As if playing national No. 1 Brigham Young-Hawaii three times already was not enough, now the Hawaii Pacific women's tennis team has to overcome the Seasiders again, after a slight by the NCAA regional committee. Hawaii Pacific upset
over ‘botch job’By Jerry Campany
jcampany@starbulletin.comThe Sea Warriors dropped two spots in the regional rankings yesterday, forcing them to play in BYUH's regional at Laie rather than hosting their own. They were planning on hosting a regional because they were ranked second just a day before the seeding came out.
Then the regional committee got together and dropped Hawaii Pacific two spots in one day, without any of the ranked teams playing. The Sea Warriors were judged to have fallen behind UC San Diego and UC Davis even though Hawaii Pacific beat UC San Diego 8-1 and UC Davis 7-2 earlier this season, and UC Davis beat UC San Diego earlier this week.
HPU coach Henry Somerville is protesting the change, and expects to hear an answer by the end of the weekend.
"It is so highly unfair," Somerville said. "I don't see how they come up with this ranking process. It was a real botch job and raises the question of the integrity of the rankings."
Somerville knows all about NCAA tennis rankings, as he had his men's team drop from No. 2 to No. 10 in the national poll earlier this year because of losses to No. 1 BYUH and two NCAA Division I schools. But everything worked out in that case, as his Sea Warriors will host a regional while BYUH hosts another, meaning that the rivals will not face each other again until possibly the national tournament.
The BYUH men will play the winner between UC Davis and Cal Poly Pomona on May 4 at home and will go to the nationals with a win. The Hawaii Pacific men will play at the BYUH courts also, but only have to beat the winner between UC San Diego and Hawaii-Hilo to advance.
Should Somerville's protest fall through, which is likely, his Sea Warrior women will have to beat Cal Poly Pomona to earn the right to face the winner between unbeaten BYUH and Sonoma State, with a ticket to nationals on the line.
The shakeup in seedings has affected Hawaii's quietest tennis program as well. Hawaii-Hilo figured on coming to Oahu for the regionals, but now must trek to UC San Diego. The Vulcans will play No.1 seed UC San Diego in the first round of the two-round regional. Both regionals begin May 3.
Hilo marching on: The Hawaii-Hilo softball team will get a preview of the regional tournament they hope to participate in, playing in the Mountain Dew Classic in Bakersfield, Calif., this week.
Hilo is ranked fourth in the regional rankings, and will compete with six others ranked in the top 10 in the tournament. The top six teams receive invitations to the regional tourney.