Publication Date: Wednesday, December 03, 2003
WOMEN'S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Stanford heads into NCAA
Stanford heads into NCAA
(December 03, 2003)tourney, eye on Final Four
@sub12:Cardinal opens tournament by hosting Sacramento State on Thursday
by Rick Eymer
Stanford senior outside hitter Sara Dukes would like one more chance at top-ranked and unbeaten USC before this volleyball season is over. It's a hope that she shares with the rest of her teammates.
"We'd love to play USC again," Dukes said after No. 6 Stanford ended the regular season with a 30-28, 30-24, 30-24 victory over No. 20 Notre Dame on Saturday. "We've only gotten better."
The Women of Troy earned the national top seed in the NCAA tournament which gets underway at 16 different sites across the country, and will play their first two matches at home before advancing to a regional at Nebraska.
Stanford (23-6) earned the No. 5 national seed, and will open against Sacramento State (23-11) on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Maples Pavilion. That match will be preceded by Pacific (17-13) and USF (23-7) at 5 p.m. with the winners to meet on Friday at 7 p.m. for the right to advance to a regional in Long Beach.
This is the first season the NCAA has established regional sites in advance for the volleyball tournament. Getting to stay in California in the midst of finals week was a plus.
"If we had to travel to Florida or Hawaii in between dead week and finals it would have been tough," said Stanford coach John Dunning. "We're playing the teams we thought we'd play, but now we get to play them in Long Beach."
Stanford could possibly play Santa Clara or Washington in the third round if it gets to Long Beach. No. 4 Pepperdine could be waiting in the wings in the regional final.
"We want to get to the Final Four so if we get to the second week that will be the hard week," said Dunning. "We'll be trying to get to the Final Four and study for finals at the same time."
If previous years are any indication, Stanford has shown the ability to balance volleyball and studying. The Cardinal are seeking their third straight trip to the Final Four and their 15th overall.
"One of the things when you're fortunate enough to repeat in the tournament, you gain experience," said Dunning. "We have a group of people here who have been in the final match the last two years and they know what it's all about. We know we have to prepare better than the other team. We've had a lot of experience at this level."
Sacramento State reached the NCAA tournament for the sixth time in seven years. The Hornets won the Big Sky Conference tournament to gain the automatic bid.
"They're very scrappy and always play hard," Dunning said. "They are very well-coached."
USF reached the tournament for the first time ever after establishing a school record for victories. The Lady Dons finished fourth in the West Coast Conference. USF coach Jeff Nelson led Texas Tech to five NCAA berths in eight years before arriving in San Francisco.
Pacific, where Dunning coached for 16 years before heading for Stanford, earned its 23rd consecutive bid to the postseason. The Tigers and USF have not played each other since 1983.
The juniors and seniors at Stanford have won an NCAA title (2001) and came in second (2002), losing to USC in the title match last year.
Should both teams get that far, a USC-Stanford matchup this year would take place in the national semifinals in Dallas on Dec. 18.
The Women of Troy take a 41-match winning streak into the NCAA tournament. Their last loss came against Stanford on Nov. 2, 2002. USC has beaten the Cardinal three straight since.
"It's always a goal for us to make it as far as we can into the tournament," said Dukes. "This is the most exciting part of the year. Everything we've done has built to this point."
Stanford could be at its healthiest entering the postseason. Senior Sara McGee, who has been troubled by a foot injury most of the season, saw limited action against Notre Dame and the All-American could be in a position to make further contributions.
Senior setter Anna Robinson has a wrist injury which will not heal until she can rest it after the season. She's been playing as much as possible, enduring the pain.
"It's cost us a lot having them out," said Dunning. "But if they come on now it will make a difference since they both have so much experience. The further you go it's all about experience so adding them is a good thing."
Junior outside hitter Ogonna Nnamani recorded 23 kills against the Irish and hit at a .409 clip. Nnamani has recorded double figures in kills in every match this season. She became the go-to player with the graduation of Logan Tom, and she's thrived in the situation.
"Teams are always trying to find ways to stop her and she keeps adjusting," said Dunning. "We lean on her and she likes that."
Freshman Kristin Richards, who had 16 kills and 14 digs against Notre Dame, is also serving notice she's ready to become a prime time player in the mold of Tom, herself a fellow Utah native.
"She's improved steadily and is an experienced player," said Dunning. "She's physically gifted and has also been adjusting."
Sophomore setter Katie Goldhahn (45 assists against Notre Dame) has been valuable in taking over for Robinson, and Stanford has been getting steady play from seniors Dukes and Jennifer Harvey all season. Dukes filled in for McGee.
"Now it's all do-or-die," said Dukes. "That's the mentality we take. We've had a tough regular season and all that's done is prepare us for this time of the year."
All six of Stanford's losses have been to top 10 teams, including USC (twice), Florida, Hawaii, California and Washington. There's a possibility the Cardinal could face several of those teams as they strive to reach Dallas.
"That's definitely a motivating thing," Dukes said. "We played those teams early in the season and we've grown so much since. We're playing our best volleyball right now."
Stanford beat both Sacramento State and Pacific in the first two rounds of last year's tournament.
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