Friday, November 27, 1998
NCAA
Tournament could
have WAC flavor
As many as seven teams from
By Cindy Luis
the conference could land in the
women's volleyball tourney
Star-BulletinLAS VEGAS -- Win or lose today, No. 7 Hawaii is in.
So, too, is No. 6 Brigham Young.
Regardless of whether either of the two ranked teams in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament win their semifinal matches or the automatic berth that goes with tomorrow's championship, the Wahine (27-2) and the Cougars (27-2) will receive two of the 64 bids to be handed out Sunday for the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament.
But what about the rest of the teams from the WAC? The country's largest conference has never advanced more than four teams to the national tournament.
With the NCAA Tournament expanded from 48 teams to 64, as many as seven of the WAC's 16 teams could advance. As a conference, the WAC is rated fifth behind the Big Ten, the Big 12, the Pac-10 and the Big West.
Seven WAC teams have 20 or more wins and nine are in the top 67 in the Sagarin power ratings. Although the NCAA volleyball selection committee uses its own Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) system, the Sagarin ratings are considered to be close to what the NCAA uses.
As of Sunday, 91 of the 301 NCAA Division I teams had 20 or more wins. Thirty-two conferences -- half the available berths -- get automatic bids.
San Jose State (21-10) and UNLV (23-7) figured that by advancing to today's semifinals, they should earn berths. The Spartans eliminated Colorado State (23-7) and the Rebels ousted Utah (20-9) Wednesday.
The Rams and Utes had figured on making the tournament, but "I don't know now," Utah coach Beth Launiere said. "We should get in, but . . .
"What this tournament has shown is how strong the conference really is. I hope we'll get in. I hope we get five or six in."
"I think the league is tougher than people give it credit for," Wahine coach Dave Shoji said. "The teams are very even. I hope five teams get in from the WAC. I just don't know how the RPI will come out.
"UNLV may have played their way in. Utah may have played their way out. It's really hard to call right now. There's so many bubble teams.''
UNLV deserves strong consideration after winning its last four matches and seven of its last eight. In the last five days, the Rebels have defeated three top-50 teams, according to the Sagarin ratings -- No. 31 Utah, No. 39 Colorado State and No. 48 Wyoming.
"I hope the powers that be, the decision-makers have noticed what's been happening at UNLV," Rebels coach Deitre Collins said.
UNLV met BYU in today's semifinal at the MGM Grand Garden. San Jose State, another bubble team, faced UH for the second time in eight days at 2 p.m. HST.
"You never know what the committee's going to do," Spartans coach Craig Choate said. "In 1994, we felt we should have gone but didn't.
"I expect four from the WAC to go. I hope we're one of them."
So does Rice. In Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Wahine, the Owls (23-10) played Hawaii as tough as anyone this season before falling, 12-15, 15-1, 15-10, 15-6.
"I think we have a slim chance at getting in," Rice coach Julio Mo-rales said. "If we don't, we'll know why (soft preseason schedule). If they use how tough we played Hawaii as a validation, we'll be there."
UNLV and San Jose State could replace Utah and Colorado State as the third and fourth teams from the WAC. Neither the Spartans nor the Rams have any significant victories, and both have lost to every ranked team on their schedules.
The Wahine's concern is which regional they will be sent to should they advance past the second round. Hawaii is expected to host the first and second round next Saturday and Sunday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Seventeen schools put in bids to host the four regionals. Probable hosts are Long Beach State, Penn State and Nebraska, the top three teams in the AVCA coaches poll.
Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano, Hawaii's assistant athletic director, is a member of the selection committee. She said Florida, BYU and Stanford are among the strong contenders for the fourth regional.
WAC Tournament Semifinals
Today: Hawaii (27-2) vs. San Jose State (21-10), 2 p.m. HST; Brigham Young (27-2) vs. UNLV (23-7), 5 p.m. HST
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
