The 2024 Division I Girls’s Volleyball Championship is December 19-22 within the KFC Yum! Middle, in Louisville. Kentucky. The primary semifinal is at 6:30 p.m. Japanese 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. Japanese 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 probably the most great time of the yr …
… it’s time for NCAA Division I ladies’s volleyball committee to pick the 64 groups who will make the sector for the 2024 Division I Girls’s Volleyball Championship. The championship bracket might be introduced Sunday, December 1.
This yr’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 have to be chosen, both via an automated 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 yr by Danielle Josetti, the committee chair and Govt 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 may contemplate the entire image and use numerous standards to pick and seed groups. This consists of:
- Energy of schedule;
- Score Proportion Index (RPI);
- Head-to-head competitors;
- Outcomes versus widespread opponents;
- KPI;
- Important wins/losses and site of these contests.
Moreover, the Division I Girls’s Volleyball Committee takes enter given by the regional advisory committees below their consideration.
Josetti shared extra in regards to the picks course of and the way the committee does its troublesome 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 per week?
I most likely watch 10-15 matches per week proper now, however among the many full committee, I don’t know the precise quantity, but it surely’s very excessive.
How typically does the committee meet to debate all the things happening the Division I volleyball world?
Now we have been assembly constantly each different week because the season started, and assembly with our regional advisory committees that continuously as nicely. 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 slender right down to a High-16?
Narrowing it right down to a High-16 is extremely difficult, particularly this yr. The extent of parity within the sport is larger than ever, and plenty of groups are taking part in 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 will be unexpectedly completely 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 probably the most to date?
A number of groups have stood out to the committee to date, however the two that instantly come to thoughts are Pitt and Nebraska. They’re each taking part in at an elite stage. They’re enjoyable to observe and apparently sufficient, they every solely have one loss, each coming by the hands of the identical group. Creighton has additionally been taking part in exceptionally nicely 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, in order that they’re a power heading into the house stretch of the season. And Texas has performed a troublesome schedule and so they have the instruments and resolve to be again in Louisville in December as nicely!
Does a High-16 reveals play any half on the subject of picks for the match?
It doesn’t instantly affect the preliminary choice course of, however we’ll consider why a group could have moved up or down to verify we’re evaluating and analyzing appropriately. For instance, a group ranked within the High-16 in October might win each recreation after that rating is revealed, but nonetheless slide down just a few 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 modifications 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 begin instantly. There have been quite a lot of nice video games performed since then and we nonetheless have quite a lot of volleyball forward of us within the subsequent few weeks so there there’s loads of time for groups to enhance their place and probably 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 just a few parts about seedings, at-large bids and the picks course of as an entire that individuals might not be conscious of. Previous to being on the committee myself, these are all misconceptions I had as nicely. First, many imagine that the RPI is the only real 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 energy of schedule, all of that are thought of when making picks. One other supply of confusion comes when a seed doesn’t mirror the AVCA rankings. Whereas we have now super 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.
Individuals additionally typically 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 usually—both weekly or biweekly—to remain on prime of all the things. And we additionally work carefully with the RACs, who present invaluable perception and regional rankings so we’re together with evaluations from coaches when making our selections. This suggestions performs a key function in our deliberations, but it surely’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 quite a lot of thought and enter from varied information units and sources.
How have you ever seen the game of volleyball develop during the last couple of years?
Volleyball has seen super development lately, and it’s been thrilling to observe. 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—a lot 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 hold skyrocketing. ESPN has been an incredible accomplice 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 displays and screens, analyzing information, discussing groups, and making selections that may form the course of the match. Now we have 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 accountability calmly. 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 yr’s match?
This yr’s match is shaping as much as be full of pleasure. Count on the surprising—it’s actually anybody’s yr. It could possibly be a match filled with surprises and, definitely, quite a lot of enjoyable.
