Volleyball

[dbackjon]

Interactive bracket here:
http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/2010/ncaa_ ... women.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dbackjon]

UNI the #5 seed...

[CitadelGrad]

UNI is #5 seed based on RPI. UNI is nowhere close to being the 5th best team in the country. If they advance to the regional final, they'll have to play Penn State at Penn State, so it's all moot anyway.

[clenz]

UNI is #5 seed based on RPI. UNI is nowhere close to being the 5th best team in the country. If they advance to the regional final, they'll have to play Penn State at Penn State, so it's all moot anyway.

Yeah...I was shocked to see the 5 seed, but UNI's volleyball team is better than all but probably 9-11 programs in the nation. For a school the size of UNI, with the athletic budget of UNI, that's pretty damn good.

Take your jealousy and sit on it.

[wkuhillhound]

Western Kentucky earns an at-large bid and will play Cincinnati in the first round in Champaign, IL. Revenge Bearcats.... Revenge. Go get'm Tops!!

[JayJ79]

UNI is #5 seed based on RPI. UNI is nowhere close to being the 5th best team in the country. If they advance to the regional final, they'll have to play Penn State at Penn State, so it's all moot anyway.

UNI beat Purdue in West Lafayette, and they beat Minnesota in Minneapolis.
How did Penn State do in those venues again?
oh yeah, they went 0-2.

[frinq]

Consider Portland State, unranked and playing #7 Hawaii on Thursday in the first round. I'll be happy if we take a game. Out here matched against the Pac-10, our chances of recruiting ourselves into the top ten are slim to none. Maybe UNI will show the way. In the meantime, go Vikings!

[bonarae]

As some of you know, I also cheer for another school (ex-FCS) on the West Coast. Cal State Fullerton is on its first postseason and its opponent in the first round is Colorado State.

[CitadelGrad]

UNI is #5 seed based on RPI. UNI is nowhere close to being the 5th best team in the country. If they advance to the regional final, they'll have to play Penn State at Penn State, so it's all moot anyway.

UNI beat Purdue in West Lafayette, and they beat Minnesota in Minneapolis.
How did Penn State do in those venues again?
oh yeah, they went 0-2.

I don't think UNI will get a chance to play Penn State in the tournament, but I hope they do. Then you'll see the difference between a perennial national power and a mid-major pretender.

[CitadelGrad]

As some of you know, I also cheer for another school (ex-FCS) on the West Coast. Cal State Fullerton is on its first postseason and its opponent in the first round is Colorado State.

I've picked Fullerton in my bracket contest submissions to win its first-round match. I'm afraid that after Colorado State, the level of competition picks up. Beating Stanford in Palo Alto will be nearly impossible, but I'd love to see it.

[bonarae]

I've picked Fullerton in my bracket contest submissions to win its first-round match. I'm afraid that after Colorado State, the level of competition picks up. Beating Stanford in Palo Alto will be nearly impossible, but I'd love to see it.

Well, I would like to know how far Fullerton will go. I would like to see Fullerton beat Stanford as well.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

Bison make the tournament, and like so often seems to happen - draw Minnesota in the first round (in soccer we drew TX A&M but MN was the host)

Bison will play the Gophers Friday at 7 in Minneapolis (home to 30,000 Bison alums)

thinking I might drop $20 and buy a full session ticket for friday and make a day of it

[JayJ79]

UNI beat Purdue in West Lafayette, and they beat Minnesota in Minneapolis.
How did Penn State do in those venues again?
oh yeah, they went 0-2.

I don't think UNI will get a chance to play Penn State in the tournament, but I hope they do. Then you'll see the difference between a perennial national power and a mid-major pretender.

UNI volleyball isn't any sort of "pretender". They play good teams (usually on the road), and they beat good teams (not ALL the time, but then, neither does Penn State).

As far as making it to the regional finals... no, it isn't a lock. None of the three other teams that are being sent to Cedar Falls are cupcakes. But if UNI is playing on their game, they stand a good chance to win both matches. Then they would likely advance to face Duke (because I rather doubt High Point, Ohio, or Penn beats the Blue Devils on their home court). And I think the Panthers would have a good chance at winning that matchup on a neutral court.

[CitadelGrad]

I don't think UNI will get a chance to play Penn State in the tournament, but I hope they do. Then you'll see the difference between a perennial national power and a mid-major pretender.

UNI volleyball isn't any sort of "pretender". They play good teams (usually on the road), and they beat good teams (not ALL the time, but then, neither does Penn State).

As far as making it to the regional finals... no, it isn't a lock. None of the three other teams that are being sent to Cedar Falls are cupcakes. But if UNI is playing on their game, they stand a good chance to win both matches. Then they would likely advance to face Duke (because I rather doubt High Point, Ohio, or Penn beats the Blue Devils on their home court). And I think the Panthers would have a good chance at winning that matchup on a neutral court.

I'm afraid reality is about to hit you very hard. It seems like you UNI fans would have learned your lesson by now.

[clenz]

UNI volleyball isn't any sort of "pretender". They play good teams (usually on the road), and they beat good teams (not ALL the time, but then, neither does Penn State).

As far as making it to the regional finals... no, it isn't a lock. None of the three other teams that are being sent to Cedar Falls are cupcakes. But if UNI is playing on their game, they stand a good chance to win both matches. Then they would likely advance to face Duke (because I rather doubt High Point, Ohio, or Penn beats the Blue Devils on their home court). And I think the Panthers would have a good chance at winning that matchup on a neutral court.

I'm afraid reality is about to hit you very hard. It seems like you UNI fans would have learned your lesson by now.

You're right, the volleyball team is on a one season fluke run. We've never been to the S16 in volleyball, or even the NCAA tournament before.

We are just lucky the NCAA let us in...

[CitadelGrad]

I'm afraid reality is about to hit you very hard. It seems like you UNI fans would have learned your lesson by now.

You're right, the volleyball team is on a one season fluke run. We've never been to the S16 in volleyball, or even the NCAA tournament before.

We are just lucky the NCAA let us in...

It isn't a fluke. UNI plays in a very weak conference and as a result, gets a very high RPI. A #5 seed shouldn't be satisfied with just getting to the tournament or even reaching the Sweet 16. UNI better beat some elite teams in the tournament or it will remain a program with a reputation for being perennially overrated.

[JayJ79]

It isn't a fluke. UNI plays in a very weak conference and as a result, gets a very high RPI. A #5 seed shouldn't be satisfied with just getting to the tournament or even reaching the Sweet 16. UNI better beat some elite teams in the tournament or it will remain a program with a reputation for being perennially overrated.

Do you even understand how the RPI works?
If the MVC was a "very weak conference", then UNI couldn't possibly have a high RPI.

And if you consider the MVC to be a "very weak conference", then you obviously don't know much about volleyball either.
No, the MVC isn't quite to the overall level of the PAC-10, Big 12 (although with Nebraska leaving, that may no longer be the case), or the Big Ten. (But MVC teams quite often do beat teams from those conferences). But anyone with volleyball knowledge would rank the MVC amongst the 3-4 conferences just below those top 3. And that is still a good deal above being "very weak". And UNI's domination of the MVC puts them right up there with the "big boys" (or "big girls" in this case).

Yes, 5 might be a tad high. I would have put them in the 6-9 range. But that happens sometimes.

[CitadelGrad]

I know how the RPI works and I know the MVC is a weak conference. RPI is just based on winning percentages. Teams with weak schedules that play teams with weak schedules can get an inflated RPI. That is how UNI got a #5 seed.

The ACC and SEC are weak too, but they're still stronger than the MVC. Do you really want to thump you chest over playing Illinois State, Indiana State, etc. every week? Try playing Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois twice year, plus OOC matches against Florida, Cal, Hawaii, Stanford, Washington, Nebraska, Texas, etc. That's how the big girls schedule. It isn't how UNI schedules.

[JayJ79]

I know how the RPI works and I know the MVC is a weak conference. RPI is just based on winning percentages. Teams with weak schedules that play teams with weak schedules can get an inflated RPI. That is how UNI got a #5 seed.

The ACC and SEC are weak too, but they're still stronger than the MVC. Do you really want to thump you chest over playing Illinois State, Indiana State, etc. every week? Try playing Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois twice year, plus OOC matches against Florida, Cal, Hawaii, Stanford, Washington, Nebraska, Texas, etc. That's how the big girls schedule. It isn't how UNI schedules.

Well, if the Big 12 wants to extend UNI an invite for volleyball, I'm sure they would accept, and probably fair pretty well (they'd be at a severe disadvantage budget-wise, I'm sure. but they could still compete on the court). As far as OOC matches, UNI played in tournaments at Minnesota, at Purdue, and at Kansas, as well as a road match at Iowa State and at Notre Dame.

Granted, the tournament at Kansas wasn't THAT big of a challenge, but it isn't like UNI was sitting at home hosting Seton Hall, Colgate, and VCU.

And again, I'll reiterate my point of UNI being 2-0 this season at Minnesota and Purdue, while Penn State is 0-2.

[clenz]

I know how the RPI works and I know the MVC is a weak conference. RPI is just based on winning percentages. Teams with weak schedules that play teams with weak schedules can get an inflated RPI. That is how UNI got a #5 seed.

The ACC and SEC are weak too, but they're still stronger than the MVC. Do you really want to thump you chest over playing Illinois State, Indiana State, etc. every week? Try playing Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois twice year, plus OOC matches against Florida, Cal, Hawaii, Stanford, Washington, Nebraska, Texas, etc. That's how the big girls schedule. It isn't how UNI schedules.

Well, if the Big 12 wants to extend UNI an invite for volleyball, I'm sure they would accept, and probably fair pretty well (they'd be at a severe disadvantage budget-wise, I'm sure. but they could still compete on the court). As far as OOC matches, UNI played in tournaments at Minnesota, at Purdue, and at Kansas, as well as a road match at Iowa State and at Notre Dame.

Granted, the tournament at Kansas wasn't THAT big of a challenge, but it isn't like UNI was sitting at home hosting Seton Hall, Colgate, and VCU.

And again, I'll reiterate my point of UNI being 2-0 this season at Minnesota and Purdue, while Penn State is 0-2.

He's probably the same kind of person that thinks the mid-majors shouldn't be allowed to be in the NCAA tournament, and Boise State and TCU can't play "with the big boys"

[DJH]

wow, cidgrad is a retard.

[frinq]

The MVC may - may - be better than our Big Sky Conference when it comes to volleyball, but the fact remains, there's a world of difference between the top ranks and the mid-majors. It's almost inconceivable that mid-majors go far in the NCAAs. We're at a hopeless disadvantage when it comes to recruiting. Like UNI plasying up a rank, PSU plays the Pac-10. We seldom beat them. Tonight we're playing a first round match against Hawaii. They're ranked #7. We have an outside chance of beating them, but that's all. We're well aware that it's that outside chance that we're playing for. So, go UNI! Go PSU!

[bandl]

And again, I'll reiterate my point of UNI being 2-0 this season at Minnesota and Purdue, while Penn State is 0-2.

That don't mean shit when it comes time for the tournament. If we were talking about FBS football, maybe.



This picture is the only reason I posted on this thread.

[clenz]

Have you not read any of the other posts UNI plays up all the time. We beat Minnesota and Purdue - at their places...something PSU couldn't do.

[dbackjon]

The MVC may - may - be better than our Big Sky Conference when it comes to volleyball, but the fact remains, there's a world of difference between the top ranks and the mid-majors. It's almost inconceivable that mid-majors go far in the NCAAs. We're at a hopeless disadvantage when it comes to recruiting. Like UNI plasying up a rank, PSU plays the Pac-10. We seldom beat them. Tonight we're playing a first round match against Hawaii. They're ranked #7. We have an outside chance of beating them, but that's all. We're well aware that it's that outside chance that we're playing for. So, go UNI! Go PSU!

MVC got four teams in the tourney. Big Sky got one. Big difference.