TicketsNov. 17, 2010
By Shawn Sell
GoBEARCATS.com
Since joining the BIG EAST for the 2005 season, UC volleyball has continued to build on the tradition it enjoyed during a highly successful run in Conference USA. Among the Bearcats' BIG EAST accomplishments: two regular championships, 14 all-conference selections to date, including two rookies of the year, and a winning percentage of .774 in league play. The only thing missing? A conference tournament trophy and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Until last season's run to the finals and a meeting with archrival Louisville, the Bearcats hadn't faired particularly well in BIG EAST tournament play, enduring first round losses in three of the previous four years. Even during UC's 2008 BIG EAST Co-Championship season, they were upset by Pittsburgh on the Panthers' home floor in the quarterfinals. But this year feels different and head coach Reed Sunahara and his team, riding a nine-match winning streak, feel confident entering tourney play.
"We are ready," he says. "We have played the last four matches on the road and I think that should help us with confidence and with the ability to win on the road. Going into the tournament, I feel good about where we are right now."
Sunahara has good reason to like the way his team is playing. After seeing a 10-match win streak snapped at Louisville in mid-October, UC bounced right back, ripping off nine straight wins, including a sweep of Marquette last Sunday to clinch the championship. As it turns out, the five-set loss to Louisville represented three of the seven sets UC dropped in conference play and the only ones to teams in the tournament field. Despite the success, Sunahara isn't looking big picture, instead focusing on UC's opening round opponent, USF.
"We are just taking it one match at a time," says the coach. "It's a new season now, a new ballgame. What happened in the past has happened and we have to move on. We worked hard to get where we are and win the championship, but now it's a new season and we are focusing on South Florida."
The Bulls, who UC will take the court at Fitzgerald Field House in Pittsburgh against on Friday at 12:30 p.m., will no doubt have revenge on the brain after being crushed by the Bearcats on October 23. Despite their opponent entering with an overall record of just 10-16, Sunahara is prepared for a bigger challenge than the first time around.
"They are athletic and they have a lot of potential," he says. "We just have to make sure that we are doing everything in our power to prepare for them and give it our best effort."
USF is one of a number of interesting storylines for the 2010 BIG EAST Championship as they are one of three tournament participants with a losing overall record (Pittsburgh and Seton Hall are the others). On the flip side are teams like Syracuse (23-9) and St. John's (18-11) that missed the tournament despite strong overall marks. A closer look at the numbers reveals that Syracuse was a perfect 18-0 during non-conference action, but missed out on the postseason after going 5-9 in the BIG EAST. According to Sunahara, that is a product of the balance in the league this year.
"I thought there was a lot more parity in the BIG EAST this year," he says. "I think in the pre-conference season whether its teams beating up on other teams or just getting hot, the preseason is a time to prepare for the conference season. For us, we had a tough preseason and I think that prepared us very well for what we accomplished."
As UC chases the one piece of BIG EAST hardware that has long eluded them, the odds appear to be in the Bearcats' favor. A first round victory will deliver the team a shot at the winner of Villanova and Notre Dame, both teams they swept this year. It wouldn't be until the finals that UC would see Louisville, the only BIG EAST to topple the Cats this year. To get to the promised land and be raising the winner's trophy come Sunday, Sunahara's philosophy is simple.
"I think everyone knows their roles," he says. "If everyone can do their job to the best of their abilities, I think things will turn out in our favor."