U-M Earns Third Straight NCAA Bid, Will Face Kentucky
11/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Bracket | Kentucky's NCAA Page
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- For the ninth time in program history and third straight season, the University of Michigan volleyball team will play in the NCAA Championship after earning an at-large bid Sunday night (Nov. 30) as announced live on ESPNU.
Michigan will face host school Kentucky in the first round of the tournament at 7 p.m. Thursday (Dec. 4) at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky. If the Wolverines prevail, they will face the winner of 13th-seeded Saint Louis and Alabama A&M, who will meet Thursday at 5 p.m. The winner of the second-round match, which is scheduled for Friday (Dec. 5) at 7 p.m., earns a berth in the Seattle, Wash., regional.
Michigan is coming off a record-tying season under head coach Mark Rosen, posting a 24-8 record and finishing with a 12-8 Big Ten mark and a fifth-place finish in the final conference standings. The Wolverines won 24 matches for the second straight season, tying for the top win total in the Rosen era. With one more victory, Michigan can eclipse the mark and post the best Maize and Blue win total in 27 seasons, since the 1981 Wolverines earned a program-best 40 victories. The Wolverines have been ranked or received votes in the polls the entire campaign, peaking at No. 18 in the nation (Oct. 27) after beginning the season with a record-tying 13-0 mark.
The Wolverines have faced Kentucky three times in program history and just once in Lexington, Ky., with the Wildcats holding a 2-1 series advantage. The last time the two teams squared off was a 3-0 Kentucky victory Sept. 19, 1992. The Wildcats finished second in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division and bring a 26-5 overall record into postseason play.
Michigan earned berths in the 1999, 2000, '02, '03, '04, '06 and '07 NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the second round four times. Last season, the Wolverines hosted first- and second-round matches for the first time in school history and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time, falling in regional play to No. 1-ranked and eventual national champion Penn State.
Also in the Lexington pod is the NCAA Tournament's 13th overall seed, Saint Louis. The Billikens captured the Atlantic 10 championship with a 28-4 overall record and a perfect 13-0 clip in A-10 action. Saint Louis has two players averaging more than three kills per stanza, and the Billikens average more than an ace per set as a squad. U-M and SLU have never met on the volleyball court before.
Alabama A&M (14-16) earned an automatic bid after winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference's tournament for the eighth time in nine seasons. Three players average more than two kills a set for the Lady Bulldogs. Alabama A&M would also be a first-time match-up for the Maize and Blue should both teams advance to the second round.
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Mark Rosen
On the opening-round match-up with Kentucky... "It's a tough first-round opponent. Kentucky has been in the Top 25 poll throughout the year, and it presents a tough opening match for us. At the same time I think the path for whoever can get through that first round is a fair path. I think it is going to be a good, very evenly matched bracket, which makes it fun."
On hitting the road as opposed to hosting... "We knew there was a chance we wouldn't be able to host based on logistics and geographical issues. We would certainly rather be home, any team would be, but it is what it is. We have to hit the road and just go play our game and we will be fine."
Contact: Matt Fancett (734) 763-4423
