Post by Barefoot In Kailua on Dec 2, 2004 12:24:28 GMT -5
Volleyball gets unexpectedly low seed in NCAA Tourney
Stanford Daily
By Andrew Rogers
Staff Writer
Thursday, December 2, 2004
last updated December 2, 2004 5:07 AM
The road to Long Beach for the Cardinal was set this Sunday, and it’s not quite the route the team expected.
Stanford (24-6, 15-3 Pacific-10 Conference), which finished the regular season with the No. 6 ranking according to the AVCA Poll, was given the 11th seed overall. The Cardinal will travel to their subregional matches in Tallahassee, Fla., where they will take on unranked Jacksonville (15-13, 8-2 Atlantic Sun Conference) on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
If the Cardinal can get by Jacksonville, they will play the winner of No. 13 Florida and host-school Florida A&M, who play on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. Florida was last year’s national runner-up, and Florida A&M is the only team to beat top-seeded Nebraska this season.
Stanford was a bit surprised at the seeding the team was given by the national selection committee. As a team that won its last nine matches, including two victories over higher-ranked opponents (then-No. 1 Washington and then-No. 4 USC), the Cardinal feel as though they made a convincing case to be a top 10 team.
“For the past few years, we’ve had a lot more favorable seed,” senior libero Leahi Hall said. “With the last nine matches, many of us assumed we’d be ranked higher.”<br>
Part of the reason for the seemingly low ranking Stanford received could be explained by the selection committee’s lack of respect for the Pac-10 Conference. Although three of the top seven teams heading in to the tournament were from the Pac-10, Washington received the conference’s highest seed at No. 7. USC received the eighth seed, even after losing a five-game match to conference bottom-dweller Washington State in its last regular season match and finishing behind the Cardinal in third place in the conference.
“Obviously the selection committee doesn’t feel the Pac-10 is as powerful as it been in the past,” Hall said. “The committee has their own criteria. At times they are more untraditional than the AVCA poll, and I guess they felt the Pac-10 in general was not as strong, despite what our teams feel.”<br>
Added head coach John Dunning: “I’ve been on these selection committees and I know it’s a tough job. It’s hard to be in charge of all the decisions to forge the path of college women’s volleyball.”<br>
Despite the seeming slight from the selection committee, the Cardinal are keeping an upbeat attitude heading into Florida.
“We don’t have a harder path, just farther to travel,” said Hall, dismissing the idea that it would be tougher for the Cardinal in their bracket. “Ultimately, our goal is to reach the Final Four and no matter where we are, we’re going to have to face tough teams on the way.”<br>
One possible explanation for the committee’s apparent oversight may actually work in favor of Stanford. Despite the distance, the Cardinal could potentially have a relatively less difficult road to the Final Four than if they had been placed in a different region closer to home.
“We certainly have the advantage of having Texas as the highest seeded potential opponent in our regional,” senior KZSU radio analyst Brad Burton commented. “Facing Washington or Minnesota [who are hosting] on their home court would have made the possibility of an appearance in the Final Four much less likely. The way things stand, and with our recent hot streak, I don’t think we can lose.”
Stanford, if it gets out of its Florida subregional, will travel to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for regional action.
“I’ve been through enough that I take things as they come,” Dunning said. “Actually, the harder route would have been playing a team like Washington or Minnesota at home. If you look at the regional statistics, around 95 percent win at home.”
“The bottom line is that no one is going to just give you respect,” Dunning continued. “You have to go out there and earn it, and this team is going to do just that.”<br>
Regardless, the Cardinal will head into the tournament with some hardware in tow. Five members of the squad received all-conference honors yesterday. Freshmen setter Bryn Kehoe and middle blocker Franci Girard were named to the All-Freshman team. Senior opposite Jenn Hucke received an honorable mention nod for the All-Conference squad.
Sophomore outside hitter Kristin Richards was placed on the First Team All-Conference list and senior outside hitter Ogonna Nnamani was named Pac-10 Player of the Year.
Stanford Daily
By Andrew Rogers
Staff Writer
Thursday, December 2, 2004
last updated December 2, 2004 5:07 AM
The road to Long Beach for the Cardinal was set this Sunday, and it’s not quite the route the team expected.
Stanford (24-6, 15-3 Pacific-10 Conference), which finished the regular season with the No. 6 ranking according to the AVCA Poll, was given the 11th seed overall. The Cardinal will travel to their subregional matches in Tallahassee, Fla., where they will take on unranked Jacksonville (15-13, 8-2 Atlantic Sun Conference) on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
If the Cardinal can get by Jacksonville, they will play the winner of No. 13 Florida and host-school Florida A&M, who play on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. Florida was last year’s national runner-up, and Florida A&M is the only team to beat top-seeded Nebraska this season.
Stanford was a bit surprised at the seeding the team was given by the national selection committee. As a team that won its last nine matches, including two victories over higher-ranked opponents (then-No. 1 Washington and then-No. 4 USC), the Cardinal feel as though they made a convincing case to be a top 10 team.
“For the past few years, we’ve had a lot more favorable seed,” senior libero Leahi Hall said. “With the last nine matches, many of us assumed we’d be ranked higher.”<br>
Part of the reason for the seemingly low ranking Stanford received could be explained by the selection committee’s lack of respect for the Pac-10 Conference. Although three of the top seven teams heading in to the tournament were from the Pac-10, Washington received the conference’s highest seed at No. 7. USC received the eighth seed, even after losing a five-game match to conference bottom-dweller Washington State in its last regular season match and finishing behind the Cardinal in third place in the conference.
“Obviously the selection committee doesn’t feel the Pac-10 is as powerful as it been in the past,” Hall said. “The committee has their own criteria. At times they are more untraditional than the AVCA poll, and I guess they felt the Pac-10 in general was not as strong, despite what our teams feel.”<br>
Added head coach John Dunning: “I’ve been on these selection committees and I know it’s a tough job. It’s hard to be in charge of all the decisions to forge the path of college women’s volleyball.”<br>
Despite the seeming slight from the selection committee, the Cardinal are keeping an upbeat attitude heading into Florida.
“We don’t have a harder path, just farther to travel,” said Hall, dismissing the idea that it would be tougher for the Cardinal in their bracket. “Ultimately, our goal is to reach the Final Four and no matter where we are, we’re going to have to face tough teams on the way.”<br>
One possible explanation for the committee’s apparent oversight may actually work in favor of Stanford. Despite the distance, the Cardinal could potentially have a relatively less difficult road to the Final Four than if they had been placed in a different region closer to home.
“We certainly have the advantage of having Texas as the highest seeded potential opponent in our regional,” senior KZSU radio analyst Brad Burton commented. “Facing Washington or Minnesota [who are hosting] on their home court would have made the possibility of an appearance in the Final Four much less likely. The way things stand, and with our recent hot streak, I don’t think we can lose.”
Stanford, if it gets out of its Florida subregional, will travel to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for regional action.
“I’ve been through enough that I take things as they come,” Dunning said. “Actually, the harder route would have been playing a team like Washington or Minnesota at home. If you look at the regional statistics, around 95 percent win at home.”
“The bottom line is that no one is going to just give you respect,” Dunning continued. “You have to go out there and earn it, and this team is going to do just that.”<br>
Regardless, the Cardinal will head into the tournament with some hardware in tow. Five members of the squad received all-conference honors yesterday. Freshmen setter Bryn Kehoe and middle blocker Franci Girard were named to the All-Freshman team. Senior opposite Jenn Hucke received an honorable mention nod for the All-Conference squad.
Sophomore outside hitter Kristin Richards was placed on the First Team All-Conference list and senior outside hitter Ogonna Nnamani was named Pac-10 Player of the Year.