Florida’s top-ranked volleyball team got its just desert Sunday afternoon when the NCAA announced its 64-team Division I championship bracket. Coach Mary Wise and the Gators, who have won 22 straight matches, make their 20th straight NCAA appearance (21 overall) with their first-ever No. 1 seed in the tournament.
The Gators (27-1) will host South Carolina State (17-22), the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion, in the first round Friday night at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center at 7:30. That match will follow one between Georgia Southern (27-8) and Florida State (21-10) at 5 p.m. Friday’s winners return Saturday night at 7:30 with the winner advancing to the Austin (Texas) Regional Dec. 10-11.
The Gators, the No. 1-ranked team by the American Volleyball Coaches Association for a school-record seven weeks, come in as the first school ever to go through the SEC double round-robin format undefeated (20-0). Florida, which has been rated No. 1 in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) for the entire season, has extended its nation-leading streak of consecutive 25-win seasons to 20. The Gators, who have played perhaps the nation’s toughest schedule, boast a record of 10-1 against Top-25 opponents this year.
“I don’t think the selection announcement could come soon enough for these players,” Florida coach Mary Wise said. “They’ve been looking forward to it and talking about it since our Friday-night match (at South Carolina). To be the No. 1 seed is a reflection of our early non-conference wins and the fact that we went through a complete double round-robin – 20 matches – really without stumbling along the way. The committee gave us that No. 1 seed as a reflection of that in a year where there is so much parity that you could make a great argument for any one of seven or eight teams to be the No. 1 seed.”
The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and placed within four regions. In addition to Florida, the teams tabbed as the top four seeds were No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Stanford and No. 4 Penn State.
Penn State, the three-time defending NCAA champion, handed the Gators a 3-1 setback (20-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-23) back on Sept. 10 in the Nike Volleyball Big Four Classic at the O’Connell Center, extending its NCAA-record winning streak to 109 matches (Stanford would end the streak at the following evening). Florida beat Nebraska early in the season, beat No. 9 Texas following its loss to Penn State, owns two victories each over Louisiana State (No. 13) and Tennessee (No. 11) and also beat Colorado State and Iowa State when both were ranked in the Top 25.
Florida is 51-20 all-time in the NCAA tournament, including 50-19 under Wise. The Gators have advanced to the regional semifinals 18 of Wise’s previous 19 seasons and been to the national semifinal on seven occasions. But the Gators have yet to win the national championship. There have been 10 schools in the 29-year history of the NCAA volleyball tournament who have won the title and nine of them are in the field announced Sunday (Stanford has won six times, Penn State four times, Hawaii three, Long Beach State three, UCLA three, Nebraska three, Southern California three and Texas and Washington one each).
Five of Florida’s SEC foes – Tennessee, LSU, Kentucky, Mississippi and Auburn – also received tournament bids, while seven of Florida’s non-conference foes are also in the field (Albany, Colorado State, Florida State, Iowa State, Nebraska, Penn State and Texas). In all, 17 of Florida’s 28 matches this season came against teams in the NCAA 64-team field, and Florida went 16-1.
Florida is led offensively by junior outside hitter Kelly Murphy, who is the only player to rank among the SEC’s top-10 individually (all matches combined) in hitting percentage, service aces per set and kills per set simultaneously. Murphy leads the SEC with 0.39 service aces per set, while ranking fourth in hitting efficiency with a .370 clip and ninth in kills per set with 3.05.
“We know that everything we’ve been doing so far has been working towards something and we’ve achieved everything that we’ve set out to do so far this season,” Murphy said. “We know if we keep our focus and mindset that we’ve had from the beginning, we can achieve the goals that we set this season.”
Senior outside hitter Callie Rivers and junior outside hitter Kristy Jaeckel follow with 2.58 and 2.49 kills per set, respectively. Rivers is second on the team with 2.26 digs per set and ranks third in the SEC with 0.31 service aces per set, while Jaeckel is 10th in the league with 0.26 aces per set.
Senior libero Erin Fleming ranks eighth in the SEC with 3.59 digs per set, while freshman setter Chanel Brown dishes out a squad-best 5.63 assists per set.
Three Gators average better than 0.95 blocks per set, led by junior middle blocker Cassandra Anderson, who leads the SEC with 1.24 blocks per set. Senior middle blocker Lauren Bledsoe is fifth in the SEC with 1.09 blocks per set and also ranks third in the league with a .395 hitting efficiency. Sophomore right-side Tangerine Wiggs chips in 0.97 blocks per set.
NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
FIRST ROUND
Thursday / Dec. 2 / Seattle, Wash.
Portland State (21-8) vs. (15) Hawaii (28-2), 8 p.m.
Washington (21-8) vs. Michigan (23-9), 10:30 p.m.
Thursday / Dec. 2 / Lincoln, Neb.
Auburn (20-12) vs. Missouri State (21-9), 5:30 p.m.
Sacred Heart (29-6) vs. (2) Nebraska (27-2), 8 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / Gainesville, Fla.
Georgia Southern (27-8) vs. Florida State (21-10), 5 p.m.
South Carolina State (17-22) vs. (1) Florida (27-1), 7:30 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / West Lafayette, Ind.
Middle Tennessee (29-5) vs. Louisville (22-7), 5 p.m.
Kentucky (17-13) vs. (16) Purdue (21-10), 7:30 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / Austin, Texas
Texas-San Antonio (22-11) vs. (9) Texas (23-5), 7:30 p.m.
American (29-2) vs. UCLA (21-8), 5:30 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / Champaign, Ill.
Cincinnati (29-5) vs. Western Kentucky (27-8), 5:30 p.m.
Austin Peay (26-7) vs. (8) Illinois (22-8), 8 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / Cedar Falls, Iowa
Missouri (20-10) vs. (5) Northern Iowa (30-2), 9 p.m.
Arizona (20-11) vs. Northwestern (19-12), 6:30 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / Durham, N.C.
Ohio (21-12) vs. Penn (17-10), TBA
High Point (22-12) vs. (12) Duke (24-6), TBA
Friday / Dec. 3 / Norman, Okla.
(13) Louisiana State (25-4) vs. Tulsa (30-2), 6 p.m.
Wichita State (21-7) vs. Oklahoma (21-10), 8:30 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / State College, Pa.
Virginia Tech (19-11) vs. Delaware (26-5), 5 p.m.
Niagara (25-8) vs. (4) Penn State (26-5), 7:30 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / Stanford, Calif.
(3) Stanford (24-3) vs. Albany, N.Y. (22-8), 10 p.m.
Cal State-Fullerton (26-5) vs. Colorado State (25-4), 7:30 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / Dayton, Ohio
Ohio State (22-11) vs. Lipscomb (24-6), 8 p.m.
Butler (21-9) vs. (14) Dayton (27-3), 6 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / Bloomington, Ind.
(11) Tennessee (24-6) vs. Alabama A&M (16-10), 5 p.m.
Miami (Fla.) (23-8) vs. Indiana (21-11), 7 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / Los Angeles, Calif.
San Diego (23-5) vs. Long Beach State (25-7), 8 p.m.
New Mexico (20-9) vs. (6) Southern California (25-4), 10 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / Berkeley, Calif.
(7) California (25-3) vs. Utah State (24-8), 10 p.m.
Mississippi (19-10) vs. North Carolina (24-9), 8 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / Minneapolis, Minn.
Iowa State (20-8) vs. Creighton (20-11), 5:30 p.m.
North Dakota State (20-10) vs. (10) Minnesota (24-8), 8 p.m.
SECOND ROUND
Friday / Dec. 3 / Seattle, Wash.
Portland State/Hawaii winner vs. Washington/Michigan winner, 10:30 p.m.
Friday / Dec. 3 / Lincoln, Neb.
Auburn/Missouri State winner vs. Sacred Heart/Nebraska winner, 8 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / Gainesville, Fla.
Florida/South Carolina State winner vs. Georgia Southern/Florida State winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / West Lafayette, Ind.
Middle Tennessee/Louisville winner vs. Kentucky/Purdue winner, 7 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / Austin, Texas
Texas/Texas-San Antonio winner vs. American/UCLA winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / Champaign, Ill.
Cincinnati/Western Kentucky winner vs. Austin Peay/Illinois winner, 8 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / Cedar Falls, Iowa
Northern Iowa/Missouri winner vs. Arizona/Northwestern winner, 9 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / Durham, N.C.
Ohio/Penn winner vs. High Point/Duke winner, 7 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / Norman, Okla.
Louisiana State/Tulsa winner vs. Wichita State/Oklahoma winner, 3 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / State College, Pa.
Virginia Tech/Delaware winner vs. Niagara/Penn State winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / Stanford, Calif.
Stanford/Albany winner vs. Cal State-Fullerton/Colorado State winner, 10 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / Dayton, Ohio
Ohio State/Lipscomb winner vs. Butler/Dayton winner, TBA
Saturday / Dec. 4 / Bloomington, Ind.
Tennessee/Alabama A&M winner vs. Miami (Fla.)/Indiana winner, 3 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / Los Angeles, Calif.
San Diego/Long Beach State winner vs. New Mexico/Southern California winner, 8 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / Berkeley, Calif.
California/Utah State winner vs. Mississippi/North Carolina winner, 9 p.m.
Saturday / Dec. 4 / Minneapolis, Minn.
Iowa State/Creighton winner vs. North Dakota State/Minnesota winner, 7 p.m.
THIRD ROUND
Friday / Dec. 10 / Austin, Texas
Gainesville winner vs. West Lafayette winner
Austin winner vs. Champaign winner
Friday / Dec. 10 / State College, Pa.
Cedar Falls winner vs. Durham winner
Norman winner vs. State College winner
Friday / Dec. 10 / Dayton, Ohio
Stanford winner vs. Dayton winner
Bloomington winner vs. Los Angeles winner
Friday / Dec. 10 / Seattle, Wash.
Berkeley winner vs. Minneapolis winner
Seattle winner vs. Lincoln winner
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday / Dec. 11 / Austin, Texas
Gainesville/West Lafayette winner vs. Austin/Champaign winner
Saturday / Dec. 11 / State College, Pa.
Cedar Falls/Durham winner vs. Norman/State College winner
Saturday / Dec. 11 / Dayton, Ohio
Stanford/Dayton winner vs. Bloomington/Los Angeles winner
Saturday / Dec. 11 / Seattle, Wash.
Berkeley/Minneapolis winner vs. Seattle/Lincoln winner
THE FINAL FOUR
Sprint Center / Kansas City, Mo.
Thursday / Dec. 16 / Semifinals
Austin Regional winner vs. State College Regional winner, 7 or 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2HD/ESPN3.com)
Dayton Regional winner vs. Seattle Regional winner, 7 or 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2HD/ESPN3.com)
Saturday / Dec. 18 / Championship
Semifinal winners, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN2HD/ESPN3.com)