Scores to Watch as WSU Looks to Keep Rising in the AVCA Poll

[tgcshock]

IF (and that is always a big "if") we can go undefeated this week on the road, there is always the chance to keep advancing in the polls. Here are the schedules for the teams immediately above us in the AVCA poll :

#13 Colorado State:

Fri. Sept. 26, (Home) vs. Wyoming (2-9)

#12 Minnesota:

Fri. Sept. 26, (Home) vs. Northwestern (6-5)
Sat. Sept. 27, (Home) vs. #18 Wisconsin (10-2)

#11 Oregon:

Fri. Sept. 26, (Away) vs. #9 California (10-1)
Sat. Sept. 27, (Away) vs. #6 Stanford (9-2) [fixed]

#10 Florida:

Fri. Sept. 26 (Away) vs. Arkansas (7-4)
Sun. Sept. 28, (Away) vs. Ole Miss (5-5)

[1972Shocker]

Good info. Thanks for putting that together.

:good:

[RoyalShock]

It looks to me as if the most likely scenarios for moving up is Florida losing to Arkansas.

I don't see CSU losing to Wyo or Minny losing at home to NW. Knowing how the VB poll works Minny losing to Wisconsin would probably create something like this:

#12 - CSU
#13 - Wisc
#14 - Minn
#15 - WSU

So I could actually see us losing a spot, especially if Cal-Poly keeps losing.

[tgcshock]

It looks to me as if the most likely scenarios for moving up is Florida losing to Arkansas.

I don't see CSU losing to Wyo or Minny losing at home to NW. Knowing how the VB poll works Minny losing to Wisconsin would probably create something like this:

#12 - CSU
#13 - Wisc
#14 - Minn
#15 - WSU

So I could actually see us losing a spot, especially if Cal-Poly keeps losing.

I agree with the analysis. I think we are better off if MN wins against WISC.

Obviously, one of the best things that could happen for us is to have Northwestern upset MN but as you say, it's probably not going to happen.

An open question is what happens if Oregon loses both their matches. (This is likely to happen since they are both away against higher ranked opponents). Given the quality of the opponents, I doubt if they would drop beneath us (and I am not arguing that they should) but you never know. It will be fun to watch.

[1972Shocker]

So I could actually see us losing a spot, especially if Cal-Poly keeps losing.

Hopefully, Cal-Poly starts winning more often than not again as they get into there conference schedule.

They played an extremely tough non-conference schedule.

They are 5-6 with the losses to #2 Nebraska, #6 Stanford, #8 California, #12 Minnesota, #14 Wichita State and #38 St. Mary's.

The actually outscored St. Mary's in a 4-set loss by 97-93, but after winning set 1 by 10 points they lost 23-25, 23-25 and 26-28 to lose the match.

Cal-Poly gets #22 Long Beach State twice in league play. I like the Dirt Bags, but I probably will be rooting for Cal-Poly in these matches.

[CharlieHog]

It looks to me as if the most likely scenarios for moving up is Florida losing to Arkansas.

We have only beaten Florida once, ever.

Nevertheless, go Hogs. 8)

[Snapshot9]

I think you meant Stanford to be 9-2, not 2-9 seeing how they are rated #6.

I only see Oregon coming out 1-1 for the weekend at best, and they could drop both games very easily.

If we win both matches this weekend, I think we will move up 1 or 2 spots.

[WuDrWu]

Unfortunately, we are about done moving up unless MSU, OU, OSU, Wazzu and NU start winning a lot of matches in conference.

I don't see us above 12 this year, even if we were lucky enough to run the table. This is nothing like the basketball polls.

[tgcshock]

I think you meant Stanford to be 9-2, not 2-9 seeing how they are rated #6.

I only see Oregon coming out 1-1 for the weekend at best, and they could drop both games very easily.

If we win both matches this weekend, I think we will move up 1 or 2 spots.

Of course you are right about Stanford. Sorry about the typo.

While I would be delighted to move up as far as possible, it also a good feature about the coaches poll that they don't tend to drop teams like a rock just because of a loss, especially against good competition. I would love to see us go undefeated, but, realistically we will probably lose a few games along the way and I hope that we don't drop dramatically as a result. All this to say, it won't disturb me too much if Oregon loses but we don't pass them

[tgcshock]

Unfortunately, we are about done moving up unless MSU, OU, OSU, Wazzu and NU start winning a lot of matches in conference.

I don't see us above 12 this year, even if we were lucky enough to run the table. This is nothing like the basketball polls.

In women's volleyball, there really are 8 to 10 teams that are head and shoulders above the rest and who do not deserve to be dropped below teams with better records. Over the last few years we have been steadily working our way into the next tier of teams that can be ranked in the top twenty with some consistency. We have come a long way but I think somewhere between 10 -12 is probably the ceiling for our ranking in the coaches poll and most likely that is completely legitimate.

[lemuel777]

why do people think WSU will loose one or two conference matches when they have gone undefeated through conference play before? They realistically this year could go undefeated all the way to the NCAA tournament. go Shocks!

[The Mad Hatter]

why do people think WSU will loose one or two conference matches when they have gone undefeated through conference play before? They realistically this year could go undefeated all the way to the NCAA tournament. go Shocks!

It certainly is possible, and the Shocks should be favored in all of their matches from here on out (with the possible exception of at UNI), but the reality is that going undefeated is really hard. The longer you go without losing, the harder it is to stay focused (we already have come out flat a couple of times and it almost cost us against Northwestern), and you will get everyone's best shot.

Even the team that went undefeated in Valley play lost in the nonconference and in the Valley tourney. I don't think being undefeated going into the NCAA's is unreasonable, but is sure won't be easy, no matter how good we are.

[SubGod22]

There are too many good, solid teams in the Valley to expect it. It could happen, but odds are we slip up once or twice.

[1972Shocker]

I agree totally with the comments made by TMH and Sub.

Nevertheless, this team is still evolving and improving and they can be a little inconsistent at times. I see them getting better as the year goes on.

Our last two conferernce matches of the year are at UNI on November 15th and at Missouri State on November 21st.

If we are still undefeated at that point these last two matches will be very, very interesting indeed.

If they are still undefeated going into the finale at Missouri State it will be very, very hard for me not to make a trip to Springfield to attend that match. In fact, I would like to see about 10 busloads of Shocker fans in Springfield if we have a shot at being undefeated.

[WuDrWu]

Bad Pablo day for the Shocks. Meeeeeechigan beat The Ohio State University in 3 sets and OU fell apart at BU and lost in 5.


It is very possible that 14 is as high as we get until the tourney and as someone smarter than I said earlier, it is in all likelyhood deserved and earned.