2015 NCAA Volleyball Tournament

[JayJ79]

official RPI has been updated through 11/29

MVC team RPIs:
28 WSU
34 MSU
40 SIU
45 UNI
69 ILS
113 Loyola
149 INS
206 Drake
262 Evansville
275 Bradley

[Cdizzle]

Great year for Valley Volleyball (Valleyball?). Exciting that WSU came out on top as both the regular season and tournament champs.

Good luck to all the Valleyball (just go with it, it'll totally catch on) teams in the NCAAs.

[flyingMoose]

I found this:

For the Division 1 Volleyball RPI, an adjustment is made based on a team's good wins, bad losses,and out of conference scheduling.

• Double bonus for wins against RPI teams 1-25
• Single bonus for wins against RPI teams 26-50
• Single penalty for losses between 285 and 309
• Double penalty for losses against RPI teams 310 and above
• Double bonus for 50% or more of out-of-conference games against RPI teams 1-75
• Double penalty for 50% or more of out-of-conference games against RPI teams 260 and above

These bonuses are added to the unmodified RPI score of a team, and then teams are reranked using the adjusted RPI value. The adjusted RPI is what is used for consideration for the NCAA tournament by the NCAA committee.

I found this file, Report of the DI Volleyball Committee. The "bonus/penalty" is not a number, but rather being moved a position (or two) in the RPI rankings.

[1972Shocker]

Let me open by saying that I have not seen this year's K-State team in action so I would take whatever I am about to say with a several grains of salt. Nevertheless, after just perusing K-State's schedule and results, their season stats and their results I think the match-up between K-State and the Shocks in the 1st round is a good one that either team is capable of winning. In other words, I am expecting a very competitive match between two relatively young teams.

Based on K-State's stats it appears they exclusively use a 5-1 offensive attack. The Shocks on the other hand will flex between a 5-1 and a 6-2 depending on which seems to work the best against each opponent. I suppose that could present K-State with a little bit more to think about and to work on in their scouting and preparation although I am not sure that is a big advantage for the Shocks.

In the two Valley Tournament games the Shocks had to fight back from 0-2 deficits to win in 5 sets. Against UNI they started in a 5-1 then switched to the 6-2 after intermission. Against MSU they started in the 6-2 and then switched to the 5-1. This doesn't guarantee that every time they make the switch that it will work but it does provide Lambo with some options and flexibility depending on how he sees the match developing.

A nail-biting 5-setter would not surprise me in the least.

:poster_shocks:

[flyingMoose]

Lawrence Sub-Regional

Missouri 3-1 Missouri State
(21), 22, 21, 17

These sets were close except the last where the Tigers ran out to an early lead.

The other Valley teams do not start until tomorrow.

[JayJ79]

Bears started out well, winning the first set and leading by 4 or so midway through the 2nd. But then the Tigers made adjustments and MSU started struggling with serving errors and really poor passing.

[flyingMoose]

The streaming video is the first time I have seen the inside of the Horejsi FAC. Okay, they have a volley-ball only facility, but I thought they might do better than a Butler building.

Capacity is 1300 and in the first set against Furman, a ball hit the ceiling?!

[flyingMoose]

The Lutz column about volleyball, focusing on Jody.

[Shocker-maniac]

The streaming video is the first time I have seen the inside of the Horejsi FAC. Okay, they have a volley-ball only facility, but I thought they might do better than a Butler building.

Capacity is 1300 and in the first set against Furman, a ball hit the ceiling?!

Pardon my ignorance, but where is Horejsi FAC?

[WuShock16]

Pardon my ignorance, but where is Horejsi FAC?

Larryville/Low Rents

[flyingMoose]

Pardon my ignorance, but where is Horejsi FAC?

Here is the description of its location. I think of it as being attached to Allen Field House (externally if not internally) with Hoglund at your back as you face the entrance in this picture.

Or maybe the answer is Lawrence. :)

[JayJ79]

even worse is Louisville with their 900 seat gym.

[WuDrWu]

National seed #13 Colorado State upset at home by Loyola Marymount. 20, (16), 19, 15

Marymount is probably one of the very best 4 seeds in the tourney, this year or any.

Maybe more surprising, Cleveland State took set 2 from USC. The Trojans were not happy. 3-1 USC.

The very best will continue to stay clear of most of D1, but I think you'll see more and more of this over the next few years. There are just a lot of really good players coming up through clubs all over the country.

[flyingMoose]

Louisville Sub-Regional

Illinois 3-0 Southern Illinois
19, 15, 24

[1972Shocker]

American 3-0 Kentucky

24-17-21

Somewhat of a surprise there.