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DAILY DEBATE Who is the biggest threat to KU volleyball in the NCAA Tournament?
MISSY MINEAR/KANSAN
Senior outside hitter Tiana Dockery hits the ball over the net during a match against Kansas State. The Jayhawks defeated the Wildcats in four sets
CLAUDIA CLOSE
@ClaudiaHealy
USC
Looking at the first round of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly which of the 64 teams will lose at a specific time. For the Jayhawks, who garnered the No.9 seed, their regular season record of 26-2 puts them in a good position to go far down the road. However, it is likely the road will be bump in the quarterfinals.
If the Jayhawks were to push past Furman and the winner of the Missouri vs. Missouri State match, they would most likely be put up against the University of Southern California Troians.
The path for USC isn't a cakewalk. The USC volleyball team, which is currently ranked at No.
1, must push past the University of North Carolina — who knocked the Trojans out in the second round last year — as well as the University of San Diego Toreros to make it into the quarterfinals.
With the talent of outgoing
Based upon this season's performance, it seems that USC could go all the way in this tournament. The Trojans (30-2) not only had a near perfect season but are 43-12 in NCAA tournament matches under current coach Mick Haley.
USC recently capped off its regular season with a 3-0 sweep of University of California-Berkley as they claimed the 2015 Pac-12 Women's Volleyball Championship. This was the Trojans' eighth overall conference championship and their fifth Pac-12 crown.
seniors Samantha Bricio, Alicia Ogoms and Eve Ettinger, the Trojans have a strong set of players lined up. Bricio has over 2,000 kills and was named the ESPN Women's Volleyball National Player of the Year and was also chosen as the Pac-12 Player of the Year earlier this week. Ogoms, along with freshman outside hitter Alyse Ford and sophomore outside hitter Brittany Abercrombie, have powered the Trojans all season long and will continue to do so in the postseason.
WESLEY DOTSON @WesleyDee23
Overall, the Trojans have won 6 national championships and are 73-29 in the NCAA tournament, making 24 consecutive appearances in NCAA tournaments. It would not be a surprise for them to knock the Jayhawks out and move on to the semi-finals.
Stanford
After a stellar season for the Kansas women's volleyball team that saw them finish 26-2, the Jayhawks will make an appearance in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship as the ninth seed — which equates to the top three seed in the perhaps more familiar men's and women's basketball tournament.
Lawrence will host the first two rounds of the tournament, which bodes well for Kansas. The Jayhawks went 14-1 in the Horejsi Family Athletics Center this season. Having the home court advantage should help them cruise past inferior opponents Furman and the winner of Missouri and Missouri State.
Kansas defeated Missouri State
(24-10) three sets to none Sept. 19. The Missouri Tigers (26-5) pose a bigger threat, as they are led by junior Carly Lan and her 535 points on the season. The Tigers arguably have a more balanced offensive attack than the Jayhawks, but a stronger defense and the advantage of home court should help the Jayhawks prevail in that potential matchup.
If they advance, the third round is where the Jayhawks could experience issues. They would travel to San Diego and most likely have to face No. 8 Stanford.
Stanford is led by its rising star and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
The Cardinal (22-6) has found success this season in a considerably tough schedule. They played a Top-25 opponent 12 times over the course of the season and won eight of those matches.
Hayley Hodson, who averaged 3.85 kills per set. Hodson, who is 6-foot-3, can create a number of problems defensively for the Jayhawks with her physical frame. Additionally, the team is led by senior Brittany Howard who has been a key piece to the offensive attack for the Cardinal during her four seasons with the team.
The Cardinal has played in grind-out matches all season, so the task of possibly defeating the lajawhaks isn't out of their realm. If the lajawhks and the Cardinal eventually meet in the third round of the tournament, expect Hodson's size and Howard's experience to lead the charge in a victory.
Edited by Rebecca Dowa