FORT COLLINS, Colo. – With less than a week before Selection Sunday, officials with the 2018 National Invitational Volleyball Championships have announced the first set of Automatic Qualifiers to confirm their place in the event.
More teams will be added throughout the week; the rest of the field (expected to be 32 teams overall) will be determined after Sunday’s release by the NCAA of its 64-team field. For 2018, the first group of AQ teams includes: Alabama A&M (23-15, SWAC) Appalachian State (22-8, Sun Belt) Bowling Green (19-11, MAC) Central Arkansas (26-6, Southland) Fresno State (21-9, Mountain West) Radford (21-6, Big South) Tulane (24-8, American) Selection – Nov. 25 Round 1 & 2– Nov. 29-30 & Dec. 1-2 Round 3 – Dec. 5-7 Semifinals – Dec. 7-9 Championship – Tuesday, Dec. 11, 7 p.m. ET The NIVC was originally played from 1989-1995. With the support of those founders, the current NIVC will feature Automatic Qualifiers who are the teams with the best conference finishes that were not selected for the NCAA Tournament. NIVC officials will select the remainder of the field based on court performance throughout this season. Much like the WNIT and NIT events in college basketball, the NIVC taps into the impressive depth of D-I volleyball and is designed to give more high-performing, highly skilled programs a chance to play for a postseason title. Teams with young rosters get to train and compete with an eye to the future; established rosters get one more chance to play together and memorably cap off their student-athlete experience. About Triple Crown Sports Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing college and youth events for more than 35 years. TCS runs both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events and produces the men’s and women’s Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Triple Crown is also powering “WNIT” concept events in D-I softball (NISC) and volleyball (NIVC), with those two events debuting in 2017. TCS youth fastpitch tournaments (including the 900-team Sparkler/Fireworks event) draw the nation’s finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes. A good time to gauge the strength of a team is when the bad times start to pile up.
For the Tulane volleyball squad, a 12-3 start to the 2018 season indicated that third-year coach Jim Barnes and his roster — one packed with underclassmen — had command of the plan, which was to develop as a whole and learn to frustrate the opposition with a balanced attack. But on the eve of American Athletic Conference play, sophomore right side Kristen Thompson was lost to a knee injury. The Green Wave lost four straight matches and a chunk of confidence in the wake of adjusting the roster, but Plan B is getting an “A” grade as Tulane has broken off 11 straight victories and stands 23-7, 11-4 in the AAC. Next up is a tough match at second-place Cincinnati (22-7, 12-3), a huge outcome for both teams since Cincinnati is No. 24 in the NCAA RPI and Tulane is No. 67. Tulane beat Cincinnati in four in New Orleans on October 28, dealing the Bearcats one of their three AAC losses while “holding” Jordan Thompson to 19 kills. Makala Heidelberg had 15 kills for Tulane, Erika Hansel 13 and Dayna Kern 11. “We knew we’d be better and be a good team, but we also knew we’d need to start two or three freshmen. You’re never quite sure how that will work out, but we did have the depth and talent,” said Barnes, who has also run the show at Lamar, Wyoming and Baylor in his career. “We started playing really well, then lost our best attacker and blocker and ended up starting a fourth freshman. I needed them to understand what we were going though. They were confused; they knew we were making an adjustment after losing Kristen. And of course when you’re losing (matches), you think we’re terrible at that moment. But we were barely losing sets.” Starting with a win at Memphis, the Wave’s AAC winning streak has featured an eight-match run where they gave up just four sets overall. There’s a lot of democracy happening on offense with five players owning more than 200 kills, and the group is inspired on the defensive half in ranking sixth in the nation in opponent’s hitting percentage. It might look a little surprising, as Tulane was just 14-19 last year, but Barnes definitely felt a breakout season was in the works. “What we’re going to be different at is, we’re going to be the best team on the floor. There may be teams with better individuals at a given position, but we’re good everywhere,” he said. “Our ‘B’ team in the gym is the best I’ve ever had, and they push us every day. It also depends what the other team is giving us; if they are weak in a certain area, we go at it, and maybe the next match looks different. Ultimately, we are winning on the defensive end, because our serve, block and defend is really good.” One essential pillar in 2018 is junior libero Kaylie McHugh, who Barnes feels is not only the best passer and defender in the AAC, but better than anyone he saw during his days in the Big 12. In terms of fresh faces, Heidelberg has 241 kills (as a 5-foot-6 outside), Yvette Burcescu has 203 kills, and setter Taylor Henigsman handles her half of the task with great touch at 633 assists. “These freshmen came in fiery; no one doubted them because they could handle it. They hung with us all the time in open gym, and they seemed to catch on real quick,” said junior right side Hansel, who leads the team with 267 kills and hits a sturdy .242. “That was the difference; last year we had a lot of freshmen, too, and that felt more like we needed to ride it out and see what they could do. They play with a mindset like an upperclassmen, how you don’t (tolerate) even a few balls dropping. “No team knows who the go-to hitter is, because everyone is. The middles keep everyone on their toes, so the pins are having a great time. We have spots to hit, and it’s hard for other teams to close their block on us because they never know who’s getting set. Jim wanted to establish that middle when he came in, and he’s done a great job because it shows up in the hitting percentage.” Now with the lingering effects of two tough seasons way back in the rear-view mirror (the Green Wave was just 15-49 in 2014-15), Tulane solved its midseason speed bump just fine and may very well be on the road to a postseason tournament berth. “It speaks to the team and how close we are. No one’s got a big head, and we keep each other in check. We had a little scare last week and went to five (against UConn), but it was expected that we would come back,” added Hansel. “All the lessons from last year, the team never seemed to give up, nobody acted defeated, and we worked harder every day. Personally, I played knowing it takes just one game to change (the trend). Winning at Memphis started it for us, and working for that one game, winning can become a habit, and then you have that expectation.” Like any coach taking over a program, Dawn Sullivan had to believe in her abilities at improvisation.
And since her new gig was in Las Vegas, it made sense she needed to be comfortable on stage. After a 13-year career as an assistant at Iowa State, Sullivan last January took the top job at UNLV, excited for the chance to run her own show but having to play catch-up in every respect, including talking to her new players on the phone before ever seeing them in uniform. With everyone anxious to shed the baggage of an 8-23 record in 2017, the Rebels are pulling in the same direction. They’re now 19-8 overall, and at 10-6 are tied for third in the Mountain West. The Rebels, who had won four in a row before losing to second-place Fresno State this past Saturday, have a tough task as they finish the regular season at league-leading Colorado State and then Wyoming. But for a team that was picked to finish dead last — 11 out of 11 — in the Mountain West preseason poll, this has been quite a turnaround. “We are in nice position, because we still have the ability to do something great … or we won’t. But the opportunity is in front of them, and that’s pretty unique, because not every program can say that,” Sullivan said. “I’m a competitor, and I say what better time to play them here at the end with nothing to lose? At first, I was definitely swimming and sometimes even today, I feel like I’m swimming. But that’s the fun part, trying to figure those things out — this team has grabbed a hold of everything we’ve presented them, and that’s the No. 1 thing I’m most thankful for. They want to be successful and are willing to do what it takes.” With just one senior, middle blocker and France native Elsa Decamps (202 kills), the turnaround by the Rebels just gets more interesting the more you dig. After one setter left the program and another got hurt, Antonette Rolda has assumed the full-time gig in this, her third year at a different school. Sophomore Mariena Hayden has 456 kills (4.43/set); freshman Kate Brennan has 214 kills (2.02/set), and Sullivan has an array of outside hitters who seem to take turns having the hot hand. Arguably, the most difficult stretch came with road losses to New Mexico and Air Force, but the roster featuring three freshman and eight sophomores has more resiliency than you’d predict. “Every time we step on to the court with this group, we have to really refocus, no matter what, to make sure we are focused on the right things and the details. For some, maybe (Air Force) was a turning point, but I feel like every time on the court is a turning point,” Sullivan said. “You have to remind them why they are playing, what they’re playing for and how they will get there. It’s very detailed, and that’s helped this group stay on task. We just talked about that, what we want to accomplish, and it wasn’t about what we want to win. It was about the little details we have to do every time.” The 6-foot Hayden (a Minnesota native who played club for Northern Lights) has developed into a full-rotation force after a solid freshman year where she had to cope with very few wins and no way to run home for a restorative weekend. “It was pretty hard, but once we got Dawn in, we felt pretty confident it would change the program around. We definitely had the mindset we didn’t want a year like last year, being last in the conference,” Hayden said. “(Transferring) crossed my mind a few times, but there’s no doubt when Dawn came here and things started changing that I would stay. “We’ve talked about how these last four games (including Thursday’s home sweep of San Diego State) are some of the biggest of the season … We just have to keep our composure and take care of things on our side, and we should be OK.” Being OK and feeling right about the plan was Sullivan’s primary concern when she decided to take a head coaching position. For a person with Midwest roots (she played at Kansas State) and four young children, the thought of Las Vegas was almost disqualifying by itself. But she took great comfort in the pitch made by athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois, and then was moved by what she saw for herself. “I felt ready for a head-coaching position and had looked at a couple situations, but nothing yet had clicked. When they called about UNLV, I thought ‘Vegas and my family, uh, don’t think so.’ ” Sullivan said. “Las Vegas is not what I expected. People say it’s the Strip and what people put on TV, but that Las Vegas is a little bubble in the middle of it all. It helps with relationships for the school, but the campus is totally different. It’s got grass, it’s pretty, it feels like a campus that feels enclosed. “The volleyball, this was a hidden gem. It had the facilities and the support. Create the relationships and the fans will follow. With the right staff, I felt I could do something at this program.” Photo by Sarah Otteman
When someone else is taking up all the oxygen, you’ve got to find a way to carve some open space to survive. On the surface, the Pepperdine women’s volleyball program is in a tough spot in the West Coast Conference, putting in the hours and fending off the various nicks and ankle turns that come with the job, only to see BYU and San Diego reel in the momentum of multiple NCAA berths. For that matter, undefeated BYU is ranked No. 1 overall in both the AVCA and VolleyballMag.com Mid-Major polls, with San Diego two games back in the WCC. But Pepperdine (No. 53 in the latest NCAA RPI ranking) has truly turned a corner in 2018, sitting at 10-3 in the league (16-7 overall) and on course to far outshine recent WCC finishes. The Waves, who swept Saint Mary’s on Thursday, play at Pacific at noon Pacific Saturday. Whether the NCAA comes calling with a postseason bid remains up in the air, but the Wave looks and sounds like a unit that seems inspired by the challenge. “There’s been a focus on our base being really solid, and to build something that can be lasting over time. It starts with the players we’ve been investing in; it’s not about short-term gain,” said Scott Wong, whose team has already sprinted past their previous best of eight WCC wins in his four years as head coach. “The players we are recruiting will add value, and they share the vision we are laying out. In terms of this year, it’s been our ability to control the ball and point score — our ball control is the best it’s ever been, and the ability to serve-receive and run an efficient offense through our setter has been awesome. “The way we prepare and practice … that’s where it starts. There are good conference opponents, and BYU and San Diego have been toward the top. We love playing against great teams and are fortunate to be in a conference with great teams. We’ll keep playing them. We took down San Diego a couple years ago.” The regular season ends with a home match versus San Diego, so there are more highlights to chase. Pepperdine has dropped just four sets in its nine league wins and is employing an artfully built roster that leans on home-grown California talent and some wisely identified outsiders like sophomore middle Alli O’Harra (Boise, Idaho) and juniors Hannah Frohling (Edmond, Oklahoma) and Tarah Wylie (Indianapolis). Wylie was the WCC freshman of the year two years ago, and Frohling has simply blossomed in her time, earning a spot on the preseason all-WCC team. “Last year was awesome because I got to have a really big role on the team; this spring, my mentality was to get better at everything, be more efficient at attacking and be a better blocker and more solid passer. Coming in this year, we had a lot of great players on the team, and my mentality changed a little bit,” said Frohling, who leads the team in kills (248, 3.35/set) and is hitting a robust .288. “I don’t have to be on the court for every ball, but I can help my team every single point. Maybe that’s me calling in or out when I’m on the bench, or supporting people off the court, that’s what I’m going to do. That’s been exciting, to take every chance to make my team better. “Obviously, I always want to put the ball away and help out my team that way, but this season has opened up for me a lot of off-the-court leadership, which has been very special to me.” At the core of operations is senior setter Blossom Sato, a Santa Monica native who played two years at Mississippi State before coming back home. Sato, whose mother played on two USA Olympic volleyball teams, has 856 assists (11.12 per set) and has successfully rebounded from injury issues in 2017. Another California native who transferred home is sophomore Shannon Scully (231 kills, 3.04/set), who played a year at Utah. The team also gets a push from the freshman class, including Rachel Ahrens, who has 207 kills, 3.29/set. She had 12 kills and 13 digs against Saint Mary’s. “Senior-heavy teams usually have a lot of success, so when you have a team that’s more balanced in the classes, it’s a good feeling for a coach knowing we don’t feel like we’ve arrived as a team and program,” Wong said. “We are excited about the future. Hannah has providing a big impact; it’s not a hit or pass or serve, but the mindful approach of creating change and creating a culture that has been instrumental to our approach. As a player, from passing and defense and hitting, there’s a difference, and her efficiency is way up. “For Blossom, it’s neat to see her have this kind of season; as a junior she dealt with injuries that made it tough to be consistent. She’s playing steady volleyball, and we are asking a lot having her run a fast-tempo offense where she has to be precise.” The moments of incremental progress are keeping Pepperdine excited and focused. Sure, a win over BYU would be transformational, but taking the Cougars to a 26-24 set earlier this year meant something. With a roster that’s in no way senior-heavy, the Wave refuse to be swamped by doubt. “BYU, just playing them, we realize how much better we can be as a team. When you play the No. 1 team in the country, you expect they won’t make a lot of mistakes, and they don’t,” Frohling added. “They are a lot of fun to play, and what we always learn when we play BYU is that we need to train like we can beat that kind of team. Our goal is to win every game the rest of the way. We still have to play everyone except BYU, and we know we can play with them all. We get a lot of those matches at home, which is an advantage for us. Winning them all is something we are definitely capable of doing.” |
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