The 2024 Division I Ladies’s Volleyball Championship is December 19-22 within the KFC Yum! Middle, in Louisville. Kentucky. The primary semifinal is at 6:30 p.m. Jap on ESPN with first serve for the second half-hour after the conclusion of the primary match (additionally on ESPN). The nationwide championship is at 3 p.m. Jap on Sunday, December 22 on ABC.
For info on tickets, please go to www.ncaa.com/volleyball.
By Cassie Langdon for the NCAA
It’s essentially the most great time of the 12 months …
… it’s time for NCAA Division I girls’s volleyball committee to pick out the 64 groups who will make the sphere for the 2024 Division I Ladies’s Volleyball Championship. The championship bracket shall be introduced Sunday, December 1.
This 12 months’s championship will happen in Louisville Dec. 19-22 and showcase the final 4 groups standing.
However to get to these 4 groups, the 64 groups vying for the title should be chosen, both by means of an computerized qualifier spot from their convention or an at-large choice. That’s the place the committee is available in.
Ten people make up the committee, led this 12 months by Danielle Josetti, the committee chair and Government Affiliate Athletic Director, Compliance, Advertising & Gross sales at Marquette College.
Josetti and the remainder of the committee will look past a group’s wins and losses; they’ll contemplate the entire image and use a variety of standards to pick out and seed groups. This consists of:
- Power of schedule;
- Ranking Proportion Index (RPI);
- Head-to-head competitors;
- Outcomes versus widespread opponents;
- KPI;
- Vital wins/losses and placement of these contests.
Moreover, the Division I Ladies’s Volleyball Committee takes enter given by the regional advisory committees beneath their consideration.
Josetti shared extra concerning the picks course of and the way the committee does its tough work.
In a single sentence, how would you describe the 2024 volleyball season?
This season has been so thrilling, but additionally considerably unpredictable.
About what number of video games do you watch every week?
I in all probability watch 10-15 matches every week proper now, however among the many full committee, I don’t know the precise quantity, nevertheless it’s very excessive.
How usually does the committee meet to debate every part occurring the Division I volleyball world?
We’ve been assembly persistently each different week because the season started, and assembly with our regional advisory committees that often as properly. The RACs are made up of head coaches from each convention so we meet with them and get their perception into their conferences, in addition to their perspective on the nationwide panorama. The weekend we put out our mid-season High 16, we met for 4 hours to kick off that weekend on Friday and concluded discussions Sunday morning shortly earlier than the Pitt/Stanford recreation aired.
How onerous it’s it slim all the way down to a High-16?
Narrowing it all the way down to a High-16 is extremely difficult, particularly this 12 months. The extent of parity within the sport is larger than ever, and plenty of groups are enjoying nice volleyball, so it’s powerful to separate them. Usually, while you begin evaluating one group, you’re feeling they need to rank larger than one other, however as you dig into the metrics and apply the choice standards, the outcomes may be unexpectedly totally different. At instances, the group sheets look so comparable so we’re splitting hairs in selecting one group over the opposite.
What groups have impressed the committee essentially the most thus far?
A number of groups have stood out to the committee thus far, however the two that instantly come to thoughts are Pitt and Nebraska. They’re each enjoying at an elite stage. They’re enjoyable to look at and curiously sufficient, they every solely have one loss, each coming by the hands of the identical group. Creighton has additionally been enjoying exceptionally properly and has proven outstanding consistency all through the season. Louisville, Penn St., Stanford and Arizona St. have additionally made robust impressions. Wisconsin is hitting their stride on the proper time, so that they’re a pressure heading into the house stretch of the season. And Texas has performed a troublesome schedule they usually have the instruments and resolve to be again in Louisville in December as properly!
Does a High-16 reveals play any half in the case of picks for the match?
It doesn’t immediately influence the preliminary choice course of, however we are going to consider why a group might have moved up or down to verify we’re evaluating and analyzing appropriately. For instance, a group ranked within the High-16 in October may win each recreation after that rating is revealed, but nonetheless slide down a number of seed positions come picks weekend. This might occur if their RPI, KPI, or the standard of their wins towards groups within the prime 10, 25, or 50 adjustments between the mid-season rankings and choice weekend. The High-16 is a real-time snapshot of the place the committee believes groups would stand if the match have been to start out instantly. There have been loads of nice video games performed since then and we nonetheless have loads of volleyball forward of us within the subsequent few weeks so there there’s loads of time for groups to enhance their place and doubtlessly transfer previous others earlier than the ultimate picks are made.
What are some widespread misconceptions that public doesn’t perceive about rankings and picks?
There are a number of components about seedings, at-large bids and the picks course of as an entire that folks is probably not conscious of. Previous to being on the committee myself, these are all misconceptions I had as properly. First, many imagine that the RPI is the only figuring out issue, however that’s not the case. Whereas the RPI is a vital metric, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. We launched the KPI final season, however we additionally deal with prime wins (like prime 10, 25, and 50), and power of schedule, all of that are thought of when making picks. One other supply of confusion comes when a seed doesn’t replicate the AVCA rankings. Whereas we have now great respect for the those that decide these rankings, they aren’t a part of the standards we’re in a position to make use of when figuring out seeds or at-large bids.
Folks additionally usually assume we do all of the work on picks weekend in Indianapolis, however in actuality, we’re getting ready for months forward of time. From day one of many season, we’re watching video games, rating groups, and having ongoing discussions. We meet often—both weekly or biweekly—to remain on prime of every part. And we additionally work carefully with the RACs, who present helpful perception and regional rankings so we’re together with evaluations from coaches when making our choices. This suggestions performs a key function in our deliberations, nevertheless it’s one thing the general public won’t bear in mind that we have now entry to. It’s an intensive course of, and each resolution is made with loads of thought and enter from numerous information units and sources.
How have you ever seen the game of volleyball develop during the last couple of years?
Volleyball has seen great development lately, and it’s been thrilling to look at. Fox, ABC and NBC have aired common season video games for the primary time ever this season. ESPN has bumped a number of video games from its streaming platform to the linear channels. It’s been superior for followers to have entry to so many nice video games. Dozens of faculties have shattered attendance data, and it’s been unbelievable to see matches moved to bigger venues—lots of that are nonetheless promoting out. Volleyball is such a dynamic, fan-friendly sport, and if we proceed to make it accessible to viewers, I imagine the curiosity will preserve skyrocketing. ESPN has been an excellent associate in working with us to get extra matches on their networks throughout first and second rounds and regionals, and we’re thrilled that our championship match will as soon as once more be on ABC.
How do you clarify picks weekend to those that ask you what it’s like?
It’s onerous to place picks weekend into phrases as a result of it’s a whirlwind of feelings and vitality. It’s each thrilling and exhausting. We’re evaluating almost 100 groups from matches that have been performed again in August, whereas additionally keeping track of the video games being performed in actual time that weekend. The depth is excessive, and we expertise each emotion – from pleasure to emphasize – all through the method. We’re in a room surrounded by screens and screens, analyzing information, discussing groups, and making choices that may form the course of the match. We’ve former student-athletes and coaches within the room so we perceive how disappointing it’s not to be included within the match or not get the seed a group hoped for, and we don’t take the duty evenly. We do work diligently to place the groups in that we imagine are most deserving whereas honoring the integrity of the method.
What ought to individuals anticipate from this 12 months’s match?
This 12 months’s match is shaping as much as be full of pleasure. Count on the surprising—it’s really anybody’s 12 months. It may very well be a match stuffed with surprises and, no doubt, loads of enjoyable.
