Dawgs Set To Start Tourney Run At Home
December 03, 2015 | Volleyball
THIS WEEK IN HUSKY VOLLEYBALL
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS • 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS
ALASKA AIRLINES ARENA
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4 • FIRST ROUND
Arkansas State vs. Michigan State • 5:00 p.m. - Live Stats - Live Video
(5) Washington vs. Denver • 7:30 p.m. - Live Stats - Live Video
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5 • SECOND ROUND
Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2 • 7:00 p.m. - Live Stats - Live Video
SEATTLE - The NCAA Volleyball Championships return to Alaska Airlines Arena this weekend, as the race to six wins begins for the 64 teams in the field. For the third straight year, Washington is one of the top-five overall seeds in the tournament, and as a seeded squad, the Huskies were picked to host the first and second rounds. The action begins Friday evening, starting with a great match-up at 5 p.m. between Arkansas State, champions of the Sun Belt Conference, and Michigan State, one of nine teams in the bracket out of the Big Ten. The Huskies will then take the court to start their postseason push, facing off with Summit League champion Denver at 7:30 p.m. The winners of each match will then meet on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. for a spot in the round of 16. GoHuskies.com will be streaming all three matches live online.
This is the 14th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance for the Huskies, and UW has gone 14-0 in first round matches in that stretch. The Huskies have also advanced through to at least the round of 16 for the past three seasons.
The Huskies just completed another outstanding regular season, going 28-2, winning their final 11 matches in a row, and winning a share of the Pac-12 Championship with an 18-2 conference record. Washington moved to No. 1 in the final AVCA Coaches Poll, its first time in the top spot this season. The Pac-12 title, shared with USC, was the second in the past three years for the Dawgs, and fourth in program history.
The Pac-12 set the stage for postseason play with its All-Conference Team announcement on Tuesday. Husky seniors Cassie Strickland and Lianna Sybeldon were each named to the 14-player first team, while four Dawgs -- Crissy Jones, Tia Scambray, Bailey Tanner, and Melanie Wade -- earned honorable mention. Freshman Destiny Julye was also an All-Freshman Team honorable mention.
The first opponent for Washington are the Pioneers of Denver. The Pioneers are 27-7 on the season, winning both The Summit League Championship and regular season title with a 13-3 league record for the second season in a row. Last year Denver lots its NCAA first round match in straight sets at Colorado State. Denver won the Summit League Championship in comeback fashion after being down two sets to Omaha. Denver also played a final regular season non-conference match at Long Beach State after securing its NCAA bid, falling in straight sets. UW and Denver have one common opponent, Oklahoma, which the Huskies beat, 3-1. Denver fell, 1-3, to the Sooners. Sarah Schmid and Kayla Principato were named to the All-League Team. Principato leads Denver with 2.57 kills per set, and Schmid is hitting .418 on the year with 2.16 kills per set. Ruth Okoye was named The Summit League Championships MVP. Denver outhits opponents .261 to .168 and ranks 20th in the NCAA with 2.46 blocks per set. Washington and Denver have met once before, in 2001, when the Huskies won a five setter.
Another conference champion in Seattle is Sun Belt Champs Arkansas State. The Red Wolves have only one loss all season, a five setter against Missouri of the SEC. Like Denver, ASU was down two sets to none in the conference tourney before coming back to beat Appalachian State in five. The Red Wolves ranked No. 24 in the most recent AVCA coaches poll after breaking into the top-25 for the first time in school history the previous week. Arkansas State has the nation's longest winning streak at 24 matches. This is the first NCAA tourney appearance for ASU since 1999, and fifth overall. Freshman Carlisa May was the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and leads the team with 3.60 kills per set, hitting an impressive .308. Libero Markie Schaedig was named Defensive Player of the Year; she averages 5.53 digs per set, and Mallory Warrington was named Setter of the Year, with 11.53 assists per set. The Red Wolves hit .269 on the year and held opponents to .151. The Huskies and Red Wolves have never played.
Michigan State finished the season 18-13 overall and 10-10 in Big Ten play, winning its final four matches including a 3-2 win at No. 14 Purdue, and turning things around after a seven-match losing streak, including four losses to ranked teams. The Spartans tied for seventh in the Big Ten, and are making their fifth-straight NCAA tourney appearance. MSU has advanced past the first round in its past four appearances, and made the round of 16 in 2012 and 2013. The Spartans had big wins over then-No. 6 Ohio State and then-No. 23 Michigan along with the Purdue upset. MSU hits .242 on the year and holds opponents to a .197 mark. Junior outside hitter Chloe Reinig was named an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection, as she is second on the team with 3.00 kills per set. Brooke Kranda has taken the exact number of swings as Reinig, averaging 3.06 kills per set to lead the team. Washington won the only previous meeting between the schools, getting a 3-0 victory in 2004.
