Tuesday, Oct 8 Match Day!

Updates: Some NPI fun since I didn’t have to write 10 articles today.

• HSU sits 87th in NPI at 55.08. I’m not sure they can do enough to get into the at-large window but a match you can’t drop today. (McMurry is at 47.75 and sits 255th).

• CMS sits 27th at 59.86. It’s easy to say that teams in the at-large picture can’t lose matches because that’s how it feels. Cal Lutheran sits 131st at 52.37. This would be a good win for CMS. Cal Lu is really out of the at-large picture even with a win here.

• Pomona-Pitzer sits 109 and is probably to far down to have a chance at an at-large. Still, some hope but need this win.

• The neat thing about Redlands is that they are giving teams a good NPI opponent as they are at 53.22. They are like Pomona-Pitzer…need every win. La Verne sits 31st.

• Whittier is still at 56.48 and sit 65. That La Verne win was huge for them. Oxy is a bad win so if they lose it’s a HORRIBLE loss.

Nothing too exciting nationally.

I talked a bit about announcers last week so let me continue. When a team is serving and the whistle is blown right as the receiving team gets the ball, the call is 99% of the time out-of-rotation. If a point is not awarded then it’s because the player served prior to the whistle. You are welcome.

I was watching CLU/CMS and it went quick. Some other matches did, too. First set winners are Western Oregon, CMS, La Verne and Whittier. The only matches not done with the first set is Chapman/Pomona-Pitzer and Willamette/Pacific. Willamette was up 23-13 and it’s now tied 24-24. Chapman was up 17-11 and it’s now 24-23. I’ve got both on to see how they end.

Chapman wins 25-23. Willamette/Pacific are still going. Mara Murphy hits a hard ball. 9 kills so far but is now serving. 30-28 Willamette. Willamette had maybe 10 set points before getting it done. With Pacific, it’s about Mara Murphy as they are a different team when she’s on the front row versus the back row.

I heard La Verne doing the “FBK” chant earlier. Be better.

Speaking of Mara Murphy, her sister is a first-year with Redlands this year. They got to play each other at the La Verne/Whittier Tournament the second weekend.

I’m not sure I like the Pomona-Pitzer blue jerseys. Too much blue? I hate to be a white, grey, black jersey guy but maybe that’s what I am?

Second set winners are CMS, La Verne, Whittier and Western Oregon. All are up 2-0.

The Chapman announcer can speak really fast at times. Kind of impressive. Willamette is also up 2-0 after a big set win. Chapman/Pomona-Pitzer locked in a close one late again. I left that game on my television. The blue jerseys are growing on me. I mean they are blue and orange and their mascot is a chicken. You have to kind of love it all.

PP ties it up. They are the only match to go 1-1 in the late games.

Cal Lu is winning the third. CMS has sat out Georgia McGovern in this one. That makes her ineligible for SCIAC Player of the Week. (That’s a joke that will make more sense when you read my POW article tomorrow.)

Cal Lu up by a few points late and in comes Georgia McGovern. That actually will kill her POW chances. Per set numbers will go down.

22-20 Cal Lu. McGovern smashes a hit on a pass close to the net. That really should be their number one option with her on the front row. Just pass it tight.

Cal Lu takes set three 25-23. Whittier gets the sweep over Oxy. Linfield won set three. Redlands putting up a fight against ULV in the third.

Switching over to Redlands/ULV for the end of the third set there. Hate the tents. Leopards have cool jerseys. Funny. Out-of-rotation at 23-20. Just called a violation by the announcer. I did not bring luck to Redlands. Ray/Gott for La Verne combined for 26 kills in 3 sets.

Not to fixate on Georgia McGovern but she seems to be getting a random number of attempts assigned to her in this match. She has 24 when she probably is closer to 10. 24 would make her (the setter) the second most attacking player on the team. I saw one play where she didn’t attack and received 3 attempts in Live Stats.

CMS wins 3-1 over Cal Lu. Willamette gets the sweep and are better positioned to make a run at the top 4 in the NWC.

Just PP/Chapman left for the night. PP up 2-1.

Close set four here at Chapman and I think McGovern just got another attack added to her stats. LOL.

Chapman ties it at 17 and McGovern makes two more attacks.

Chapman takes their first lead in this set but PP comes back 20-19 on an attempt by McGovern.

Chapman now up 23-21. Not happy about a fifth set but it does give McGovern more time. For those actually playing, nice match so far for Samantha Grabb and Kellan Hayes for PP. Chapman have three with double-digit kills; Sampson, Leslie (tough server, too) and Harris.

Tied at 23-23. Just noticed PP’s Paige Mountanos has 20 kills. I probably should mention her, too. 🙂

Ugh. 25-23 Chapman. No offense Chapman…just didn’t want to stay up later. Feel free to win now.

Pomona-Pitzer takes the fifth 15-12.

NCAA Scoreboard

Random Thoughts: We’ve got some NWC and SCAC matches tonight and a little ASC/SCAC cross play.

Howard Payne should get on the right track tonight against Dallas. I keep waiting on Dallas to surprise someone.

HSU/McMurry is the battle for Abilene. There may be a better phrase around that but I’m too lazy to look it up. Give me HSU in this one.

Linfield plays in a non-DIII match. Willamette and Pacific is really a must-win for the team that wants to get into the Top 4.

Over in the SCIAC, we have the CLU/CMS match. This was always the top match in their conference in past years. Now, it should be an easy CMS win. Pomona-Pitzer at Chapman should be a PP win but away wins are tough in the SCIAC. Redlands go to La Verne and that should break the nice run they are on. Finally, we have Oxy at Whittier and that should be an easy win for the home team.