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Post by lilred on Dec 28, 2006 3:07:13 GMT -5
First of all Nebraska is automatically guranteed to be one of the four teams participating- unless for whatever reason they choose not to. I'm suprised no one has mentioned Stanford. My picks are: Nebraska Stanford Penn State Cal Poly Stanford has been mentioned, and one of the reasons they haven't been given serious consideration is because if Nebraska is in it due to being the defending National Champions, then you can eliminate both Stanford and Texas as participants. Nebraska Florida USC/UCLA Utah/Cal Poly (I really think Salt Lake City would make a nice hosting site)
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Post by lilred on Dec 28, 2006 4:00:16 GMT -5
2002 Stanford- NC Minnesota Pepperdine N. Iowa- 2001 Sweet 16 Team, 2002 #4 Overall Seed
2003 USC- NC Hawaii Florida Kansas St-Chosen I'm guessing based on their 5 game loss to 2002 Final Four participant Hawaii at Hawaii, 4 game loss to UCLA in same tourney, 3 game sweep of 2002 Regional Finalist participant Washington St, 2002 Big 12 Runner-up
2004 USC- NC Minnesota Colorado St. Georgia Tech- 2003 #7 overall seed, became first team to hand NU a regular season home loss in 2003 in a number of years, 2003 Regional Finalist...loss 1-3 to Hawaii at Hawaii
2005 Stanford-NC Nebraska Hawaii Penn St.
No real "up and comers" in this group. Just happened to be a nice cross section of strong teams representing different regions of the country
2006 Washington- NC Wisconsin Texas Ohio U.- Upsets 13th seed Ohio St. in 2005, loses 2-3 to #4 seed Arizona, 2X defending MAC champion
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Post by aaronic on Dec 28, 2006 4:17:15 GMT -5
First of all Nebraska is automatically guranteed to be one of the four teams participating- unless for whatever reason they choose not to. I'm suprised no one has mentioned Stanford. My picks are: Nebraska Stanford Penn State Cal Poly Stanford has been mentioned, and one of the reasons they haven't been given serious consideration is because if Nebraska is in it due to being the defending National Champions, then you can eliminate both Stanford and Texas as participants. Why? ON Stanford I mean. I can automatically see the Texas reason.... it's because of the whole can't have 2 teams from the same conference issue... So why not Stanford? Explain...
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Post by pineapple on Dec 28, 2006 4:44:01 GMT -5
He did explain: "Stanford has been mentioned, and one of the reasons they haven't been given serious consideration is because if Nebraska is in it due to being the defending National Champions, then you can eliminate ...Stanford... as participants.
I understand he majored in semantics at NU and soon will be teaching there. ;D
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Post by lilred on Dec 28, 2006 8:36:48 GMT -5
Stanford has been mentioned, and one of the reasons they haven't been given serious consideration is because if Nebraska is in it due to being the defending National Champions, then you can eliminate both Stanford and Texas as participants. Why? ON Stanford I mean. I can automatically see the Texas reason.... it's because of the whole can't have 2 teams from the same conference issue... So why not Stanford? Explain... I never said that they couldn't pick them, I am saying that based on previous tourneys (formerly known as the State Farm Classic), I can't think of any title rematches the first tourney of the year...in recent memory. Can you? Key word here is recent by the way. Say in the last 10 years. Hasn't happened since 2002 for sure as I posted earlier. BTW we are all just guessing, there is no RIGHT answer at this point. Don't take it personally. I picked mine based on having the defending National Champions, two traditional powerhouses, preferably from different parts of the country, and then a "suprise" or "intriguing" team from last year. Cal Poly and Utah both fit that bill. I think LSU would have if they weren't graduating a number of seniors who made their year special.
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Post by inomothanu on Dec 28, 2006 14:07:43 GMT -5
I agree that three perennials and an up and coming is the best fit. Cal Poly sold out two nights for the first two rounds. Why is the Husker non-conference "weak"? They host Penn State and Cal Poly...who else?
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Post by VollyDolly on Dec 28, 2006 15:16:15 GMT -5
- As someone mentioned upthread, Tennessee will be the fourth team in the tournament
Record-setting season not enough
Ute volleyball team hungry for more with stars returning
By Linda Hamilton Deseret Morning News
After a record-book season, a second straight exit in the second round of the NCAA Tournament might seem deflating.
Not to University of Utah volleyball coach Beth Launiere, whose team was ousted by the fourth-ranked, fourth-seeded UCLA Bruins this year in Westwood a season after being knocked out in the second round at Crimson Court by fourth-ranked Arizona in 2005.
"I'm not discouraged. I'm excited. I feel we're close to that type of team. The difference isn't that big," Launiere said after a few days to digest the outcome.
She can say that because, other than second setter Shannon Krug, who is leaving the team to find more playing time elsewhere, Launiere, the 2006 MWC Coach of the Year, will have her entire team back.
They'll have two years of NCAA tourney experience behind them, and by next season, they'll have the experience of having played five or six top-level European teams — the Utes will spend spring break playing internationally.
They could find out quickly if their European tour and off-season work — it's a most motivated bunch, Launiere indicates — has done good.
It is all but certain — commitments are made, though the contract is not yet signed — that they will open the 2007 season in the American Volleyball Coaches' Collegiate Showcase in Omaha, Neb., the premier early tournament. There, it's likely their first opponent will be their last one, UCLA.
Also, Launiere will upgrade Utah's 2007 non-league schedule to include as many top-20 teams as she can to avoid what happened this season: Utah was ranked ninth and had won a school-record 25 straight matches, including going unbeaten through the Mountain West. It won its first two MWC Tournament matches before falling in the championship to old nemesis Colorado State.
But the Ute team that was the first ever to go 16-0 in the MWC was denied a seed for the NCAA Tournament—almost a death sentence in the very tough West. Launiere assumes Utah's schedule was to blame. It looked tougher when made, but some teams weren't as good as usual. She also wants to schedule a top-20 team or two in November as a reminder of what's to come.
This record-setting season was still just a step in the building process.
"We have another year to get that much better. The pieces are all there," Launiere said. "We knew this group had a chance to be really good, but it wasn't going to happen overnight."
Airial Salvo is MWC Player of the Year as a sophomore. Emillie Toone is the nation's No. 2 blocker for the second straight season as a junior. Sydney Anderson is the MWC setter/freshman of the year. Junior Whitney Webb and sophomore Kathryn Lovell had monster postseason matches, Lovell with 20 kills in the NCAA first-round win over Michigan State and Webb with 17 kills at UCLA, capping off a strong season of being a crucial-play hitter.
Salvo, Toone, Webb and Lori Baird were all-conference and Salvo, Anderson, Baird and Toone were all-MWC tourney team members. Junior Connie Dangerfield has had the two biggest-digging seasons in Ute history with 467 in 2004 and 459 in 2006, with an injury-off year between.
The whole season seemed "kind of surreal" while she was going through it, said Launiere. "When we were in it, it didn't feel like anything special. Looking back, it's amazing."
The 16-0 MWC mark stands out most to her. "It says more about the team's character to not drop one match."
That and "watching this team grow up," she added. "Next year, we will be a very veteran, savvy team."
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Post by lilred on Dec 28, 2006 15:36:15 GMT -5
Thanks for the info VollyDolly. I tried clicking on the link that you provided earlier but nothing happened. Then I thought TD was kidding when he said Tennessee was the other team participating. Guess that ends the speculation.
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Post by ugopher on Dec 28, 2006 15:45:39 GMT -5
Why would Tennessee be the fourth team? Not exactly a stellar 2006 season. Why not LSU, New Mexico State, or Cal? You know, someone that was rated in the top 25 and made it out of the first round.
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Post by lilred on Dec 28, 2006 15:55:34 GMT -5
Why would Tennessee be the fourth team? Not exactly a stellar 2006 season. Why not LSU, New Mexico State, or Cal? You know, someone that was rated in the top 25 and made it out of the first round. Didn't someone from New Mexico St. post that the Aggies would be playing in a different NU tourney later on?
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Post by ooreo46 on Dec 28, 2006 16:15:18 GMT -5
So who are the actual four teams for the showcase?
Tennessee Nebraska (assuming) _________ _________
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Post by roy on Dec 28, 2006 16:21:11 GMT -5
Didn't someone from New Mexico St. post that the Aggies would be playing in a different NU tourney later on? Yes, it was in a post regarding NMSU schedule next year. They will be playing in Nebraska with Duke and another team (can't remember who exactly but I think it was Louisville). NMSU didn't make it to the second round, however they did end up ranked at the end of the season.
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Post by huskervbfan on Dec 28, 2006 16:39:05 GMT -5
So who are the actual four teams for the showcase? Tennessee Nebraska (assuming) _________ _________ The way I read that message, it sounded like Utah and UCLA would be the other two.
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Post by jgrout on Dec 28, 2006 17:59:15 GMT -5
Why would Tennessee be the fourth team? Not exactly a stellar 2006 season. Why not LSU, New Mexico State, or Cal? You know, someone that was rated in the top 25 and made it out of the first round. If the Lady Vols play Nebraska the first day, that would suggest that they're there to be overwhelmed on the first day and to give Utah some competition in the third-place match... Nebraska and UCLA are strong favorites for the championship match.
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Post by Mix Breed-TEXAS,HI,LBSU on Dec 28, 2006 18:34:02 GMT -5
Nebraska and PSU play early next year already, but I think both coaches would tee-it up twice, Why wouldn't you? I can't wait to see these two teams battle it out. Let's see how good Nebraska will be next season. I know that they'll be #1 and well stacked at every position but so will Penn St. and Penn St. should be even more formiddable next season too.
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