U to play host to NCAA volleyball regional
December 12, 2014 at 6:29PM
U of M Sports Pavilion
Friday: Regional semifinals, Colorado State vs. Texas, 4 p.m.; Oregon vs. North Carolina, 6 p.m., both on ESPN3
Saturday: Regional final, 5:30 p.m., ESPNU
The Sports Pavilion will host its second NCAA volleyball tournament regional final in the past four years, but it will be without the Gophers or any Big Ten team. The regional features four teams from different regions of the country, all seeded in the top 16. Here's a look at the field in Minneapolis this weekend:
Colorado State at a glance
The Rams (31-2) are riding the momentum of a five-set victory over rival Colorado in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The 15th-seeded Rams have won eight matches in a row and are the only team in the nation to rank in the top 25 for kills, assists, hitting percentage, blocks and opponents' hitting. They've made 20 consecutive trips to the tournament, but are making their first regional trip since 2009.
Players to watch: Deedra Foss was the Mountain West Player of the Year and ranks No. 3 nationally with 11.74 assists per set and leads a Rams team with a .283 attack percentage, eighth-best in the country. All-Mountain West outside hitter Marlee Reynolds is averaging a team-high 3.15 kills per set.
Need to know: The Rams 31 victories are the second-most in a season for the school, and they are guaranteed to finish with at least the second-best winning percentage in program history.
Texas at a glance
The No. 2-seeded Longhorns (25-2) are the favorite to win the regional after breezing through the first and second rounds with sweeps. The Longhorns had won eight games in a row before losing their regular-season finale to No. 8 seed Florida in five sets. They are loaded with five All-Region honorees.
Players to watch: Seniors Haley Eckerman and Khat Bell were All-Region selections, and Eckerman was named the Big 12's Player of the Year for the third time. She ranked in the top 10 in the conference in points, kills and service aces. Jerritt Elliott was named Big 12 Coach of the Year.
Need to know: Texas has reached the regional semifinals 27 times in program history. The Longhorns lost to Wisconsin in last year's Final Four semifinals and won the national championship in 2012. The last time Texas played an NCAA match in Minneapolis was in 1988 when they beat Hawaii for the title.
Oregon at a glance
The Ducks (23-9) are the only team with more than two losses in the regional, but they finished in the top four of the powerful Pac-12. The No. 10 seed lost its last two conference games but recovered for 3-0 and 3-1 victories in the first and second rounds in Eugene, Ore.
Players to watch: Martenne Bettendorf was selected to the All-Pacific North Regional's first team and leads the Ducks with 3.50 kills per set. Liz Brenner is among the top offensive and defensive producers with 2.83 kills and 3.38 digs per set.
Need to know: Oregon was 1-5 against the Pac-12's top three teams and only won one set total against top-seeded Stanford and one set against No. 3 Washington in two matches against each of those national powers.
North Carolina at a glance
The Tar Heels (28-2) overcame a slow start in the regional final against Southern California to earn just the program's second Sweet 16 appearance and first since 2002. The No. 7 seed and ACC champion will face another Pac-12 opponent in Oregon on Friday night hoping to earn its first ever trip to a regional final.
Players to watch: Ece Tanner was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. She averaged 4.56 digs and 0.35 service aces per set. Chaniel Nelson leads UNC with 2.89 kills per set. Head coach Joe Sagula was named ACC Coach of the Year.
Need to know: The Tar Heels haven't lost since Sept. 26, winning 19 consecutive matches. Thirteen of those victories were 3-0 sweeps.
JASON GONZALEZ
Center Dawson Garcia played despite a groin injury, and starting guard Mike Mitchell Jr. and four others were absent for the Gophers. Among the results: a 14-point first half.
