***Official NCAA tournament thread***

[mitten1975]

Actually, Stanford would play Texas and Penn State will play Oregon. I think Texas could beat Stanford if they play like tonight. I think it will be Texas vs. Penn state in the final. (and I don't think Stanford was on another level than us)

I am betting on Stanford. I suppose since I am doing that, they will get beat by Michigan tonight. That is usually the way my bets go. You are correct on the brackets, I was looking at them wrong. I should mention, I am only betting until the finals, against Penn State, I don't want to bet.

 

[cowgirl836]

Kurht did redshirt this year. Kind o forgot about her. If we are in a 6-2, then Malloy could be a right-side when in the front row. That would open up an OH for Kuhrt. Regardless it seems a third OH can get court time over a long season. Another option, should it be needed in some circumstances, Hurtt was a MB for four state championships in high school.

I assume Vondrak is a redshirt as well. Not sure if she's supposed to be super good or not.

 

[cowgirl836]

I change my mind, I think Texas is the best team and we almost beat them twice! I still think Stanford is really good, but now i'm thinking that we just didn't play good.

I'm rooting for Texas because I want the Big 12 to win......plus we beat them at the end of the season I do have to laugh - after all that talk by PAC 12 fans last night about how Hagglund is leaps and bounds better than Hahn and even though Hahn has better stats - "you can't go by stats".......now we have a head to head comparison with Texas, and Hahn won that battle. They held Hagglund to 14 digs in 3 sets. Of course, we went to five sets so Hahn had 30, but that's 4.7 to 6.

Stanford played really well last night, but I thought we looked nervous and sloppy. There was one time Kristen knocked a free ball into the net, several serves into the net, and that one terrible play where we miscommunicated and 3 players let it drop to the floor. We NEVER do dumb ones like that last one....and that will just kill you when the other team isn't making mistakes.

 

[cyrevkah]

I assume Vondrak is a redshirt as well. Not sure if she's supposed to be super good or not.

In a cyclones.com article it says she wants to be a history major. That could be fun!

 

[mitten1975]

I would be for Texas, I just think at this point Stanford is a better team. Either that or they were playing out of their minds last night. They sure hit lots of corners, and their centers made some amazing kills from fairly far away from the net. They hit a really high percentage. Never saw Texas do any of that. Maybe it was lots of accumulated luck.

 

[cowgirl836]

I would be for Texas, I just think at this point Stanford is a better team. Either that or they were playing out of their minds last night. They sure hit lots of corners, and their centers made some amazing kills from fairly far away from the net. They hit a really high percentage. Never saw Texas do any of that. Maybe it was lots of accumulated luck.

We've seen what most of their players are ranked - they just actually seem to be playing to their potential right now. They didn't against us (or we frustrated them as their backrow is their weak spot) and they did tonight. They actually had a defense against us and it doesn't sound like Stanford's back row is supposed to be as good.....but we'll find out when they play each other now!

 

[TCG]

I'm rooting for Texas because I want the Big 12 to win......plus we beat them at the end of the season I do have to laugh - after all that talk by PAC 12 fans last night about how Hagglund is leaps and bounds better than Hahn and even though Hahn has better stats - "you can't go by stats".......now we have a head to head comparison with Texas, and Hahn won that battle. They held Hagglund to 14 digs in 3 sets. Of course, we went to five sets so Hahn had 30, but that's 4.7 to 6. Migh

Haha, your just like me. I want Texas to win it all so volleytalk and the announcers can realize the Big 12 is no slouch and so they stop gushing over "the amazing" Pac12/Big10. And what about the "great" Hagglund, the heir to the libero position to the national team that's "so much better than Hahn". Maybe she should have taken some pointers from Hahn for tonights match.

 

[Tornado man]

I didn't say they are overrated. I was just making the point that the people on volleytalk have a very difficult time acknowledging volleyball outside of the west coast.

I will agree with that. I also think any one of the four finalists could win the title (assuming Stanford wins tonight).

 

[mitten1975]

Lets not forget Michigan, but I have to go to bed. I will find out tomorrow. It should be starting right now. I can't get it because I still don't get ESPNU. Cable people are slow, I already ordered it.

 

[cowgirl836]

Haha, your just like me. I want Texas to win it all so volleytalk and the announcers can realize the Big 12 is no slouch and so they stop gushing over "the amazing" Pac12/Big10. And what about the "great" Hagglund, the heir to the libero position to the national team that's "so much better than Hahn". Maybe she should have taken some pointers from Hahn for tonights match.

Yes! I want Big 12 respect! And I'm sure Hagglund is amazing (I haven't seen her play a whole game), but it's clear to me that Hahn is incredibly talented. When I listened to the Nebby game thru a Nebby station - they could not stop talking about her. Between that and the national recognition she's gotten, it was nice to see that Hahn really outplayed Hagglund vs. the same team.

Also, I hate discovering typos when I read through someone else's quote of me, haha!

 

[Tornado man]

Stanford played really well last night, but I thought we looked nervous and sloppy. There was one time Kristen knocked a free ball into the net, several serves into the net, and that one terrible play where we miscommunicated and 3 players let it drop to the floor. We NEVER do dumb ones like that last one....and that will just kill you when the other team isn't making mistakes.

We didn't play well last week in the 1st/2nd rounds at Hilton either. CJL said as much in her pre-Stanford presser, and she said hopefully the team would relax and snap out of it against Stanford...

 

[cowgirl836]

We didn't play well last week in the 1st/2nd rounds at Hilton either. CJL said as much in her pre-Stanford presser, and she said hopefully the team would relax and snap out of it against Stanford...

no, that's absolutely true, those first two games, imo, were terrible. Total recall from early/mid season. And we did not play the way we did against Texas, which is what we would have needed to have a shot.

 

[mitten1975]

Stanford is ahead of Michigan 11-8 currently.

 

[mitten1975]

Now it is 13-8, whatever miracle had Michigan get this high in the tourney is going down tonight.

 

[mitten1975]

Stanford wins the first set 25-20. That is it for me, busy tomorrow.

 

[Tornado man]

Lets not forget Michigan, but I have to go to bed. I will find out tomorrow. It should be starting right now. I can't get it because I still don't get ESPNU. Cable people are slow, I already ordered it.

Well, Michigan did it in four - this has to be one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history. Michigan was a bubble team, to put it bluntly.

 

[sandiego]

It was an amazing match played by UM. This was how I expected us to come out and play. Superb defense lead by their amazing libero and a spread the ball around offense.

In each game, once Stanford got down they folded. Their passing and setting was abysmal. UM's defense was fun to watch. Stanford's libero and setter looked like shadows of themselves compared to Friday night.

Alright, Go Tejas!!!

 

[twistedredbird]

Interesting, 2 Big 10 Schools, 1 Pac, and 1 Big 12.

Oregon spanks Nebby infront of an almost home crowd, and Michigan stuns Stanford. I don't think Texas will overlook Michigan.

My hunch is Penn St. and Texas, with Penn St. winning again.

 

[Tornado man]

Interesting, 2 Big 10 Schools, 1 Pac, and 1 Big 12.

Oregon spanks Nebby infront of an almost home crowd, and Michigan stuns Stanford. I don't think Texas will overlook Michigan.

My hunch is Penn St. and Texas, with Penn St. winning again.

If Michigan repeats this level of play, they can beat Texas. And Oregon is better than Minn, who gave Penn State all it could handle. The favorites are obviously TX and PSU, but I do like some fresh blood in the FF...

 

[cydney]

It was an amazing match played by UM. This was how I expected us to come out and play. Superb defense lead by their amazing libero and a spread the ball around offense.

In each game, once Stanford got down they folded. Their passing and setting was abysmal. UM's defense was fun to watch. Stanford's libero and setter looked like shadows of themselves compared to Friday night.

Alright, Go Tejas!!!

This is similar to Smith's analysis at ESPN: 2012 women's college volleyball -- Michigan stuns Stanford to make first Final Four - espnW

On Michigan: "They did it with a great service game (including five aces), strong slide-hitting and the ability to keep the vaunted, but youthful Cardinal off-balance and on the defensive."

Basically, Michigan executed what ISU tried to, but could not. ISU tried to serve tough, but made mistakes. When ISU had its runs it do so with strong slide-hitting. And ISU could not put enough pressure on the Stanford freshmen to make them make mistakes.

Michigan being in the final four is a good sign that ISU's goals are reachable, hopefully not too far off. Also from the article by UM's coach: "We might not be the biggest name or the highest profile, but this is a team that is playing as well as anyone in the country right now and I'm excited about that." "We all believe in it," Cross said. "We are such a great team, we don't need to have all-stars or all these big names be in the media all the time. I knew we were going back to Louisville because I believe in our team."