NCAA | USC wins, Cal loses, second day of Tournament begins

next: NCAA Tournament 1^st/2^nd Rounds

• Santa Clara vs. Hawai’i | November 30 | 5PM | Hec Ed Pavilion
• Arkansas St @ #5 Washington | November 30 | 7PM | Hec Ed Pavilion
• Tickets: Husky Ticket Office (M-F 8:30AM-5PM) or www.gohuskies.com

There were ten first-round matches Thursday, five involving seeded teams. Three won handily: (3) Texas, (4) Nebraska and (6) USC. In one set, Texas beat Colgate 25-4; in another, USC beat Fairfield 25-8.

NCAA | Live chat with Krista Vansant today at 1PM

Join Vansant online chat at Seattle Times Sports

NCAA | Quiet Kylin Muñoz makes noise for UW volleyball

Terry Wood profiles Washington’s senior right-side hitter in today’s Seattle Times

Washington senior Kylin Muñoz moved from the left side to the right this season. As a result, she may be the most improved player on the Washington team, and certainly among the most improved in the Pac-12.

Don’t miss Terry Wood’s profile of Muñoz in this morning’s Seattle Times: Quiet Kylin Muñoz makes noise for UW volleyball.

NCAA | 2012 Tournament gets underway today

First-round matches in three regionals

As usual, some NCAA Tournament 1^st/2^nd Round matches are played Thursday/Friday; others are Friday/Saturday.

The quadrant in Seattle is Friday/Saturday, kicking off tomorrow at 5PM with Santa Clara vs. Hawai’i, followed by Central Arkansas @ Washington at 7PM, both at Hec Ed Pavilion.

The first matches of the tournament start at 2PM (Pacific) with matches in Louisville and Austin. There are ten matches today in all. All times are Pacific; seeded teams are noted in parentheses:

NCAA | Sweet stats and Sugar Bears

next: NCAA Tournament 1^st/2^nd Rounds

• Santa Clara vs. Hawai’i | November 30 | 5PM | Hec Ed Pavilion
• Arkansas St @ #5 Washington | November 30 | 7PM | Hec Ed Pavilion
• Tickets: Husky Ticket Office (M-F 8:30AM-5PM) or www.gohuskies.com

live chat with Krista Vansant |November 29 | 1PM | www.seattletimes.com/html/sports

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Okay, sports fans … what, exactly, is a Sugar Bear?

 

Yes, that’s the mascot for the University of Central Arkansas’ volleyball team. You’ve heard of sun bears, polar bears, black bears, Grizzly bears. 

But where would you find a Sugar Bear? [answer below]

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On to the stats for Washington, Central Arkansas, Hawai’i and Santa Clara. Take a look first at the national team rankings (out of 328 Division 1 teams):

VIDEO | Jim McLaughlin talks about tournament time

QUICK SET with Coach Jim McLaughlin for the week of November 26, 2012

The more you know about the how and why of volleyball, the more fun it is to watch and play.

This week, fifth-ranked Washington learned that the team will be hosting the first two rounds of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

Washington coach Jim McLaughlin talks about why playing at home matters.

“Playing at home is meaningful,” says McLaughlin on this week’s edition of Quick Set. “Especially for our seniors.”

Also this week:

• The difference between preparing for the regular season and preparing for a tournament
• What the team learned from playing without injured star Krista Vansant






• Keys to winning at home

See also:

• Jim McLaughlin talks about fighting through adversity
• Jim McLaughlin on why being aggressive matters
• Jim McLaughlin on bouncing back from a tough defeat
• Are service errors part of serving tough? Jim McLaughlin explains
• “Perpetually dissatisfied” Jim McLaughlin talks about blocking
• Jim McLaughlin talks about serving with no setter

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WRITTEN BY Jack Hamann | PHOTOS BY Leslie Hamann

www.nolittlethings.com

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Pac 12 | Coaches decide nation’s #1 blocker is not worthy of All-Conf honors

Washington’s Amanda Gil snubbed; Vansant, Muñoz and Strickland honored

Washington's Amanda Gil leads the nation in blocks per set
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

Nearly 4,000 athletes are on the rosters of women’s Division 1 volleyball teams this season.

Of all those players, Washington’s Amanda Gil put up more blocks per set than any other: 1.79. She was, statistically, the most dominating blocker in the country.

NCAA | Washington ranked seventh in media poll

Pac-12 continues to dominate voting, but NCAA and RPI don't fully agree

-Volleyblog Seattle photo
by Leslie Hamann

Reporters had their differences with both the latest RPI and the NCAA tournament committee in the November 27, 2012 Volleyball Magazine media poll.

In the opinion of media, the NCAA had too low an opinion of two teams in this weekend’s Seattle first/second round. They judged 13^th seeded Washington as the 7^th best team, and unseeded Hawai’i as the 8^th best.

Reporters also thought #10 Nebraska was ranked too high at 4^th seed, #20 Iowa State too high at 11^th seed, and unranked Kentucky too high at #16.

As usual, Pac-12 schools fare poorly in RPI. Louisville skates in at #4, despite playing in a relatively weak conference; Oregon, USC and Washington appear to be punished for playing in the much tougher Pac-12.

NCAA | How much does home court matter?

Under Jim McLaughlin, Washington wins AND loses at home AND away

• next: Santa Clara vs. Hawaii | November 30 | 5PM | Hec Ed Pavilion
• Central Arkansas @ #5 Washington | November 30 | 7PM | Hec Ed Pavilion

When members of the Washington volleyball learned they’d be home for the first two rounds of this year’s tournament, they let out a collective cheer.

Playing at home means getting another day of practice. It means home cooking, home routines, home fans.

But is there a home court advantage?

Check out Washington’s tournament results during the Jim McLaughlin era:

2002	(3-1) Colorado St @ Hawai’i	(0-3) Hawai’i @ Hawai’i
2003	(3-0) Northwestern @ Seattle	(3-0) Utah @ Seattle	(3-1) Stanford @ L Beach	(2-3) Minnesota @ L Beach
2004	(3-0) Idaho @ Seattle	(3-2) Kansas @ Seattle	(3-0) St. Mary’s @ Seattle	(3-2) UCLA @ Seattle	(1-3) Stanford @ L Beach
2005	(3-0) Oregon @ Colo. St	(3-0) Colorado St @ Colo. St	(3-0) Sienna @ Tex A&M	(3-0) Purdue @ Tex A&M	(3-0) Tennessee @ S Antonio	(3-0) Nebraska @ S Antonio
2006	(3-1) Colorado St @ Colorado	(3-1) Colorado @ Colorado	(3-0) Ohio St @ Seattle	(3-1) Penn St @ Seattle	(0-3) Stanford @ Omaha
2007	(3-2) Missouri @ Seattle	(2-3) BYU @ Seattle
2008	(3-0) Portland St @ Seattle	(3-0) Santa Clara @ Seattle	(3-0) Utah @ Seattle	(2-3) Nebraska @ Seattle
2009	(3-1) N. Colorado @ Colo. St.	(1-3) Colorado St @ Colo St.
2010	(3-0) Michigan @ Seattle	(3-0) Hawai’I @ Seattle	(3-1) Nebraska @ Seattle	(0-3) California @ Seattle
2011	(3-1) W. Michigan @ Minn.	(2-3) Minnesota @ Minn.
2012	( - ) C. Arkansas @ Seattle
	10-0	6-4	6-0	3-3	1-2	1-0

As you can see:

Harry Husky
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

• Washington is 27-9 in the postseason under McLaughlin
• The Huskies have played exactly half—18 of 36—of their postseason matches at home
• UW is 15-3 on its home court
• Washington has knocked off several national powers at Hec Ed, including UCLA (2004), Penn State (2006), Hawai’i (2010) and Nebraska (2010)
• UW has defeated two elite teams on the road: Stanford (2003) and Nebraska (2005)
• In 3 of the past five seasons, the Huskies have been eliminated at home, twice as underdogs (to Cal and Nebraska), once as the favorite (to BYU)
• When UW won the national title in 2005, it played all its tournament matches on the road, and never dropped a single set
• Weirdly, the team Washington has faced the most in postseason during the McLaughlin era is Colorado State (3 wins, 1 loss).. 

NCAA | Filling out your tournament bracket

Figuring out which four teams will be in Louisville

Why should basketball fans have all the fun?

Let hoop heads have their March Madness. This is the season for a little December Delirium.

Feel guilty each spring when you waste time filling out those basketball brackets? We officially absolve any guilt if you waste time filling out your volleyball bracket right now!

The NCAA and Northwestern Mutual are sponsoring a bracket contest with a modest prize--$500 worth of t-shirts, hats and other college-logo goodies. It’s not a new car, but think how good you’ll look dressed head-to-toe in your school colors!

[Note: as with most Facebook-based promotions these days, the contest requires you to “LIKE” the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Facebook page to enter.]

Alright, time to fill in the blanks. Here’s how we see it.

NCAA | Teams in Washington’s bracket react to news about heading to Seattle

Santa Clara vs. Hawai’i |November 30 |5PM

Central Arkansas @ Washington | November 30 |7PM

NCAA | Washington seeded #13, will host first two rounds

Washington faces Central Arkansas (30-4); winner faces winner of Santa Clara (20-11)/Hawaii (25-2)

NCAA | Selection Sunday Bracketology

Here’s how Volleyblog Seattle sees it. Will the committee agree?

NCAA | How the Top 20 fared

As you prepare for Sunday's brackets

Pac-12 | What we learned about Washington’s win at Washington State

#5 Washington 3, Washington State 0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-22)

next: NCAA Tournament bracket announcement | November 25 | 1PM | ESPNU

Pac-12 |What we learned from Washington’s loss to Arizona State

Arizona State 3, #5 Washington 1 (25-29, 16-25, 25-23, 25-20)

• next: #5 Washington @ Washington State | November 23 | 8PM | Pac-12 Networks
• Tournament Selection announcement | November 25 | 1PM | ESPNU

Pac-12 | Power Rankings: Week Thirteen

Yes, it’s true: Pac-12 is the nation’s toughest conference

Pac-12 | Why ASU @ Washington matters more than you might think

Plenty at stake during tonight’s 8PM match

Washington's rowdy student section could be near-empty tonight
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

Last Friday’s Oregon/Washington match was an instant classic, possibly the most gripping Pac-12 contest of the season. 4,000 fans were there, but many others wouldn’t or couldn’t fight through the rain, the traffic and/or other Friday night commitments.

You can bet they wish they'd made the effort.

VIDEO | Jim McLaughlin talks about fighting through adversity.

QUICK SET with Coach Jim McLaughlin for the week of November 19, 2012

Washington outside hitters Cassie Strickland and Gabbi Parker
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

The more you know about the how and why of volleyball, the more fun it is to watch and play.

This week, fifth-ranked Washington conquered Oregon in one of the all-time classic matches of the Jim McLaughlin era.

Coach McLaughlin says he learned a lot about his team as it fought off 13 match points to beat the Ducks in five sets.

“I think it’s a huge lesson,” says McLaughlin on this week’s edition of Quick Set. “Just to be able to handle the situation and the magnitude of the situation. And to overcome the adversity, we learned a lot about our team.”

Also this week:

• How the Huskies responded to the injury to their star player
• The emergence of hitter Gabbi Parker

See also:

Jim McLaughlin on why being aggressive matters

Jim McLaughlin on bouncing back from a tough defeat

Are service errors part of serving tough? Jim McLaughlin explains

“Perpetually dissatisfied” Jim McLaughlin talks about blocking

Jim McLaughlin talks about serving with no setter

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WRITTEN BY Jack Hamann | PHOTOS BY Leslie Hamann

www.nolittlethings.com

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Olympics | Karch Kiraly: The Next Chapter

Volleyblog Seattle authors Volleyball Magazine feature about USA head coach Karch Kiraly

Your Volleyblog Seattle correspondents were honored to write a feature article about Karch Kiraly for the January 2013 issue of Volleyball Magazine.

Seattle VB | Ellis leaves SU; Junior Volleyball gears up

Shannon Ellis leaves a strong legacy at Seattle U

Girls and boys club volleyball tryouts in full swing

Shannon Ellis is a class act.

Shannon Ellis
-photo by Eric Badeau for Seattle University

Since taking over the helm of the Seattle University volleyball program in 2004, Ellis has always been a bright light on the Seattle-area volleyball scene.