Championship Sunday

BeckysTXA · #1 11-18-2018, 09:05 AM

We’ve all known it was coming down to these two teams for the auto bid and a championship banner. Dayton will get an at-large bid either way. VCU will not. They know it’s their only chance to dance. They have homecourt advantage. It will be interesting to see how many fans they will have. Usually Dayton sends the band, etc. We will need all the support we can get today.

I expect Bruns to have a big day. She probably had her worst day hitting yesterday. She still had 16 kills and contributed above her season average with blocks. We will need all the blocks we can get today too.

Kendyll had probably her best day as a Flyer. The Siegel Center is apparently 15 minutes from her hometown. That was special. We will need more of all that again today.

It was clear we were trying to set the middles a lot yesterday. We need more of that too. Olivia had a huge day blocking. Need more of that. Sierra had a great game as did Alli and Brooke.

We’ve got a lot of great hitters and pretty good blockers. They have pretty good hitters and some great blockers. It will come down to serve receive/passing and aggressive serving to keep the other team out of system. Margo, Maura, Liz, and Carissa will be key to a victory.

This is really Senior Day II. The legacy of our three seniors is on the line. We need big contributions from Kendyll, Lauren and Margo to win and leadership counts just as much as stats today from this group.

Time to knockoff VCU. Go Flyers!

CE80 · #2 11-18-2018, 09:34 AM

On ESPN+ at 12 noon.

Lifelong Flyer Fan · #3 11-18-2018, 09:37 AM

So you don't have to look it up!
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/c073b...B_OEM_ID=31600

BeckysTXA · #4 11-18-2018, 11:26 AM

In the past, the A10 has had a team of 3-4 coaches at all matches to vote on the all tourney team. Usually these are coaches outside the conference, such as club coaches.

Based on matches so far, I’d say Kendyll, Cochran from LAS and maybe Taylor from SLU have made the team, although I’m not sure Taylor played that well, so I could see none from SLU. Next would be Margo. She was one assist away from a double-double. Liberos never get doubles. If Kendyl has a great match today, she will be the MVP. VCU will have at least two on the team.

Honestly, VCU and UD are clearly ahead of others in the conference this year. Devin Cochran played well, so I’d honor her.but everything else might be VCU and UD players.

BeckysTXA · #5 11-18-2018, 12:25 PM

3 blocks in a row plus an ace and UD is behind 17-23. Probably going down 0-1 but we need to get rolling for set 2

BeckysTXA · #6 11-18-2018, 12:35 PM

Making too many errors. TO UD down 2-7. Need some senior leadership. A couple good passes would help too.

BeckysTXA · #7 11-18-2018, 12:40 PM

Brooke brings us back. On a 5 point service run starting with 2 Aces. UD up 9-8. TO vcu

jack72 · #8 11-18-2018, 01:49 PM

Wow, that was a performance that set. Keep the mo going!

CE80 · #9 11-18-2018, 02:08 PM

Wooo hoooo!!!
Posted via Mobile Device

jack72 · #10 11-18-2018, 02:08 PM

They do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lifelong Flyer Fan · #11 11-18-2018, 02:32 PM

Kendyll, Brooke and Lauren all tourney. Lauren MVP

CE80 · #12 11-18-2018, 02:37 PM

So what seed do you think they are looking at?

BeckysTXA · #13 11-18-2018, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by CE80

So what seed do you think they are looking at?

Dang we are sitting at figgiestats rpi 31 With a shot at 29 right now .... and that is BEFORE the VCU win.

In volleyball, only the top 16 are seeded. Then everyone else is slotted with travel considerations, although we have been sent to TXAM and Oregon for the first two rounds in the past.

Hopefully our auto-bid AND under 32 rpi (fingers crossed) will give us a little pull to be sent to the 14th, 15th or 16th seed’s home court. If they seeded the top 32 that’s about where we would land. No guarantee, but I’ll look at who should be in that group.

Ironically, I want to say please don’t send us to Penn State AGAIN. We’ve been there the last 2-3 NCAAs. However, we might be able to beat them this year, so it might be okay.

BeckysTXA · #14 11-18-2018, 03:23 PM

There is still a week of vball left for most of these teams and I haven’t even looked at what happened this weekend. All that said here are a couple options...

Creighton, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Purdue. Any of these 4 and we got slotted about where we would have been if they seeded 32 teams.

Penn St, Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota. Any of these and travel restrictions dictated our slot.

West Coast teams probably hosting are Stanford, BYU, USC, WA St. They also don’t like to pair up same-Conference teams in the first round. I can’t remember if that’s the case for the second round??? But not as many west coast hosting teams this year.

I also think Baylor and UCF will host. Baylor will probably get a west coast team plus TX State. Central Florida is a nice trip this time of year.

BeckysTXA · #15 11-18-2018, 03:28 PM

Yup, we got sent to Penn State in 2014, 2015 and 2016. It’s the only place anyone on this team has ever played a NCAA match. Central Florida would be way better. So would Omaha (Creighton) for that matter.

redbengal · #16 11-18-2018, 03:01 PM

Congrats, Flyers! Was great to be able to watch these last 2 matches on ESPN+. I'm already pumped for the selection show and first round. Westbeld plays way beyond her years. What a beast she'll be as a senior!

Chris R · #17 11-18-2018, 05:02 PM

Big time gut check today. Wasn't convinced we had it in us as VCU has seemingly made all the big plays late the last couple of years. To do it on their home court after they won the season title and to in all likelihood end their season with no NCAA has to feel good. Yeah yeah we want all A10 teams rewarded. But there's a point where twisting the knife is suuuuuuch a guilty pleasure. Ask any true competitor.

Lot of adversity this year with missing pieces. Some inconsistency. But they collected the rent this time when it mattered most. We got the W that punches tickets.

BeckysTXA · #18 11-18-2018, 08:51 PM

One of the things that might get overlooked is how well out left OHs blocked today. Lauren had 3 and Alli had 2. Plus the middles both had a ton. But the last couple matches with VCU their Rightside attack has killed us. They got a couple sharp cut shots of which a couple of those were lucky bounces off the net. But our Rightside OHs defended their Rightside OHs really well. And both middles closed blocks on the left. It’s the harder movement, going left, but both got it done.