Friday, August 17, 2007
Last season, a telling signal of the growing strength of Big 12 volleyball was broadcast nationwide.
On Dec. 16, in front of a national television audience and more than 17,000 fans at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb., top-ranked Nebraska defeated No. 2 Stanford 27-30, 30-26, 30-28, 30-27 to win its third national title since 1995. The best volleyball team the Big 12 had to offer was better than the best team from the Pac-10.
Six Big 12 volleyball teams made the NCAA tournament in 2006.
Team Finish
Nebraska National Champions
Texas Elite Eight
Oklahoma Sweet 16
Colorado 2nd Round
Iowa State 2nd Round
Missouri 2nd Round
The Pac-10 has long had the distinction of being the strongest volleyball conference in the country, a label earned by virtue of winning 13 national championships since 1981. But Kansas coach Ray Bechard is quick to add the Big 12 to the discussion of toughest volleyball conferences.
Bechard said that if he looked through the 11 schools in the Big 12 that field a team, Oklahoma State being the lone exception, he thought the conference had an argument as being the best.
“I think we have 10 teams who feel like they could be an NCAA tournament team,” Bechard said. “And that’s not going to happen because we’ll beat each other up in conference play.”
That turned out to be the case last season for Kansas, which started the season 7-2 before finishing 11th in the conference with a 3-17 record. Kansas suffered on the road, finishing with 0-10 in the Big 12 on the road.
Rank School (First Place Votes)
Pts. 2006 Record
1 Nebraska (53) 1491 33-1
2 Stanford (7) 1443 30-4
3 Penn State 1350 32-3
4 Texas 1269 24-7
5 UCLA 1214 33-4
6 Southern California 1197 27-5
7 Florida 1131 30-3
8 Washington 1088 29-5
9 Minnesota 1032 26-8
10 Hawaii 982 29-6
Other Big 12 Teams
20 Missouri 253 18-13
22 Oklahoma 205 26-5
Receiving Votes
Colorado 63, Iowa State 39, Texas A&M 29
Courtesy of NCAAsports.com
Kansas should be tested again in conference play this season. In addition to Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Iowa State and Missouri all made it to the NCAA tournament. Kansas State and Texas A&M can also lay claim to making an NCAA tournament appearance within the last two years, advancing in 2005, which was also the last year that Kansas made the field of 64.
The increased amount of talented teams has not been lost on Bechard.
“Five or six years ago, you could look at the schedule and see 5 or 6 sure wins, but now you just look at it and say, ‘Hey, we have to play really well to win that match,’” Bechard said.
The Division I CSTV/AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll features four Big 12 teams in the Top 25. Nebraska opens the season ranked No. 1, while Texas, an Elite Eight finisher a year ago, starts the season ranked No. 4 in the country. Missouri and Oklahoma show up at 20th and 22nd respectively. Colorado, Iowa State, and Texas A&M also received votes.
“It’s such a competitive league,” said Caitlin Mahoney, senior middle blocker. “We just have to stay focused and know not to settle, because every game is going to be a hard one.”
After 10 nonconference matches to open the season, Kansas will start the Big 12 season on Sept. 12 at home against Kansas State. Kansas’ Big 12 schedule consists of 20 matches, with a home-and-home series against every conference opponent.
During his 9 years at Kansas, Coach Bechard has learned that there is only one way to get through the 20-game grind.
“You just have to be unbelievably good at home and protect your home court,“ Bechard said, “and then you have to be very resilient on the road.”
— Edited by Tara Smith
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