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MWC Sends Three To NCAA Volleyball Tournament
Colorado State Seeded 14th
Nov. 30, 2003
Complete Bracket in PDF Format
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Committee announced today the field for the 2003 Women's Volleyball Championship and Mountain West Conference members BYU, Colorado State and Utah were among the 64 teams. The Rams earned an automatic bid after winning the 2003 MWC Volleyball Championship, while BYU and Utah were at-large selections. The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and placed within four regions. The teams tabbed as the top four seeds were Southern California, Hawai`i, Florida and Pepperdine. Colorado State was seeded 14th. BYU, participants in the NCAA Tournament 20 of the past 22 years, returns to the postseason this year after missing the 2002 campaign. The Cougars (23-8) face New Mexico State (30-4) in first-round play at Honolulu, Hawai`i, on Dec. 4. Second-ranked Hawai`i (32-1) or Idaho (19-10) will await the winner of the Cougars vs. Aggies matchup in the second round. BYU has made a pair of Sweet 16 appearances (1999, 2000) since joining the MWC and has an overall record of 26-20 in NCAA Tournaments. Colorado State, which advanced to the Sweet 16 three of the past four seasons, makes its 15th overall and ninth straight NCAA appearance. CSU enters the NCAA Tournament with a school- and MWC record 20-match win streak. The Rams, 13-14 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, will travel to College Park, Md., for first and second round action, opening with George Mason (16-14) in the first round on Dec. 5. The winner of the Rams vs. Patriots match will face host Maryland (26-7) or American (22-9) in the second round. Utah will be making its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Utah, 5-5 overall in NCAA Tournaments, travels to Seattle, Wash., for the first and second rounds. The Utes (21-8) open play vs. Santa Clara (20-10) on Dec. 5. No. 12 seed Washington (19-8) or Northwestern (18-14) will meet the winner of the Utes vs. Broncos match. Utah has won 15 of its last 18 matches entering this year's NCAA Tournament with all three losses coming to Colorado State.
Teams winning both early round matches will move on to regional play December 12 and 13. For the first time, there are pre-determined regional sites (Gainesville, Florida; Lincoln, Nebraska; Long Beach, California and Honolulu, Hawai`i). The regional winners will advance to the semifinals and final hosted by the Big 12 Conference and the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas on December 18 and 20.
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