Ncaa Beckons WSU, Idaho Cougs Get Bye And Homecourt; Vandals On Road For First Game
As expected, the Washington State Cougars volleyball team received a first-round bye to the NCAA Tournament and will host a second-round Pacific region match on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tickets for WSU’s match at Bohler Gym go on sale today at noon. They can be purchased by dialing 1-800-GO-COUGS.
But WSU’s neighbors, the Idaho Vandals, must take to the road for the first round. The Vandals (No. 21) are the only team in the Top 25 that won’t host its first game of the tournament.
Even though they compiled a 28-4 record and won the Big Sky regular and post season championships, Idaho will go to Ames, Iowa to face Iowa State (21-11) on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Seedings and pairings for the 48-team NCAA tournament were announced Sunday afternoon.
“I thought we would host the first round,” Hilbert said. “It means that we have one less day to prepare and get information on them.”
If the Vandals defeat the Hawkeyes, they would move on to play No. 15 Notre Dame (25-6) at South Bend, Ind., on Saturday at 4 p.m. “If we win, we don’t even get the chance to go home.”
Iowa State finished in third place in the Big Eight’s regular season and second in the post-season tournament.
As for the No. 12 Cougars (22-6), they get a chance to rest and prepare.
WSU will play the winner of Oral Roberts (27-2) at Loyola Marymount (23-4). Those two play Wednesday at 7 p.m. Oral Roberts is an independent while Loyola Marymount won the West Coast Conference championship.
On Sunday, the Cougars returned home from Florida where they wrapped up an eight-day road-trip in Florida where they defeated Northern Illinois and South Florida.
Cougar coach Cindy Fredrick was happy that her team was awarded homecourt advantage. But like Hilbert, she was somewhat perplexed the selection committee decided to move Arizona State (18-7) out of the Pacific region into the Mountain region. The Sun Devils won’t have the daunting task of having to face Stanford (26-2) for a third time if they advance to the regionals the way the Cougars might have to if they advance.
“We’ve got a higher ranking, a better record and we beat them (ASU) twice. I don’t understand that,” said Fredrick.
Should the Cougars win and Idaho defeats Iowa State and Notre Dame, WSU and Idaho would meet in the regionals for a second time this season.
But before that, both teams must take one game at a time. WSU’s starting sophomore middle blocker Jenny Herndon said that is a must for WSU.
“I think when we went through our slump this season, some of it was related to not taking one opponent at a time. We’ve just got to go one round at a time.”
Herndon’s play has rounded back into form as well after she struggled briefly. Herndon said she is still recovering from tonsilitis and an ear infection that sidelined her two weekends ago. She returned to action in Florida and helped lead the Cougs past their two opponents.
On the other hand, WSU outside hitter Elis Arias is recovering from a sprained right ankle she suffered two weeks ago. Fredrick said she is hoping that Arias will be ready to play on Sunday.
As for the Vandals, Hilbert said his team is healthy.
“They’re going to be ready to play regardless of where we play,” Hilbert said.
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