Tag: Volleyball

Parents Identify Qualities of Strong Volleyball Programs

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Many parents breathe a sigh of relief at this time of year because the most stressful part of the club volleyball season has passed – summer open gyms and tryouts. For the next two months their daughters will play on their junior high or high school teams and wait for the club season to begin in November.

Because the sport has enjoyed rapid growth over the past ten years, the quality of programs varies greatly between clubs and within clubs. The following list is a summary of the qualities of strong volleyball programs based on comments from conversations with parents. A similar post will provide the reasons young athletes decide to play other sports.

• The best coaches are the ones who have a purpose for everything they do and say – from the drills in practice to substitutions in competition. Not only are they organized, they communicate their purpose with the athletes and the parents.
• It is like going to a BOGO free sale when coaches teach on-court skills that have lifetime applications, such as learning to deal with success and adversity.great volleyball programs and coaches
• The best coaches provide cues to players that help them improve their skills. It is helpful to hear a coach enthusiastically say, “You’ll get the next ball” or “Good footwork” or “Where would you hit that shot next time?” It doesn’t help when a coach says “good shot” in a monotone on every ball.
• It is great to see practices where kids are constantly engaged in meaningful activity and not standing in line.
• My daughter enjoys going to practice because she likes most of the kids she plays with and she respects the coach.
• It is important to have coaches who can communicate. Coaches who yell at their players or make them run laps do so because they don’t know how to convey their expectations to the athletes. These coaches are only capable of identifying an error, but not correcting it.
• Kids must be taught how to communicate with their teammates on and off the court. This is a skill that has to be taught and practiced.
• Athletes learn best when coaches create an environment where kids aren’t afraid to try new things and make mistakes.
• Athletes have to be taught mental toughness skills. Then they have to practice them.
• Coaches should give the kids a chance to touch the ball and play the sport. They don’t learn by watching the coach get a good workout.
• Kids like it when coaches call them by their first name.
• Performance trumps outcome. It is more important to teach players to give 100% in practice and competition than it is to focus on winning. When you give 100% all the time, the winning usually takes care of itself.
• Coaches must learn to have a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset, as defined by Carol Dweck in her book Mindset. In a growth mindset, players will view practices and competition as opportunities to learn.great volleyball programs and coaches
• It is great to see coaches teach their players how to set goals based on performance and help the athletes work towards achieving those goals.
• The top club directors will honestly provide their players with the criteria for making the team in a tryout.
• Great coaches value the benchwarmers as much as the starters – and they let the benchwarmers know what they can do to become starters.
• Parents can be a pain in the butt; however, they are an important part of the process in making a program successful. They also pay the bill.
• My kid has a volleyball at home, but when she joined the team they gave her a new ball with the message that she needed to practice on her own. Not only that, they taught her how to practice on her own.
• It is great to be in a program where kids, coaches, and parents work together on a community project. Typically these projects are local, but some clubs will give their athletes a chance to travel outside their hometown to a foreign country.

There is nothing on this list that is rocket science.  Strong volleyball programs are built around club directors and coaches who excel in all aspects of coaching and programming. Strong volleyball programs have coaches and players make the learning process look very easy.

Volleyball-a Good Investment for Your Daughter

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At a recent girl’s recreation volleyball tournament a mother was carrying her daughter’s backpack that included a handmade sign warning about the alleged evils of a local volleyball club. Volleyball-A Good Investment for Your Daughter

During the entire tournament the mother sat by herself and did not talk to anyone. As she cheered for her daughter’s team she guarded her backpack and made sure the sign was visible to the entire crowd.

Clearly something went wrong with the relationship between the mother, her daughter, and the club. The purpose of this post is not to place blame on the club or the mother. Rather, the intent is to discuss ways to prevent the type of discord that exists in this situation.

The good news is that the daughter was still playing!

Mismanaged Expectations

The euphoria surrounding the club selection and tryout process may be problematic.

Many club directors are Type A personalities who are passionate about selling volleyball. They have good intentions and want to help young girls enjoy the sport and grow as athletes and individuals. Sometimes they are too passionate and may not accurately represent their club.

At the same time some parents are so excited about seeing their daughter on the court they do not hear or may not understand what the club director has told them. At younger levels many girls played volleyball for the first time in intramurals or their physical education class and want to continue playing when these seasons come to an end. In many parts of the country the next step for them is club volleyball even though the “appropriate next step” may be developmental club programs or strong recreation or short-term league programs.

Despite the good intentions of parents and club directors, in many instances, the problems associated with club volleyball are a case study of mismanaged expectations. In most cases misunderstandings could have been remedied by better communications from both the parents and club directors.

The management of expectations is critical to the future of the sport. It is tragic when girls quit playing volleyball because they are playing in a dysfunctional setting.

A Few Questions Parents Need to Ask

If parents ask the following questions and feel comfortable with the answers, they will increase the chances of having a positive club experience for their daughter.
• Does the club have open house sessions for the parents? Do they have open gyms so the kids can interact with the coaches and potential teammates? Are the instructors at the open gyms “showcase coaches” or will they be the actual coaches for your daughter?
• A key to a successful volleyball experience is playing on a team with a qualified coach who can relate to all of the players. If the coach cannot relate to your daughter then you may not have a good experience. For a variety of reasons, many clubs will not identify coaches prior to the start of the season. They defend this stance by saying, “All our coaches are great, besides you don’t get to pick your teachers when you go to public school, so it really doesn’t matter.” Depending on your perspective this may be a sufficient answer or it may raise a red flag. When people plan to spend $2,500+ for their daughter to play volleyball, they should know who the coach is. Would you buy an appliance, furniture, or used car for that amount without looking at it up close? Who is going to coach your daughter?
• Most club coaches are great people who lack sufficient training to adequately coach the sport for a season that lasts six months. Compensation for most coaches is minimal. Club coaches are required to have background checks. In addition they must pass a four-hour IMPACT training class from the USAV. What are the credentials of the coaching staff beyond these basics? Does the club provide additional training for their coaches? Can you get additional instruction if you do not feel your daughter needs additional instruction outside the club program?
• What is the club’s philosophy? Do they play to win? Is their focus on being a recreational team? Do they believe in on court and off court training? Do they recruit only tall players? What is the coach’s philosophy? As a parent, can you live with the club philosophy and the coach’s philosophy?
• What skills are measured in the tryout? Are the tryouts open or closed? Will the kids find out why they did not make the team? Will the tryouts take into the account the potential of a player or the possible chemistry of the team when making their selections?
• What is the cost for playing on the team? What is included in that fee (uniforms, equipment, travel)? What are the undocumented costs of playing such as family travel to practices and tournaments? Does the club have scholarship programs?
• When are practices? What happens if a player misses practice? Do the players stand in line during practice? Are players punished when they make a mistake? Can parents watch practices? Is conditioning part of practice time or is it separate? Are there club activities other than practice such as film reviews, good will projects in the community, outside training, special seminars, attendance at other matches?
• What is your reason for playing club volleyball? Recreation? Instruction? Camaraderie? College scholarship? Is this club a good fit for your daughter and your pocketbook? Do you have the patience to deal with the parents and your daughter’s teammates – some may become BFFs, while others may be at the opposite end of the spectrum. Is club volleyball appropriate for your daughter? Can parents buy playing time or positions on the team for their daughters?
• When are tournaments? Is playing time guaranteed? How is the starting lineup established?
• Is communications a critical part of the program? What is the role of the parent in communications with the coach? How should the players approach the coach when they have a problem?

Think “Volleyball-A good investment for your daughter.” If you Volleyball-A Good Investment for Your Daughter!answer these and other questions prior to committing with a club or other long-term program, then it is likely the sign you place on your daughter’s backpack would support the general virtues of having your daughter play organized volleyball in an appropriate program.

USA Women’s National Team Captures FIVB World Cup of Volleyball

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On October 12, 2014 the USA Women’s National Team (WNT) did what no other American team has done before – they won the World Championships.

This post evaluates the percentage of points, sets, and matches won by the WNT and extrapolates lessons learned from the data.

The data shows:
• Overall – the USA WNT won 53.1% of the points, 75.0% of sets and 84.6% of matches in the 2014 World Championships.
• Early Rounds – In the first 8 matches the WNT won 55.2% of the points, 88.9 of the sets, and 100.0% of the matches.
• Late Rounds – In its last 5 matches the WNT won 49.7% of the points, 52.9% of the sets, and 60.0% of the matches. This was enough to win the World Championships.

USA Women's National Team

The lessons learned are:
• Champions win slightly more than half the points.
• Every point matters when you are only winning 53.1% of the points. Really dominant teams will win a higher percentage – 55% to 56%.
• Champions play every point as if it is the most important point of the match.
• Champions don’t get blown out. They are in every match – because every point is important.
• Champions manage team and player mistakes when they happen.
• Pre-tournament coaching makes a difference. At the USAV High Performance Coaches Clinic, Coach Kiraly talked about how he asked several players to replace their heavy topspin serves with jump floaters to increase the percentage of points won on the serve. These players began working on this change a month prior to the World Championships.
• Tournament preparation and establishing strategies make a difference. Because the WNT dominated in early matches they were able to allocate playing time across all their hitters. This meant their top hitters were rested for the final matches and opponents had difficulty scouting them.
• Understanding match data is part of the planning process for championship teams.
• Clearly, the WNT won this championships because the players worked together as a team and understood their role on the team.

Good luck to the USA Women’s National Team as they defend their title this August in Japan.

USA Women's National Team - points won, sets won, matches won

Two Points a Set – CU’s Long and Winding Road to Improvement

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Since 2007, the University of Colorado Women’s Volleyball program has been challenged to put a team on the court that wins in conference play. This post presents data that documents the improvement made by the Lady Buffs from 2009 to 2014.

Background

In 2006 the Lady Buffs won 49.5% of the points in conference competition, they qualified for the NCAA Championships, and were ousted in the second round. Data for 2006 and 2007 are not included in this discussion because sets were played to 30 points at that time.

In 2007 CU only won a single conference match with virtually the same team that had won the first round in the 2006 NCAA Championships.

In 2008, the rules were changed and sets were played to 25 points. The fortunes of the Lady Buffs improved slightly – they won seven matches.

In 2009 changes were made in the CU program and Liz Kritza took over as coach. Her teams won six out of 62 matches in her first three seasons.

The Buffs switched to the PAC-12 Conference in 2011.

In the inaugural PAC-12 season there were 22 conference matches. For purposes of discussion in this post, the data for 2011 has been adjusted to make it comparable to other years. Twenty matches were played in 2012 and subsequent years.

In 2012 the Lady Buffs won four of twenty matches. They were victors half the time when their 2013 and 2014 totals are combined.

Results

The 2009 conference season was abysmal. The Lady Buffs were not competitive – they won their fewest number of points (1,205) and lost their least number of points (1,609).

To become a competitive team it was necessary for the Lady Buffs to win more points. At the same time they needed to lose fewer points.

As can be seen by fast forwarding to 2014, the Lady Buffs have made progress. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE HOW SLOW THAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN.

They won half the points played in 2014, were 11-9 in conference play, qualified for the NCAA Championships, and won their first round match. For the sake of comparison, the 2014 points won/lost for CU, Stanford, and Nebraska follow:
• CU 1,651 points won and 1,648 points lost.
• Stanford 1,774 points won and 1,493 points lost. Stanford lost in the NCAA semis to champion Penn State.
• Nebraska 1,633 points won and 1,500 points lost. Nebraska lost in the NCAA quarters to finalist BYU.

As can be seen, the Lady Buffs are half-way to becoming an elite team. They are now winning about 1,600 points per season. Unfortunately, they have consistently lost at least 1,600 points per season since 2008. That total will have to be reduced to about 1,500 for CU to move to the next level.

Year Points Won Points Lost % Points Won Record
2008 1,512 1,707 47.0% 7-13
2009 1,205 1,609 42.8% 2-18
2010 1,302 1,639 44.3% 3-17
2011 adjusted 1,304 1,629 44.5% 1-21
2012 1,354 1,655 45.0% 4-16
2013 1,516 1,635 48.1% 9-11
2014 1,651 1,648 50.0% 11-9

Points Won by Year

In 2008 the Lady Buffs won 1,512 points. Point production dropped to 1,205 when the team cratered in 2009. It didn’t return to the 2008 level until 2013 when the team reached 1,516 points.

Year Points Won Difference Prior Year Avg. Diff. Points/Match Avg. Diff. Points/Set
2008 1,512
2009 1,205 -307 -15.4 -4.7
2010 1,302 97 4.9 1.3
2012 1,354 50 2.5 0.7
2013 1,516 162 8.1 2.2
2014 1,651 135 6.8 1.7

There was little change in the points won between 2010 and 2012. On average the Lady Buffs found a way to win 7-8 additional points each match or about 2 additional points per set throughout both the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

TWO POINTS A SET! That sounds so easy.

The data shows there is a fine line between the number of points won for a 4-16 team, a 9-11 team, and a team with an 11-9 record. For additional information, see the report Team Tendencies and the Importance of Winning a Point.

Two Points a Set

Percentage of Points Won – Two Points Per Set

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Over the course of a season what is the percentage of points won, sets won, and matches won by a college volleyball team? More importantly, what is the value of two points per set?two points per set

The report Team Tendencies and the Importance of Winning a Point takes an in-depth look at those percentages for the University of Colorado Women’s Volleyball team for the nine-year period from 2006 to 2014.

The Lady Buffs won between 42.8% and 50.0% of the points. The range from low to high is 7.2 percentage points. In other words, there are subtle differences between being a winner and a loser.

In 2009 the Lady Buffs won 42.8% of the points.

At the other end of the spectrum they won 49.5% of the points in 2006 and they won 50.0% of the points in 2014. Both years they qualified for NCAA nationals and won their first match at the Big Dance.

The range of 7.2 percentage points for points won (50.0%-42.8%) is magnified to a range of 38.6 percentage points for sets won (53.1% – 14.5%). In turn there is a  range of 55.5 percentage points (60.0% – 4.5%) for matches won.

During the 2009 season the Lady Buffs won:
• 42.8% of the points
• 16.7% of the sets
• 10.0% of the matches.
The Lady Buffs won two of twenty matches. As can be seen, when less than half of the points are won, there is an increased reduction in the percentage of sets and matches won.

During the 2014 season the Lady Buffs won:
• 50.0% of the points
• 50.0% of the sets
• 55.0% of the matches.
The Lady Buffs won eleven of twenty matches. As can be expected when half the points are won there is minimal magnification of sets and matches won.

During a conference season the Lady Buffs play 20 matches. This is about 3,000 points and 75 sets.

If the Lady Buffs win 50.0% of the points, as they did in 2014, they would win 1,500 points. If they win 44.5% of the points, as they did in 2009, they would win 1,335 points during the season.

The difference is 165 points.

If those points are spread evenly over 20 matches, the average difference is 8.25 points per match. If 165 points are spread over 80 sets that means the average difference is 2.1 points per set. If you look at it from that perspective the difference between being the worst in the conference and qualifying for the NCAA championships is about eight points per match or two points per set.

The Bottom Line: As a coach or a player how can you find a way to win at least two points per set?

two points per set - percentage of points, sets, and matces won

Women’s Volleyball Team Tendencies

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The women’s volleyball scores for the University of Colorado were evaluated for the nine-year period 2006 to 2014. In addition, scores were included for select Nebraska and Stanford seasons. From this analysis points won, sets won, and matches won, the following team tendencies were developed.

The following definitions are used in the description of the different levels.
Blowouts – decided by 10 points or more.
Solid – decided by 5 to 9 points.
Competitive – decided by 3 or 4 points.
Close – decided by 2 points.

Tier I Teams
• Win more than 53% of the points.
• Don’t lose blowout sets and less than 10% of sets are solid losses. They don’t give opponents a chance to get into the match.
• Win a majority of the close and competitive sets.
• At least 35% of the sets are solid wins
• At least 10% of the sets are blowout wins.
• Win at least 80% of their matches and most wins are 3-0.

Tier II Teams
• Win between 50.1% and 53.0% of the points.
• May lose a few blowout and solid loss sets.
• Win a majority of close and competitive matches.
• About 30% of their sets are solid wins and 5% are blowouts.
• Win at least 66% of their matches and most wins are 3-0 or 3-1.

Tier III Teams
• Win 48.1% to 50% of the points.
• Less than 10% of sets lost are blowouts and 20% solid losses.
• Sometimes win a majority of the close and competitive matches.
• Win about 20% of the sets are solid wins
• May win a few blowout sets.
• Win about half their matches.

Tier IV Teams
• Win between 45.1% and 48% of the points.
• About 20% of their sets are blowouts and 25% are solid loses.
• Most losses are 3-0 or 3-1.
• Win about 35% of their sets and matches.

Tier V Teams
• Win less than 45.1% of their points.
• More than half their sets are solid losses or blowouts.
• A majority of their matches are lost 3-0.
• Win less than 30% of their matches.

The above hierarchy will allow coaches to identify where their team falls in the peaking order and provide them with coaching that will help them move up the pecking order.

For additional information, click here and go to the report Team Tendencies and the Importance of Winning a Point.

The Height of Women PAC-12 Volleyball Players in the 2014-15 Season

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An analysis was conducted of the women’s PAC-12 volleyball programs to identify the height of players by teams and positions. Coaches and players can use this information to set realistic and attainable team and individual performance goals. As a result it coaches will be able to better manage their player’s expectations when they are competing for college scholarships.

Women’s college volleyball is a great sport for players of all heights; however, it favors women who are taller than average. Key findings from this analysis show that:
• The range of height is 63 inches to 80 inches.
• The average height for all players is 71.6 inches.
• For many reasons, there is not a correlation between average team height and won-lost record.
• The top teams in the conference had fewer players who played half the sets (9 or 10 players vs. 11 or 12).
• Slightly more than 50% of the players are between 72 inches and 75 inches.

The breakdown of the 120 players by position category was:
• DS/L 32 players 26.7%.
• Setters 18 players 15.0%.
• Middles 27 players 22.5%.
• OH 43 players 35.8%.
Competition is stiffest for setters.

The average height and range by position category was:
• DS/L 67.1 inches 63 to 72 inches.
• Setters 70.2 inches 66 to 72 inches.
• Middles 74.5 inches 73 to 80 inches.
• OH 73.8 inches 71 to 80 inches.
These tendencies can be oversimplified as follows:
• Players under six feet tall are setters or DS/Liberos.
• Players who are at least six feet tall are middles or outsides.
Because players grow at different rates, they must learn to adapt as they get older. For example, the tallest 13-year old may be the middle for the 13U team. If her teammates outgrow her then four years later it may be appropriate for her to become the libero for the 17U team.

For more details about the height of the women’s PAC-12 volleyball players click here.

PAC-12 Volleyball Mary-Kate Marshall
OSU star hitter Mary-Kate Marshall receiving serve against the CU Buffs.

Where Do PAC-12 Volleyball Players Reside?

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Are you a junior volleyball player thinking about playing on your favorite PAC-12 volleyball team?

If so, you have to be good – really good!

The following stats from the 2014-2015 season may help you understand your chances of playing in one of the country’s elite volleyball conference:
• There were 120 players who played more than half the sets. In other words, the coaches generally had rotations of 9 or 10 players and occasionally 11 or 12 players.
• The PAC-12 is a regional conference. Almost 3-in-4 of the players were from the 6 states where PAC-12 universities were located.
• About 43% of the players on all teams were from California. Each of the teams had at least 2 Californians. It seems there is a mandate that coaches and recruiters  live and breathe the words of the infamous Beach Boys tune, “I Wish they All Could be California Girls.”
• The more successful teams had a higher percentage of out-of-state players. As well, they had a greater percentage of California players. In other words, the top teams more effectively attracted the top players from in-state and other states.
• Unlike some other sports, only about 8% of total players are from foreign countries. It is ironic that American players have to play professional ball overseas; however, overseas athletes don’t dominate U.S. college volleyball.

Specifically, the PAC-12 players reside in the following states:
• 52 players were from California.
• 9 Players were from Arizona.
• 8 Players were from Oregon.
• 7 Players were from Utah.
• 7 players were from Texas.
• 6 players were from Colorado (3 of the players were sisters who played on the same team).
• 5 players were from Washington.
• 4 players were from Hawaii.
• 12 players were from 9 other states.

PAC-12 Volleyball is clearly the conference of choice – both for players and coaches. Unfortunately, only a handful players make the cut. Hopefully, you are one of them!

PAC-12 Volleyball Karsta Lowe
Karsta Lowe attacks against the CU Buffs in PAC-12 volleyball play.

Big Ten and Pac-12 Dominate NCAA Volleyball Championships

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Once again the women’s  NCAA Volleyball Championships were a showdown between the Big Ten and the Pac-12. The Big Ten captured bragging rights for quality with six teams entered and three of the eight quarterfinalists. The Pac-12 laid claim to the deepest conference, with ten teams entered and one semifinalist.

On December 4th, 64 teams from 31 conferences kicked off regional play for the 34th NCAA women’s volleyball tournament. On December 20th, Penn State won the championship for the second consecutive year.

Each of the six Big Ten representatives won matches. The overall conference record was 17 wins and 5 losses.

Big Ten Won Lost
Penn State 6 0
Wisconsin 3 1
Nebraska 3 1
Ohio State 2 1
Illinois 2 1
Michigan St. 1 1
Conference Total 17 5

Each of the ten Pac 12 teams won matches. Conferences teams were 17-10 in championships.

Pac 12 Won Lost
Stanford 4 1
Oregon 2 1
Oregon State 2 1
UCLA 2 1
Washington 2 1
Arizona 1 1
Arizona State 1 1
Colorado 1 1
USC 1 1
Utah 1 1
Conference Total 17 10

The 16 teams from the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences won 34 of the 63 matches played in the championships. That is dominance!

Five teams represented the SEC. Florida had three wins and was the only SEC team that had a strong presence in the championships. Texas @&M was the only team that did not win a match.

SEC Won Lost
Florida 3 1
Alabama 1 1
Kentucky 1 1
LSU 1 1
Texas A&M 0 1
Conference Total 6 5

Four teams represented the ACC. North Carolina and Florida posted winning records.

ACC Won Lost
North Carolina 3 1
Florida 2 1
Miami (FL) 1 1
Duke 0 1
Conference Total 6 4

Four teams represented the West Coast Conference. The strongest WCC team was finalist BYU. The Cougars were the only team from the conference to win matches.

WCC Won Lost
BYU 5 1
Loyola Marymount 0 1
San Diego 0 1
Santa Clara 0 1
Conference Total 5 4

With the exception of Texas, the Big 12 was represented by teams that were weak by Big 12 standards.

Big 12 Won Lost
Texas 4 1
Iowa State 1 1
Kansas 0 1
Kansas State 0 1
Oklahoma 0 1
Conference Total 5 5

Combined, the 19 teams from the SEC, ACC, WCC, and Big 12 won 22 matches of the 63 matches played.

There were 5 conferences that had the remaining 7 wins in the championships. CSU was the only team to have two wins.

School and Conference Won Lost
Colorado State Mountain West 2 1
Hawaii Big West 1 1
Long Beach State Big West 1 1
Dayton Atlantic 10 1 1
UALR Sunbelt 1 1
Illinois State Missouri Valley 1 1
Total 7 6

In total, the 41 teams that represented the 11 conferences mentioned above had a combined record of 63-39.

Of the 41 teams representing the 11 conferences mentioned above only 9 teams did not win a match. In addition, there were 24 teams from 20 conferences represented that did not win a match.

Generally speaking, these teams were admitted to the tournament as a courtesy because they were conference champions. While these teams and conferences all have solid programs, they are not competitive with the top teams or conferences. This is evident by the first round match scores for the losers. The majority of first round losers lost their only match 3-0. The summary of first round match scores follows:

  • 23 matches, 71.9%, were 3-0.
  • 5 matches, 15.6%, were 3-1.
  • 4 matches, 12.5%, were 3-2.

For the 31 other matches played (second round through the finals) the  majority of the scores were 3-1, i.e. the matches were more competitive. A summary of these scores follows:

  • 12 matches, 38.7%, were 3-0.
  • 14 matches, 45.2%, were 3-1.
  • 5 matches, 16.15%, were 3-2.

It is clear from the results that there are multiple tiers of ability within the NCAA Division I teams. The good news is that these 64 programs offer athletic opportunities for 600-700 of the country’s top women volleyball players.

Congratulations to Penn State on another NCAA volleyball championship!

Colorado Lady Buffs Volleyball Ranked 21st

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Congratulations to the Colorado Lady Buffs volleyball team and the PAC-12 on their 2014 season. Setter Nicole Edelman and AVCA All-American hitter Taylor Simpson led the Lady Buffs to a year-end ranking of 21st in the country. Nine PAC-12 teams were ranked in the top 25.

Lady Buffs Volleyball
Nicole Edelman (5) has set Taylor Simpson (16).

Best wishes to the Lady Buffs for a productive off-season and strong recruiting to fill the voids left by the graduating seniors.

2014 Season Ending AVCA Rankings (PAC-12 Teams in Blue)

Rank School Total Points Adjusted 2014 Record Previous Rank
1 Penn State 1500 36-3 4
2 Stanford 1432 33-2 1
3 BYU 1374 30-5 12
4 Wisconsin 1306 31-3 2
5 Texas 1276 27-3 6
6 Florida 1183 28-4 5
7 North Carolina 1115 29-3 7
8 Nebraska 1074 23-10 11
9 Washington 1049 31-3 3
10 Florida State 921 30-3 8
11 Illinois 900 26-8 10
12 Colorado State 853 31-3 9
13 Ohio State 744 23-12 18
14 Oregon 681 23-10 16
15 UCLA 659 22-12 17
16 Arizona 613 24-10 14
17 Kentucky 497 27-6 13
18 Utah 443 20-13 20
19 Long Beach State 407 27-5 15
20 Oregon State 376 20-13 NR
21 Colorado 333 20-14 19
22 Arizona State 231 20-14 22
23 Hawai'i 204 22-7 23
24 Arkansas-Little Rock 96 30-5 NR
25 Duke 74 22-8 21