Seeded squads square off in Sweet 16
POSTED: Thursday, December 11, 2008
FORT COLLINS, Colo. » Everything has gone according to the NCAA's seeding plan for this volleyball regional, with Stanford (2), Hawaii (7), Purdue (10) and Florida (15) all staying on the proverbial road to the final four.
NCAA RegionalHawaii (30-3) vs. Purdue (26-8), 2 p.m. tomorrow, Hawaii time; Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM; Webcast: www.purduesports.com |
At stake is another road trip next week, this time to Omaha, Neb. Only one team won't see the intersection of Elizabeth and Shields - where Moby Arena is located - as a dead end.
The road has been fairly smooth for the Cardinal (28-3), Rainbow Wahine (30-3) and Gators (27-3); the trio swept through their sub-regionals with two 3-0 victories last week, with all but Hawaii's coming at home.
“;You have to be impressed with what Hawaii did, winning on the road the way they did,”; Florida coach Mary Wise said. “;The key for everyone is to be playing your best volleyball of the year at this time of the season. I think you see all the teams who are left are doing just that.”;
For the Boilermakers (26-8) - the only ones not to win their conference - the road has been a bit rockier. Purdue advanced with two five-set wins last week over Louisville and Middle Tennessee State, which ended Hawaii's season last year in the second round.
The common goal is to get past tomorrow's tough opponent into what Purdue coach Dave Shondell called the BCS of volleyball. All four regional championships Saturday are scheduled to be shown live on ESPNU.
“;Everyone wants to be seen on national TV,”; Shondell said. “;We have some positives going for us but we also have major hurdles.
“;We're going up against a strong tradition in Hawaii. We're trying to make our own.”;
Purdue has never advanced to the final four. Hawaii has three NCAA titles in eight trips to the final four, the last in 2003 when the Wahine fell to Florida.
A look at the teams, according to seed:
No. 2 Stanford (28-3)
Stanford has appeared in all 28 NCAA tournaments, and is tied with Penn State as the only two schools not to have missed the postseason event. The Cardinal tournament history includes the most championships (6), most final four appearances (17), most title match appearances (13) and most victories (89).
Coaching the Cardinal is former Pacific coach John Dunning, one of two coaches to have won the national championship at two schools. The other is Mick Haley at Texas and USC.
Stanford has recently turned the final four into the Cardinal Invitational with five appearances in the last seven seasons under Dunning. Yesterday, Dunning was named the Pacific Region coach of the year.
Senior middle Foluke Akinradewo, the reigning national player of the year, was named to the all-region team for a fourth year, while senior hitter Cynthia Barboza earned her third honor. The pair reached the 1,500-kill mark this season, two of 10 Cardinal to hit that milestone and two of 37 in Pac-10 history.
Also named to the region team was sophomore hitter Alix Klineman, who leads the team in kills.
Stanford's three losses were at Nebraska in the season opener; at St. Louis and at home to Cal. It's won its last 13, dating to the Oct. 19 upset by the Golden Bears.
Stanford has seven players who have played in the national championship match the past two years, winning in 2006 and falling to Penn State last season.
Last word: “;The key part of handling the pressure in the tournament is trusting that you are good in handling the moment. If you get too wrapped up in thinking ahead, it will bite you.”; - Dunning
No. 7 Hawaii (30-3)
The Rainbow Wahine reached the 30-win plateau for the 16th time in the program's history when sweeping USC in last Saturday's second round.
Hawaii's three losses are to defending national champion Penn State in the season opener, to UCLA in the third match of the season, and to New Mexico State in Honolulu on Oct. 12. The Wahine have won 17 straight since the sweep by the Aggies.
Hawaii placed five on the All-West Region team yesterday, highlighted by senior hitter Jamie Houston's third selection. At 4.06 kps, Houston ranks 32nd nationally in kill average.
Hitter Kanani Danielson was also chosen as the top freshman in the region.
“;A lot of times these teams are based on number,”; Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. “;Her numbers are good enough but what so much of what she does is uncharted (in statistics).”;
Danielson has a fan in Purdue coach Don Shondell.
“;She put on a show at the Junior Olympics last summer,”; Shondell said. “;I enjoyed watching her.”;
Against this week's field, Hawaii is 3-0 against Purdue, 2-4 against Florida and 17-12 against Stanford. Hawaii is the only program in the country to have a winning series edge on Stanford, although the Cardinal program is catching up, having won eight of the past 10 meetings.
The Wahine have only missed the NCAA tournament once - the injury-plagued 1992 season when the team went 15-12 and needed to win its last four to stay above .500.
Hawaii has advanced to the Sweet 16 in 10 of the past 11 seasons, the exception being last year when it fell in the second round to Middle Tennessee State.
Last word: “;I think this team is better skill-wise than my freshman year. I think we had more talent (in 2004) but this team has great chemistry. And great chemistry is very hard to beat.”; - Wahine senior libero Tara Hittle.
No. 10 Purdue (26-8)
The Boilermakers are the distance runners of the NCAA, going five sets in 12 of their matches and winning 11. Purdue's last four matches have gone five, including both in last week's NCAA tournament play.
The Boilermakers went 13-7 in the Big Ten, finishing fourth. Their only loss outside of conference play - and also their only loss in five sets - was at Utah State on Sept. 13.
The 26 victories is the most for the program since 1985 (34-4) while the 13 conference wins matches Purdue's best since 1987.
Senior middle Stephanie Lynch was the lone Boilermaker to make the All-Midwest Region team announced yesterday. Sophomore middle Kristen Arthurs and senior libero Kelli Miller were honorable mention.
Purdue and Hawaii last met here in the second round of the 2004 tournament, with the Wahine sweeping the Boilermakers.
“;It does feel like deja vu, but we hope that it's not the same outcome,”; Shondell said. “;Our team is considerably more experienced than the one four years ago. That was our first trip to the NCAAs in 15 years and we were one of the last teams to get in.”;
Lynch, Miller and hitter Danita Merlau are the backbone of his team, Shondell said. The trio has been starters for most of their careers and “;they want to take us where we have never been, which is beyond the Sweet 16.”;
This is the third time in four years Purdue has advanced to the regional semifinals. Last year, the Boilermakers upset Ohio then lost to Cal Poly in the second round.
Last word: “;Hawaii has wonderful athletes who Dave (Shoji) has developed into wonderful players. We know it will be a challenge, going against their ball-control and great defense. But I think we have a game in us to win that match.”; - Shondell.
No. 15 Florida (27-3)
The Gators won their 18th consecutive SEC championship, the longest streak in the history of NCAA Division I volleyball. Florida was 18-2 in conference, with both losses coming on the road in five: at Georgia and at Kentucky.
The Gators are on a six-match winning streak dating to the Nov. 16 loss to the Wildcats.
Florida's first defeat was also on the road, here to Colorado State in three on Sept. 13. The Gators avenged that when sweeping the Rams in last Saturday's second round.
“;Our last experience (in Fort Collins) wasn't very pleasant,”; Florida coach Mary Wise said. “;But Colorado State played lights out against us. I think we're a different team than we were then. At times, we're starting four freshmen and the difference in our two matches (with CSU) was that our freshmen have gotten more experience.
“;The other three teams have a common denominator. Hawaii, Stanford and Purdue all have seniors who are playing their best right now. I just hope that we'll get 4,000 for our match like we did when we played CSU, and that those 4,000 are cheering for us instead of against us.”;
The Gators placed two on the All-South Region team yesterday in junior libero Elyse Cusack and freshman setter/hitter Kelly Murphy.
“;The story of this team is the sum of the parts,”; said Wise, the only female coach to ever reach the title match (2003, losing to USC). “;The good news is we're still playing. The bad news is we have to play Stanford.”;
The series between the two is tied at 2-2. The Gators' two victories (2002, '03) are sandwiched by the Cardinal's two (1994, 2004). The only other time the two have meet in the NCAA tournament was 2004 when Stanford eliminated host Florida in five in the second round en route to the national championship.
Last word: “;Our attendance last week was the lowest in years because of the SEC (football) championship. There was no one left in Gainesville.”; - Florida coach Mary Wise on drawing just 2,500 for the two-day sub-regional. The Gators averaged over 2,500 per home match this season.
Hawaii (30-3, 15-1 WAC)
| Rank: 6 | ||
| Seed: 7 | ||
| NCAA apperances: 27 | ||
| Record: 64-23 | ||
| Titles: 3 (1982, '83, '87) | ||
| Coach: Dave Shoji (34th year, 983-172-1) | ||
| Team Leaders | ||
| Kills | Jamie Houston (6-1, OH) | 4.06 |
| Assists | Dani Mafua (5-10, S) | 11.23 |
| Aces | Amber Kaufman (6-0, MH) | 54 |
| Digs | Tara Hittle (6-0, OH) | 3.00 |
| Blocks | Nickie Thomas (6-3, MH) | 0.92 |
Purdue (26-8, 13-7 Big Ten)
| Rank: 17 | ||
| Seed: 10 | ||
| NCAA appearances: 12 | ||
| Record: 14-11 | ||
| Titles: None | ||
| Coach: Dave Shondell (6th year, 124-74) | ||
| Team Leaders | ||
| Kills | Stephanie Lynch (6-3, MH) | 3.40 |
| Assists | Jaclyn Hart (6-1, S) | 9.91 |
| Aces | Kelly Miller (5-8, L) | 32 |
| Digs | Kelli Miller (5-8, L) | 4.72 |
| Blocks | Stephanie Lynch (6-3, MH) | 1.45 |
Florida (27-3, 18-2 SEC)
| Rank: 11 | ||
| Seed: 15 | ||
| NCAA appearances: 18 | ||
| Record: 49-17 | ||
| Titles: None | ||
| Coach: Mary Wise (19th year, 578-60) | ||
| Team Leaders | ||
| Kills | Kelly Murphy (6-2, S/OH) | 3.25 |
| Assists | Cindy Bathelt (5-9, S) | 5.67 |
| Aces | Elyse Cusack (5-9, Lib) | 43 |
| Digs | Elyse Cusack (5-9, Lib) | 4.59 |
| Blocks | Cassandra Anderson (6-0, MH) | 1.03 |
Stanford (28-3, 17-1 Pac-10)
| Rank: 2 | ||
| Seed 2 | ||
| NCAA appearaces: 28 | ||
| Record: 87-22 | ||
| Titles: 6 (1992, '94, '96, '97, 2001, '04) | ||
| Team Leaders | ||
| Kills | Alix Klineman (6-4, OH) | 3.60 |
| Assists | Cassidy Lichtman (6-1, S) | 9.14 |
| Aces | Cynthia Barboza (6-0, OH) | 22 |
| Cassidy Lichtman (6-1, S) | 22 | |
| Digs | Gabi Ailes (5-7, Lib) | 4.27 |
| Blocks | Foluke Akinradewo (6-3, MH) | 1.45 |
