica Nassar (8 kills, 3 blocks), Megan McBride (41 assists, 8 digs, 3 block, 1 kill), and Becky Defoe (14 digs, 4 assists) overachieving.
Arizona State's big home victory over in-state rival Arizona (also losing on the road to the Wildcats the same week) happened because Ashley Kasti (18 kills, 16 digs, 2 blocks), Nora Tuioti-Mariner (12 kills, 2 aces, 6 blocks, 2 aces, 8 digs), Malia Bachynski (10 kills, 2 blocks), Erica Wilson (7 kills, 6 blocks, 2 aces, 3 digs), Shannon McCready (41 assists, 2 kills, 11 digs, 2 blocks), and Stephanie Preach (36 digs, 5 assists, 1 ace) came to play. On the other hand, the hitting by both sides was brutal (.159 to .143).
Washington avoided an upset from their in-state rival, WSU, beating them twice thanks to Krista Vansant (39 kills, 2 aces, 12 digs), Bianca Rowland (16 kills, 9 blocks), Lauren Barfield (15 kills, 7 blocks), Summer Ross (11 kills, 3 aces, 10 blocks, 7 digs), Jenni Nogueras (56 assists, 5 aces, 7 digs), Evan Sanders (43 assists, 17 digs, 1 ace), Kylin Munoz (16 kills, 4 blocks), and Jenna Orlandini (36 digs, 4 aces, 4 digs).
TCU, not in the West but in the Mountain West Conference and playing last week in San Diego where they beat two nonconference foes (Pittsburgh and Cal-Santa Barbara), lost only one set in both matches thanks to Stephanie Holland (20 kills, 4 blocks), Yvonne Igodan (21 kills, 8 blocks), Kristen Hester (21 kills, 8 blocks, 1 ace, 7 digs), Jordan Raines (18 kills, 21 digs, 6 blocks, 1 ace), Megan Munce (11 kills, 81 assists, 3 aces, 10 digs, 8 blocks), and Sarah Joeckel (35 digs, 7 assists, 2 aces).
An SMU team, at 14-17, could upset a Tulsa team, at 27-5, because players like Jessica Oliver (17 kills, 4 blocks), Dana Powell (10 kills, 1 ace, 19 digs, 3 blocks), Courtney Manning (8 kills, 6 blocks), Kelli Becerra (27 assists, 12 digs), and Sidney Stewart (who set a single-season SMU record for digs with 625, including 19 against Tulsa) would not quit.
Texas lost only one set in disposing of Texas A&M and Oklahoma, primarily due to the efforts of Haley Eckerman (30 kills, 5 aces, 3 blocks, 7 digs), Bailey Webster (27 kills, 6 blocks), Sha'Dare McNeal (18 kills, 12 digs, 4 blocks), Rachael Adams (18 kills, 9 blocks), Madelyn Hutson (8 kills, 9 blocks, 1 ace, 5 digs), and Hannah Allison (73 assists, 24 digs, 3 blocks, 3 kills, 1 ace).
Minnesota finished strong, sweeping Wisconsin and Indiana, thanks to Tori Dixon (20 kills, 8 blocks, 5 digs), Ashley Wittman (25 kills, 4 blocks, 13 digs, 1 ace), Ariana Filho (16 kills, 7 blocks, 2 aces), Hailey Cowles (16 kills, 30 digs, 5 blocks, 2 aces), Mia Tabberson (80 assists, 15 digs, 3 blocks, 1 ace, 2 kills), and Jessica Granquist (23 digs, 5 assists).
In the week's biggest upset, Northwestern surprised Nebraska. The biggest reasons were Yewande Akanbi (20 kills, 3 blocks), Stephanie Holthus (19 kills, 16 digs, 1 ace, 1 block), Madalyn Shalter (44 assists, 13 digs, 2 kills, 1 block, 1 ace), and Caroline Niedospial (18 digs, 2 aces). While out-hit and out-blocked by the imposing Cornhuskers, the Wildcats were not out-dug, out-set, or out-aced.
Purdue lost only one set against both Indiana and Wisconsin combined, thanks primarily to Ariel Turner (43 kills, 5 blocks, 2 aces, 19 digs), Kierra Jones (16 kills, 6 blocks), Tiffany Fisher (14 kills, 3 aces, 7 blocks, 10 digs), Rachel Davis (76 assists, 14 digs, 6 kills, 3 blocks), and Blair Bashen (25 digs, 3 aces).
Penn State slammed Ohio State and Michigan State on the road in their last Big Dance warm-up. Most responsible for the victories were Ariel Scott (27 kills, 2 aces, 3 blocks, 9 digs), Deja McClendon (23 kills, 25 digs, 3 blocks), Maddie Martin (23 kills, 6 blocks, 9 digs, 2 aces), Katie Slay (20 kills, 6 blocks), Micha Hancock (89 assists, 2 aces, 4 blocks, 15 digs, 9 kills), and Ali Longo (35 digs, 3 ace, 5 assists).
Finally, Florida was able to sweep Auburn and South Carolina because Kelly Murphy (17 kills, 30 assists, 7 digs, 3 blocks, 1 ace), Chanel Brown (36 assists, 1 ace, 9 digs), Kristy Jackel (18 kills, 3 aces, 15 digs, 3 blocks), Stephanie Ferrell (13 kills, 3 digs, 1 block), Chloe Mann (12 kills, 8 blocks), and Tangerine Wiggs (12 kills, 4 blocks) didn't overlook the opposition.
NCAA Tournament Preview, Rounds 1 and 2:
There are 48 Division I matches this week in the first two rounds of the Big Dance. This particular blog only views the best matches and potential upsets, avoiding scrutinizing the Selection Committee's decisions. That controversy will be analyzed elsewhere.
In the Gainesville bracket, good first-round matches should include Duke at Tennessee and Marquette taking on Western Kentucky on Illinois' campus. Tennessee and WKU may have far fewer losses to this point, but Duke and Marquette have the talent to take the favorites to five, or even win.
Potential quality second-round matches include Michigan at Stanford and Florida at Northern Iowa. Will the traditions of Stanford and Florida be enough to intimidate the new kids on the block?
In the Lexington bracket, good first-round matches should include Michigan State-Arizona in Austin, Long Beach State-San Diego in Westwood, and Delaware-American in State College/University Park.
Excellent potential second-round matches should include Kentucky-Texas A&M and Long Beach State or San Diego at UCLA.
In the Minneapolis bracket, interesting first-round matches should include Ball State-Louisville in Lafayette, IN, and Northern Illinois-Miami (FL) in Ames. In this relatively weak bracket, look for Washington to give Minnesota trouble and Louisville to give host Purdue problems in potential second-round matches.
In the extremely difficult Honolulu bracket, Oregon-Colorado State in Honolulu and Tulsa-Oklahoma in Los Angeles should be close first-round matches. In the second round, look for Pepperdine to give Cal-Berkeley fits and Oregon or CSU to give recently untested Hawaii a strong test in Honolulu.
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