Volleyball Preview: NCAA Tournament First & Second Rounds
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First and Second Rounds - Gregory Gym - Austin, Texas
First Round: Friday, Dec. 3 at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Second Round: Saturday, Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are available online at TexasBoxOffice.com, at the Bellmont Hall Ticket Office and by phone (512-471-3333) starting Monday, Nov. 29. The Gregory Gym ticket windows open at 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3.
All-Session Ticket Package - Includes all three matches
Reserved Adult Ticket Package: $18
Reserved Student & Senior Citizen Ticket Package: $12
General Admission Adult Ticket Package: $12
General Admission Student, Youth & Senior Citizen Ticket Package: $6
Single Day Tickets
Reserved: $10
General Admission Adult: $7
General Admission Student & Senior Citizen: $5
NCAA TOURNAMENT QUICK SETS
Seven Big 12 teams (Texas, Nebraska, Missouri, Texas A&M, Kansas State, Kansas, Colorado) were selected to play in the tournament, tying the league with the Big Ten for the most representatives.
Texas will host Texas State in the first round on Friday, Dec. 3, at Gregory Gym at 7 p.m. ... Michigan and Rice will face off immediately prior to the Horns match, at 5 p.m., at Gregory ... the winners will meet in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 6:30 p.m.
After missing the tournament in 2003 for just the second time in program history, Texas is participating in its 21st NCAA Tournament, the fourth-most appearances across the country ... beginning in 1982 - the team‚s first NCAA Tournament - Texas advanced to 18-straight tournaments.
2004 will mark the 15th time Texas has hosted first round matches and the first time since 1999.
Texas is 30-7 all-time in NCAA Tournament matches played in Austin.
UT is undefeated in opening round action, going 18-0 in first-round matches. UT has never failed to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Longhorns are one of just three schools located east of California to win an NCAA Championship (1988), joining Nebraska (1995, 2000) and Penn State (1999).
TEXAS QUICK SETS
With 24 victories, Texas has collected the most victories in a season since 1998 when the team went 27-5 and was a NCAA Regional finalist.
Texas finished its last 10 matches with an 8-2 record.
Texas finished the Big 12 slate with a 16-4 record in Big 12 matches, its best conference mark since the team went 18-2 and finished second to Nebraska (19-1) in 1998 ... the Horns have not finished higher than fourth in the final Big 12 ranks since 2000 ... the Big 12 was second in the RichKern.com conference RPI ratings.
Four players were honored with Big 12 all-conference honors: Mira Topic and Bethany Howden were First-Team selections; Brandy Magee and Michelle Moriarty were Honorable Mention honorees; Topic was the Player of the Year; Dariam Acevedo was the Newcomer of the Year and Jerritt Elliott was Coach of the Year.
Texas is second in the nation in hitting percentage (NCAA Stats release, 11/23/04), with a .314 mark through last week, and is ranked eighth in kills per game (17.22) and ninth in assists per game (15.80) with a freshman - Michelle Moriarty - leading the offense at setter ... Moriarty is now ranked 23rd nationally in assists/game (13.16).
2004 Big 12 Player of the Year Mira Topic is ranked sixth nationally - and leads the Big 12 - in kills/game ... she has collected 500 or more kills for the third time in her career, as she had 534 as a freshman and 523 as a sophomore ... she currently has 536 kills as a senior ... Topic is the only player in UT history to collect 500+ kills in three seasons.
Bethany Howden earned her third First Team All-Big 12 honor and has racked up 380 kills this season, surpassing the 1,400-, 1,500-, 1,600- and 1,700-kill marks this season ... she is hitting a team-best .388, is ranked 23rd nationally in the category (as of Nov. 23).
TEXAS VS. TEXAS STATE
All-Time Series Record: Texas leads, 33-9 (10-3 at home, 17-3 in San Marcos and 6-3 neutral)
Series Streaks: UT has won the last three meetings
Last Meeting: September 2, 2003 in Austin; UT won, 3-1 (30-16,24-30,30-16,30-21)
Last UT victory: Same
Last Texas State victory: September 5, 2000 in San Marcos: TSU won 3-2 (8-15, 15-2, 16-14, 5-15, 8-15)
Elliott vs. Texas State: 3-0
TEXAS STATE QUICK FACTS
Location: San Marcos, Texas
Enrollment: 26,366
Conference: Southland
Nickname: Bobcats
Colors: Maroon and Gold
Head Coach: Karen Chisum (Texas State)
2004 Record: 27-5
2004 Conference Record: 17-3 (Co-Champion)
How they earned their bid: Automatic (Southland Conference Tournament Champions
TEXAS VS. MICHIGAN
All-Time Series Record: Texas leads, 1-0 (neutral meeting)
Series Streaks: UT won the only meeting
Last Meeting: December 10, 1981 in Tallahasse, Fla.; UT won 3-0 (15-6,15-7,15-10)
Last UT victory: Same
Last Michigan victory: None
Elliott vs. Michigan: 0-0
MICHIGAN QUICK FACTS
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Enrollment: 38,248
Conference: Big Ten
Nickname: Wolverines
Colors: Maize and Blue
Head Coach: Mark Rosen (Cal State Northridge)
2004 Record: 19-12
2004 Conference Record: 9-11 (Sixth)
How they earned their bid: At-Large
TEXAS VS. RICE
All-Time Series Record: 35-0
Series Streaks: UT has won all 35 meetings
Last Meeting: September 8, 1999 in Austin; UT won 3-0 (15-12,15-8,15-8)
Last UT victory: Same
Last Rice victory: None
Elliott vs. Rice: 0-0
RICE QUICK FACTS
Location: Houston, Texas
Enrollment: 4,785
Conference: Western Athletic
Nickname: Owls
Colors: Blue and Gray
Head Coach: Genny Volpe (Texas A&M)
2004 Record: 25-4 (Second)
2004 Conference Record: 12-1 (Second)
How they earned their bid: At-Large
