“Obviously, we're really excited about this opportunity,” the head coach said. derek olson. “This team has shown a lot of grit all year long to prepare us for this moment. I'm proud of this accomplishment, but I hope they win at Gulf Shores as well.” We know we can. We want to celebrate our first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.''But these opportunities aren't guaranteed, and as you know, they're hard to come by, so we're hungry. must be maintained. ”
How we got here:
After defeating Utah on Thursday, Beach dawgs They reached an astonishing 20 wins, which is considered a sign of a successful season. This was the second consecutive year that this achievement was achieved.
This year, the Huskies have played one of the toughest schedules in the country under Olson's direction. Olson said this was intentional as he believes it adds a level of toughness to players' games. In that strict schedule, dawgs The selection committee focuses on strength of schedule when determining bids to the NCAA Championships, so they maintained their position throughout the season and helped earn them bids.
This year, the Huskies played 22 top-ranked opponents. Most of those games were on the road, with wins against top teams such as Florida International and Grand Canyon.
But the two weeks of home practice at the end of the season played a key role in getting the team into national championship contention and setting the standings. dawgs For the postseason.
For example, the Huskies' first home tournament in April saw key wins over No. 12 Arizona State and No. 7 California. With this ranking victory, they earned 11th place, the highest American Volleyball Coaches Association ranking they earned this season.
individual or pair success
As a result of winning the home tournament on April 5th and 6th, the first graders Zoe Henson and transfer juniors lauren wilcock They earned National and Pac-12 Pair of the Week honors. His home success was part of the duo's 12-game winning streak, including three straight wins over No. 2 Stanford, No. 7 California and No. 12 Arizona State. The Huskies improved to 7-2 at home as a team.
The first year we played together, Henson and Willcock They had the second-most wins for a Husky pair in a single season. The duo is one of only five Huskies to finish on or top the top 10 list for career or single-season records.
This season too, scarlet dahl It broke the record for the most appearances in the show's history. He also ranks third on the all-time list for the most wins.
Freshman Maggie Ravitch made a name for herself by playing almost exclusively at the No. 1 spot, becoming the Huskies' top pairing all year with graduate student Piper. Monk Heydrich. Ravitch is one of three Huskies with at least 20 wins this season.
What's particularly impressive about this result is that most of the team had never played together before this season.of dawgs Only three starters returned from last year's top team.
Freshmen contributed greatly to this team's success, including a pair of freshmen-only players. Brooke Value and sarah wilcock. They emerged as a powerhouse duo when they first played together during a spring break trip to Texas. He maintained his position in fifth place in the batting lineup and achieved double-digit wins.
They will play ranked opponents such as No. 13 FIU, No. 11 ASU, and No. 15 Georgia State.
The Huskies are ready to make more history against the Seminoles.
Selection criteria:
In addition to the nine automatic qualifiers, the committee will select eight teams overall.
Large bid selection criteria:
a. Direct confrontation.
b. Results against common opponents.
c. Strength of schedule.
d. Overall record (must be .500 or higher).
format:
The first round of single-elimination matches will take place on Friday, May 3, with the winning team advancing to the national semifinals.
Two single-elimination semi-final matches will be held on Saturday, May 4th. The two teams that win in the semi-finals will advance to the single-elimination national championship match to be held on Sunday, May 5, 2024.
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