OT: BYU volleyball advances to Final 4

[seacatfan]

They have a really strong program. This is their second FF in recent years. They were ranked #1 for most of the season.

The WCC has been very good in women's volleyball for years. There was some reshuffling of the deck from year to year, but most of the Cal schools had their turn of being high quality. BYU has pretty much ruled the league in recent years.

[ZagDad84]

After all those years of Penn State dominance, it is good to see some variety in the volleyball tournament.

The WCC did very well with four (4) teams making it to the round of 32 (LMU, Pepperdine, San Diego and BYU). Two WCC teams made it to the Sweet Sixteen (BYU & USD) with BYU winning and moving on to the elite 8 where they won today and now they are in the final 4.

The Pac-12 also did very well with six (6) teams making the round of 32 (USC, Utah, Washington, WSU, Oregon & Stanford). Four Pac-12 teams won and made it to the Sweet 16 (UW, Oregon, WSU & Stanford). Stanford knocked off WSU and Penn State took out UW in the round of 16 with Oregon and Stanford moving on to the Elite Eight. In the Elite Eight Oregon was beaten by Nebraska 3-0 and Stanford took out the pesky Penn State also 3-0.

The final four are scheduled for next Thursday night on ESPN and include #1 Stanford vs #4 BYU at 7:00 PM followed by #3 Illinois vs #7 Nebraska at 9:00 PM.

Side note: If you did not see the match or watch the highlights of #15 Oregon taking out #2 Minnesota on Friday, you missed a great match. Three months to the day after the Ducks beat then-No. 1 Minnesota at a tournament hosted by Stanford, the Golden Gophers won Friday's first set, 25-21. At that point, the aggregate score between the two teams across five sets this season was 121 points for the Ducks, and 121 points for the Golden Gophers. In the second set, nine (9) times, Oregon fended off set point, the last time at 39-38 (Remember you only play to 25 but have to win by 2). At one point it appeared Minnesota had won 39-37, but the head coach challenged a call (Minnesota Player did not get her hand under the ball, it hit the floor first) — the first four challenges of the night had gone the Gophers' way — and the play was overturned. The Ducks were still alive. Finally, on the Ducks' eighth chance to even the match at a set apiece, Brooke Van Sickle landed a kill off the Minnesota block. The longest NCAA Tournament set since rally scoring was introduced in 2008 was over. On the momentum from the second set, the Ducks won the 3rd set handily (25-14) but Minnesota got their ducks in a row (so to speak) and forced overtime in the 4th set before the Ducks prevailed 26-24 to win the match.

4 teams from the WCC and 6 teams from the Pac-12 made it to the round of 32. Almost of a third of the 32 teams came from the WCC and Pac-12. Great job done by all.

ZagDad

[seacatfan]

I didn't watch that Minnesota-Oregon match, but I saw that 41-39 score in set 2. That is crazy. I can't imagine how nerve wracking that must've been for fans of either team. It would be like a 5 or 6 overtime game in basketball where neither team ever led by more than 1 bucket.

[Coug Tracks]

After all those years of Penn State dominance, it is good to see some variety in the volleyball tournament.

The WCC did very well with four (4) teams making it to the round of 32 (LMU, Pepperdine, San Diego and BYU). Two WCC teams made it to the Sweet Sixteen (BYU & USD) with BYU winning and moving on to the elite 8 where they won today and now they are in the final 4.

The Pac-12 also did very well with six (6) teams making the round of 32 (USC, Utah, Washington, WSU, Oregon & Stanford). Four Pac-12 teams won and made it to the Sweet 16 (UW, Oregon, WSU & Stanford). Stanford knocked off WSU and Penn State took out UW in the round of 16 with Oregon and Stanford moving on to the Elite Eight. In the Elite Eight Oregon was beaten by Nebraska 3-0 and Stanford took out the pesky Penn State also 3-0.

The final four are scheduled for next Thursday night on ESPN and include #1 Stanford vs #4 BYU at 7:00 PM followed by #3 Illinois vs #7 Nebraska at 9:00 PM.

Side note: If you did not see the match or watch the highlights of #15 Oregon taking out #2 Minnesota on Friday, you missed a great match. Three months to the day after the Ducks beat then-No. 1 Minnesota at a tournament hosted by Stanford, the Golden Gophers won Friday's first set, 25-21. At that point, the aggregate score between the two teams across five sets this season was 121 points for the Ducks, and 121 points for the Golden Gophers. In the second set, nine (9) times, Oregon fended off set point, the last time at 39-38 (Remember you only play to 25 but have to win by 2). At one point it appeared Minnesota had won 39-37, but the head coach challenged a call (Minnesota Player did not get her hand under the ball, it hit the floor first) — the first four challenges of the night had gone the Gophers' way — and the play was overturned. The Ducks were still alive. Finally, on the Ducks' eighth chance to even the match at a set apiece, Brooke Van Sickle landed a kill off the Minnesota block. The longest NCAA Tournament set since rally scoring was introduced in 2008 was over. On the momentum from the second set, the Ducks won the 3rd set handily (25-14) but Minnesota got their ducks in a row (so to speak) and forced overtime in the 4th set before the Ducks prevailed 26-24 to win the match.

4 teams from the WCC and 6 teams from the Pac-12 made it to the round of 32. Almost of a third of the 32 teams came from the WCC and Pac-12. Great job done by all.

ZagDad

Since I'm here, the WCC and Pac 12 do a really good job in women's volleyball. WCC's RPI is #5 with the Pac 12 coming in at #2 this season. No reason to believe both conferences won't remain n the top 5 for the foreseeable future.

I'm looking forward to the Stanford/BYU rematch. BYU handed the Cardinal their only loss of the season.

[seacatfan]

They had a great season, but BYU just got curb stomped in the National Semifinal by Stanford. Swept 3-0, none of the sets were particularly close. BYU's best hitter, just named as National POY, was completely shut down. With her ineffective BYU had no chance. Stanford block was huge and they got spectacular floor defense from their libero.

[seacatfan]

Stanford just beat Nebraska 3-2 for the National Championship. #8 in program history, pulls them ahead of Penn St. for the most by any school. I don't like Nebraska, so this result pleases me.


I know many on this board hate the whole "Conference of Champions" thing, but it really is. I can't remember what game it was today, but they showed a graphic with all time championships in all sports for all schools. Stanford, USC and UCLA all had more than 100. The next closest school had less than half as many as any of the 3.