Post by bigfan on May 3, 2005 9:10:43 GMT -5
LBSU: Committee had a tough decision
Schedules and records among criteria used
By Matt Zimmerman
Staff writer
According to emotions, momentum and other such intangibles that are important to winning teams, they should have been in.
But the Long Beach State men's volleyball season is over, passed over for the final spot in this week's national semifinals in favor of UCLA, which is hosting the event at Pauley Pavilion. Though he had to recuse himself from the process when the 49ers were discussed, LBSU athletic director chaired the three-person NCAA committee that chose the at-large berth to join Mountain Pacific Sports Federation champion Pepperdine, Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association champion Ohio State and Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association champion Penn State in the final four.
"It's been a difficult circumstance for a lot of us," Shumard said. "The NCAA is a big organization and it sponsors a lot of championships, and it tries to be fair. But by no means is the process perfect in every case, and we have to continue to work to refine things and ensure it's the fairest possible opportunity for all student athletes involved."
The three teams under consideration for the only at-large spot were LBSU, UCLA and Loyola of Chicago, and the discussion came down to UCLA and LBSU based on Loyola not having a comparable strength of schedule. Shumard said the main criteria then discussed include won-lost record and strength of schedule, which included head to head, home and away records, records against common opponents, results against teams already in final four, and eligibility and availability of student athletes for championships.
Shumard is in his fourth and final year on the committee, which has a quadrennial rotation and includes members from the other two major conferences: Ohio State associate AD Miechelle Willis and George Mason assistant AD Ron Shayka, who also used to coach the Patriots' men's volleyball team. When the 49ers were discussed via conference call, Shumard was replaced by MPSF executive director Al Beaird.
"We've had some very close calls to make every year on the at-large," Shumard said. "Every year, it's a black-and-white decision based on the criteria."
With a 2-1 mark in the season series against the 49ers, a 25-5 overall record to 22-10 by LBSU, and an 18-4 second-place finish to the 49ers' 14-8 fifth-place standing, UCLA held the advantage.
"Lacking in that is something that other sports have been able to add, and that's performance down the stretch," Shumard said. "But when you look at those criteria, UCLA had the edge in every category except for availability of student athletes."
The issue of availability of student athletes hurt the 49ers' chances in 2000, when the team was ranked first nationally but lost in the MPSF tournament's first round without injured outside hitter Jim Polster. The 2005 Bruins fell to Cal State Northridge at home in the first round of the MPSF playoffs after losing setter Dennis Gonzalez to an injury.
Meanwhile, LBSU advanced to the MPSF final before losing in three games to Pepperdine, and finished 13-3 down the stretch with wins against UCLA and Pepperdine when each was ranked No. 1.
"Either this year's team got the short end of the stick, or the 2000 team did," 49er coach Alan Knipe said Sunday. "The committee's got to find a way that the interpretation of the criteria has to be consistent. No, I'm not shocked. Because it's an imperfect system, and there's been mistakes made in the past."
Schedules and records among criteria used
By Matt Zimmerman
Staff writer
According to emotions, momentum and other such intangibles that are important to winning teams, they should have been in.
But the Long Beach State men's volleyball season is over, passed over for the final spot in this week's national semifinals in favor of UCLA, which is hosting the event at Pauley Pavilion. Though he had to recuse himself from the process when the 49ers were discussed, LBSU athletic director chaired the three-person NCAA committee that chose the at-large berth to join Mountain Pacific Sports Federation champion Pepperdine, Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association champion Ohio State and Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association champion Penn State in the final four.
"It's been a difficult circumstance for a lot of us," Shumard said. "The NCAA is a big organization and it sponsors a lot of championships, and it tries to be fair. But by no means is the process perfect in every case, and we have to continue to work to refine things and ensure it's the fairest possible opportunity for all student athletes involved."
The three teams under consideration for the only at-large spot were LBSU, UCLA and Loyola of Chicago, and the discussion came down to UCLA and LBSU based on Loyola not having a comparable strength of schedule. Shumard said the main criteria then discussed include won-lost record and strength of schedule, which included head to head, home and away records, records against common opponents, results against teams already in final four, and eligibility and availability of student athletes for championships.
Shumard is in his fourth and final year on the committee, which has a quadrennial rotation and includes members from the other two major conferences: Ohio State associate AD Miechelle Willis and George Mason assistant AD Ron Shayka, who also used to coach the Patriots' men's volleyball team. When the 49ers were discussed via conference call, Shumard was replaced by MPSF executive director Al Beaird.
"We've had some very close calls to make every year on the at-large," Shumard said. "Every year, it's a black-and-white decision based on the criteria."
With a 2-1 mark in the season series against the 49ers, a 25-5 overall record to 22-10 by LBSU, and an 18-4 second-place finish to the 49ers' 14-8 fifth-place standing, UCLA held the advantage.
"Lacking in that is something that other sports have been able to add, and that's performance down the stretch," Shumard said. "But when you look at those criteria, UCLA had the edge in every category except for availability of student athletes."
The issue of availability of student athletes hurt the 49ers' chances in 2000, when the team was ranked first nationally but lost in the MPSF tournament's first round without injured outside hitter Jim Polster. The 2005 Bruins fell to Cal State Northridge at home in the first round of the MPSF playoffs after losing setter Dennis Gonzalez to an injury.
Meanwhile, LBSU advanced to the MPSF final before losing in three games to Pepperdine, and finished 13-3 down the stretch with wins against UCLA and Pepperdine when each was ranked No. 1.
"Either this year's team got the short end of the stick, or the 2000 team did," 49er coach Alan Knipe said Sunday. "The committee's got to find a way that the interpretation of the criteria has to be consistent. No, I'm not shocked. Because it's an imperfect system, and there's been mistakes made in the past."
