Posted on: Monday, November 26, 2001
Wahine get word on volleyball regionals today
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
The answer is absolutely anywhere, but probably not Hawai'i. The question is where will the ninth-ranked University of Hawai'i Wahine volleyball team play the first two rounds of the NCAA Championship?
It is a 64-team question that will be answered this morning when the brackets are announced. The NCAA's new "Policies for Fall Championships 2001," created out of post-Sept. 11 concern for student-athletes' welfare, basically gives its committee carte blanche to transform an imprecise science into a relative free-for-all. As long as the free-for-all takes place nearby.
The committee finalized its 64 teams (31 conference champions and 33 at-large invitations) over the weekend, then seeded the top 16. Those teams would normally play at home the first week, but these are not normal times.
The NCAA says its new policies are designed to "minimize air travel and mitigate risk." Coaches have openly questioned the claim, pointing out how little other sports have been impacted and how much money the NCAA will save.
"Safety," UOP coach Jayne McHugh said flatly, "is not the issue."
Under the new "suggested policies," seeded teams can be moved to balance regions, with a priority placed on staying within one time zone. Teams from the same conference can now play as early as the second round. Teams 17 through 64 "will be placed in their most proximate geographic region." Site selection will be based on location.
UH coach Dave Shoji's take on all this is that the committee will choose its sites by searching for clusters of tournament teams. A host will come from within the cluster.
The thought of three teams flying to Hawai'i this week would seem improbable, no matter how much the 27-5 Wahine — who have traveled nearly 30,000 miles since Sept. 11 — want and deserve it.
"It doesn't seem likely teams will travel to Hawai'i," Shoji said. "In the past, they've brought Midwest teams here, which is not going to happen. ... It looks like we'll have a tougher time being home than going three times zones."
Hawai'i lost its first match in nearly three months Saturday, at 14th-ranked Pacific. The WAC champion Wahine will be seeded, probably between Nos. 9-11, and Shoji expects to see a "bubble-type" team in the first round, then probably a good home team in the second.
His team, which is more than one time zone from any school, could end up anywhere. He sees clusters of teams in California, the Northwest, Texas, Illinois, and points east. He sees his team flying across the Pacific for the third time in as many weeks.
It would not be all bad.
"I'd like to stay home," Shoji said, "but then it would probably be all West Coast teams coming in, which would be a pretty tough first and second round.
"What we want to avoid is to have to play the host regional team (the following week) in a semifinal. We know we'll have to play a really good team, but on a neutral court we'll have a better shot."
Saturday's loss hasn't changed his thinking. It might have been a blessing.
"It's a lot like last year when we lost the last game (at Long Beach State)," Shoji said. "I think it's good. It's a reality check. You understand you're a little vulnerable. But on the other hand, who would have expected this team to win 24 straight? We've got to feel good about our regular season and feel very confident going into the playoffs."
