2006 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament

The 2006 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on November 30, 2006 with 64 teams and concluded on December 16, 2006, when Nebraska defeated Stanford in Omaha, Nebraska for their third NCAA title. [

Upsets

Each expected team, Hawai'i, UCLA, Southern California and Oklahoma reached the regional semifinals, and as expected, UCLA defeated Oklahoma. The other semifinal was a different story, as 12th seeded Hawai'i pulled off the biggest upset of the regional by defeating Southern California in 5 games, 28-30, 30-21, 21-30, 30-27, 15-5 in front of a partisan Hawai'i crowd. Hawai'i could not continue the upsets however, against overall number 4 seed UCLA in the regional finals. UCLA advanced to their first final four since 1994.

Seattle Regional

16TeamBracket | RD1=First round November 30-December 1
RD2=Second round December 2-3
RD3=Regional semifinals December 8
RD4=Regional finals December 9
subgroup1=University Park, PA
subgroup2=West Lafayette, IN
subgroup3=Louisville, KY
subgroup4=Boulder, CO
RD1-team01= Penn State
RD1-team02= Long Island
RD1-score01= 3
RD1-score02= 0
RD1-team03= Cornell
RD1-team04= Hofstra
RD1-score03= 2
RD1-score04= 3
RD1-team05= Kentucky
RD1-team06= Miami (Ohio)
RD1-score05= 3
RD1-score06= 2
RD1-team07= St. Louis
RD1-team08= Purdue
RD1-score07= 0
RD1-score08= 3
RD1-team09= Ohio St.
RD1-team10= Belmont
RD1-score09= 3
RD1-score10= 0
RD1-team11= Middle Tennessee
RD1-team12= Louisville
RD1-score11= 3
RD1-score12= 2
RD1-team13= Colorado
RD1-team14= New Mexico St.
RD1-score13= 3
RD1-score14= 0
RD1-team15= Colorado St.
RD1-team16= Washington
RD1-score15= 1
RD1-score16= 3
RD1-seed01= 3
RD1-seed02=
RD1-seed03=
RD1-seed04=
RD2-team01=Penn State
RD2-seed01= 3
RD2-team02= Hofstra
RD2-score01= 3
RD2-score02= 0
RD1-seed05=
RD1-seed06=
RD1-seed07=
RD1-seed08= 14
RD1-seed09= 11
RD1-seed10=
RD1-seed11=
RD1-seed12=
RD1-seed13=
RD1-seed14=
RD1-seed15=
RD1-seed16= 6
RD2-seed03=
RD2-team03= Kentucky
RD2-seed04= 14
RD2-team04= Purdue
RD2-score03= 0
RD2-score04= 3
RD2-seed05= 11
RD2-team05= Ohio St.
RD2-seed06=
RD2-team06= Middle Tennessee
RD2-score05= 3
RD2-score06= 1
RD2-seed07= 11
RD2-team07= Ohio St.
RD2-seed08= 6
RD2-team08= Washington
RD2-score07= 0
RD2-score08= 3
RD3-seed01= 3
RD3-team01=Penn State
RD3-seed02= 14
RD3-team02=Purdue
RD3-score01=3
RD3-score02= 0
RD3-seed03= 11
RD3-team03= Ohio St.
RD3-seed04= 6
RD3-team04= Washington
RD3-score03= 0
RD3-score04=3
RD4-seed01=3
RD4-team01=Penn State
RD4-seed02=6
RD4-team02=Washington
RD4-score01=1
RD4-score02= 3

Upsets

Much like the previous two regionals, each seeded team reached the Sweet 16 as expected. Penn State swept past Big Ten foe Purdue, while host Washington swept past Ohio State. Perhaps the biggest upset of the tournament occurred in the regional final, when defending champion Washington defeated third seed Penn State on UW's home floor in front of 6,000 fans. The win improved the Huskies to 12-0 at home in postseason play. Washington advanced to their third consecutive final four in hopes of defending their 2005 national title.

=Austin Regional=

16TeamBracket | RD1=First round November 30-December 1
RD2=Second round December 2-3
RD3=Regional semifinals December 8
RD4=Regional finals December 9
subgroup1=Austin, TX
subgroup2=Madison, WI
subgroup3=San Luis Obispo, CA
subgroup4=Stanford, CA
RD1-team01= Texas
RD1-team02= Prairie View
RD1-score01= 3
RD1-score02= 0
RD1-team03= Stephen F. Austin
RD1-team04= Alabama
RD1-score03= 3
RD1-score04= 0
RD1-team05= Iowa St.
RD1-team06= Wisconsin-Milwaukee
RD1-score05= 3
RD1-score06= 0
RD1-team07= Notre Dame
RD1-team08= Wisconsin
RD1-score07= 0
RD1-score08= 3
RD1-team09= Cal Poly
RD1-team10= Michigan
RD1-score09= 3
RD1-score10= 1
RD1-team11= California
RD1-team12= LSU
RD1-score11= 3
RD1-score12= 1
RD1-team13= Missouri
RD1-team14= Santa Clara
RD1-score13= 3
RD1-score14= 2
RD1-team15= Sacramento St.
RD1-team16= Stanford
RD1-score15= 0
RD1-score16= 3
RD1-seed01= 7
RD1-seed02=
RD1-seed03=
RD1-seed04=
RD2-team01= Texas
RD2-seed01= 7
RD2-team02= Stephen F. Austin
RD2-score01= 3
RD2-score02= 0
RD1-seed05=
RD1-seed06=
RD1-seed07=
RD1-seed08= 10
RD1-seed09= 15
RD1-seed10=
RD1-seed11=
RD1-seed12=
RD1-seed13=
RD1-seed14=
RD1-seed15=
RD1-seed16= 2
RD2-seed03=
RD2-team03= Iowa St.
RD2-seed04= 10
RD2-team04= Wisconsin
RD2-score03= 0
RD2-score04= 3
RD2-seed05= 15
RD2-team05= Cal Poly
RD2-seed06=
RD2-team06= California
RD2-score05= 1
RD2-score06= 3
RD2-seed07=
RD2-team07= Missouri
RD2-seed08= 2
RD2-team08= Stanford
RD2-score07= 2
RD2-score08= 3
RD3-seed01= 7
RD3-team01= Texas
RD3-seed02= 10
RD3-team02= Wisconsin
RD3-score01= 3
RD3-score02= 0
RD3-seed03=
RD3-team03= California
RD3-seed04= 2
RD3-team04= Stanford
RD3-score03= 0
RD3-score04=3
RD4-seed01=7
RD4-team01=Texas
RD4-seed02=2
RD4-team02=Stanford
RD4-score01=1
RD4-score02= 3

Upsets

The Austin regional saw no major upsets. In sub-regional final action, California upset #15 seed Cal Poly to become the only unseeded team to make the Sweet 16 and unseeded Missouri gave #2 seed Stanford a scare by pushing them to five games.

Final Four – Qwest Center, Omaha, Nebraska

4TeamBracket | RD1=National Semifinals December 14
RD2=National Championship December 16
RD1-seed1= 1
RD1-team1= Nebraska
RD1-score1= 3
RD1-seed2=4
RD1-team2= UCLA
RD1-score2= 1
RD1-seed3= 2
RD1-team3= Stanford
RD1-score3= 3
RD1-seed4= 6
RD1-team4= Washington
RD1-score4= 0
RD2-seed1=1
RD2-team1= Nebraska
RD2-score1= 3
RD2-seed2= 2
RD2-team2= Stanford
RD2-score2= 1

National Semifinal recap

Nebraska vs. UCLA

In front of an NCAA record 17,209 fans and in front of a largely partisan Nebraska crowd, Nebraska and Stanford were the top two seeds and it was only the second time the top two seeds met in an NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship title match. In 2002, top-seeded Southern California defeated No. 2 Stanford in four games.

To start out the match, Stanford took game 1, 30-27 thanks to a .304 hitting % compared to the Husker's .196. The second game was very close, with the Huskers defeating the Cardinal, 30-26, to send the teams into the locker room with one game won apiece. Game 3 was much like the first two, until the Huskers saw a 26-22 point deficit. With game 3 looking like a Cardinal victory, behind good Husker defense, they rallied to tie the match at 28, and eventually won the game on a kill by Pavan, 30-28. Game 4 was once again close until the end, when the Huskers took a commanding 27-22 lead. However, by good defense and a reversal from game 3, the Cardinal rallied to catch up. Stanford staved off 2 championship points and came within two at 29-27, but a kill after a Husker timeout by sophomore Jordan Larson ricocheted off a Stanford defender and sent the Huskers to victory and their first title since going undefeated in 2000. They also became the first school since 1991 to win the national title as the host institution. Nebraska finished the season with a 33-1 record, with their only loss coming to Big 12 opponent Colorado in a 5 game upset. Nebraska became just the second team in NCAA history to stay at a number 1 ranking for the entire year.

The Final Four All-Tournament Team consisted of:
Nebraska
*Sarah Pavan (MVP) (22 kills, 13 digs, 3 blocks)
*Jordan Larson (19 kills, 15 digs)
*Rachel Holloway (58 assists, 8 digs, 5 blocks)
*Tracy Stalls (10 kills, 7 blocks)Stanford
*Foluke Akinradewo (15 kills, 8 blocks)
*Cynthia Barboza (12 kills, 7 digs, 3 blocks)
*Kristin Richards (14 kills, 12 digs)

ee also

*NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship
*AVCA

References