Wisconsin Hosts First and Second Rounds of NCAA Volleyball
November 25, 2007 | Volleyball
The ninth-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team will play at home for the first rounds of the 2007 NCAA Division I Women's Championship. The Badgers (25-4) will host first and second-round matches on Friday and Saturday in the UW Field House.
No. 16 San Diego (21-7) opens first-round play against Iowa State (17-13) on Friday at 5 p.m. The Badgers face Northern Iowa (22-10) in the other first-round match at 7 p.m. First-round winners will play on Saturday at 7 p.m. for the right to advance to NCAA regional play.
'We've been working towards this point,' said Coach Pete Waite of his team's chances of making a run to the national championship. 'We've got a lot of upperclassmen. They've been playing for four years, starting for us for four years.'
Wisconsin could be home be for the first four rounds of the tournament as it will also host one of four NCAA regionals on Dec. 7-8 in the Field House. Regional winners will advance to the NCAA championship on Dec. 13 and 15 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif.
The Badgers received an at-large bid to their 16th overall and 12th consecutive NCAA tournament. The UW is 28-15 (.651) in 15 post-season appearances. Wisconsin has hosted first and second-round matches the last three years, advancing to regional play all three seasons.
'That says a lot, not just for our level of play but also for our level of fan support,' said Waite of his team hosting for the fourth-straight season. 'We're having a great time in the Field House and it just raises our level of play another 20-25 percent.'
Wisconsin will face Northern Iowa for the second time this season. The two teams met at the BYU Classic in Provo, Utah, on Sept. 1 with the Badgers winning 3-0. The Panthers advanced to post-season play by winning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
The UW has also played the other two teams that will come to Madison in the last two seasons. Wisconsin defeated San Diego, 3-1, at the San Diego Invitational on Sept. 16, 2006 while it swept Iowa State, 3-0, in the second round of the NCAA tournament last season in Madison.
'They know these teams we're playing are really good teams,' said Waite. 'That's how we handled the whole Big Ten season; you can 't overlook anybody.'
While Waite's team won't overlook anyone, he also knows his team is playing some of its best ball of the season. 'They're really sharp right now. The last week they've played some of their best ball in the last two months. Our seniors are really stepping up and they know what this is all about.'
