@PennStateMVBALL: #PSUMVB holds off Hawaii in four sets (25-22, 25-20, 17-25, 27-25) to earn its 17th consecutive appearance in the NCAA national semifinals!
Men's volleyball in finals
- Thread starter jroman1
- Start date
Nice. Go State! Here is the link to the Final Four. http://i.turner.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/external/gametool/brackets/volleyball-men_nc_2014.pdf
Semifinals. The men's tournament is now 6 teams total since Conference Carolinas started sponsoring the sport, so there are 4 teams that go to quarterfinals and the top 2 teams get byes to the semifinals. We were the #5 seed.
Wow. I know this is the men's tourney, not women's, but still.....only one team (UCI) west of the Mississippi in the Final Four. Far cry from the days when the NCAA had to restructure the selection criteria to get even one eastern team in.
So last year's national champs, Loyola-Chicago (25-2), has to win a play-in game to even qualify for participation in the tournament. Anyway, great win for PSU over Hawaii!
This year is different from last year when there were only five teams in the original playoff.
The old method for several years was the western winner
, the MIVA winner and the EIVA winner getting automatic bids to final four and the fourth team being the best at large, generally from the west.
Last year, PSU was designated as the weakest of the four and had to play a 'play in' game against the Conference Carolina winner, which Penn State won before being eliminated in a multiple set match by eventual champ Loyola.
I would imagine the powers to be figured one 'play in' game was awkward and came up with two at large teams to make an original field of six.
For whatever reason, the MIVA has really improved with Loyola winning last year and the other school whose name escapes me winning it this year.
I was slightly surprised PSU beat Hawaii who beat PSU early in the year 3-0 at Hawaii.
In a four match shoot out, anyone can get hot and win as OSU did a few years ago, sweeping us at home and then beating a western school for the championship.
So, here's hoping for the men's team.
Regarding the comment about the west coast only having 1 team in final 4, if you check the national rankings, the west coast has several in top ten. But they get cut down to one in their tourney and I imagine most years will only ever have one additional at large.
The old method for several years was the western winner
, the MIVA winner and the EIVA winner getting automatic bids to final four and the fourth team being the best at large, generally from the west.Last year, PSU was designated as the weakest of the four and had to play a 'play in' game against the Conference Carolina winner, which Penn State won before being eliminated in a multiple set match by eventual champ Loyola.
I would imagine the powers to be figured one 'play in' game was awkward and came up with two at large teams to make an original field of six.
For whatever reason, the MIVA has really improved with Loyola winning last year and the other school whose name escapes me winning it this year.
I was slightly surprised PSU beat Hawaii who beat PSU early in the year 3-0 at Hawaii.
In a four match shoot out, anyone can get hot and win as OSU did a few years ago, sweeping us at home and then beating a western school for the championship.
So, here's hoping for the men's team.
Regarding the comment about the west coast only having 1 team in final 4, if you check the national rankings, the west coast has several in top ten. But they get cut down to one in their tourney and I imagine most years will only ever have one additional at large.
Yeah, the MIVA has had some really good teams of late and has actually been able to get at large bids. It seemed likely that when the tournament expanded to 6 teams (2 at large bids) that both would go to the MSPF each year, but it has not been the case either this year or last
Lewis actually won the national championship in 2003 but vacated it due to NCAA violations. They've generally been one of the stronger teams in the MIVA.
This year is different from last year when there were only five teams in the original playoff.
The old method for several years was the western winner
Last year, PSU was designated as the weakest of the four and had to play a 'play in' game against the Conference Carolina winner, which Penn State won before being eliminated in a multiple set match by eventual champ Loyola.
I would imagine the powers to be figured one 'play in' game was awkward and came up with two at large teams to make an original field of six.
No, that is not correct. The field expanded from 4 to 6 in 2014 when the Conference Carolinas was given an auto bid and a second at large team was added. PSU played Lewis in the play-in round and won but lost to Illinois-Chicago in the semi-finals. Stanford vs Erskine was the other play-in, then Stanford lost to BYU in the semi-final. UIC won the championship (it was on their home court FWIW).
Doctornick,
I think we are both half right.
PSU did beat Lewis in the play in game.
However, in the semi final, they lost to Loyola, not University of Illinois at Chicago, unless Loyola is the University of Illinois at Chcago.
It was on the Loyola home court.
That's why I give PSU a puncher's chance as they have improved from the start of this year and have played tough in the tourney last year.
I think we are both half right.
PSU did beat Lewis in the play in game.
However, in the semi final, they lost to Loyola, not University of Illinois at Chicago, unless Loyola is the University of Illinois at Chcago.
It was on the Loyola home court.
That's why I give PSU a puncher's chance as they have improved from the start of this year and have played tough in the tourney last year.
You are right, I got Illinois-Chicago and Loyola-Chicago mixed up. UIC does not have a men's volleyball team, unlike Loyola Chicago.
