We Were Curious
We were curious, so we put together a series of charts looking at the NCAA Tournament performance in the 13-year period from 1998 to 2010, both home and away, of six top teams: Penn State, Stanford, Nebraska, USC, Washington, and Florida. (We would have included Texas, but its website statistics only go back to the 2001 season.)
We were curious as to how these teams had performed over time at home and on the road, and just how important the home-court advantage actually was (we know there is all sorts of statistical data on this, but we were interested in the specific results for these particular teams).
We didn’t expect to come up with any earth-shaking revelations, and we didn’t. Our six-team cohort won alot more NCAA Tournament matches than they lost, and they won more when they were at home than when they were away. As shown in the charts below, their combined NCAA Tournament record was a gaudy 165-20 at home (89.2% wins), and a very impressive, but somewhat more muted 82-40 record in away matches (67.2 wins).
(Editor’s Note: We counted any match played in Nebraska as being a home match for Nebraska, and any match played in Los Angeles as being a home match for USC, but only counted matches played in Gainesville Florida as being home matches for Florida.)
Upsets Happen
The charts provide graphic evidence of a simple truth: even the best teams get knocked off by an underdog in the NCAA Tournament now and again. Maybe not very often in the first two rounds (Nebraska was 26-0 in Rounds 1 and 2 during those 13 years, Florida was 25-1, and Penn State and Stanford both were 24-2). But upsets happen. To every team.
Case in point? Penn State. In 2002, #12 seed Penn State lost on its home court to unseeded Temple in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Penn State Head Coach Russ Rose had a simple explanation:
They were able to maintain their serve and their pass. We had some opportunities in the second game that slipped away. I hope our younger players will learn from this.
It was a lesson that, unfortunately for Penn State fans, was repeated in 2004, when #2 seed Penn State lost to #15 seed UCLA in a Regional Semifinal match in Seattle, Washington, and in 2005, when #2 seed Penn State fell to #15 seed Tennessee at Rec Hall. After the Tennessee loss, Head Coach Russ Rose had this to say:
I thought it was a match where, when the games were close they played harder than we did. I thought we kept making way too many mistakes from the end line. It gave them opportunities and they played very hard and had kills at critical times.
There may have been something in the water in 2005, because Penn State wasn’t the only powerhouse to get upset in the 2005 tournament. Unseeded (but 15th-ranked) Santa Clara stunned Stanford, 3-1, on Stanford’s home floor. After the match, Stanford Head Coach John Dunning said:
Santa Clara played well. I’m proud of our team. We went through a lot this year. We didn’t play our best tonight, but give a lot of credit to Santa Clara. It’s a tough way to end the season.
Despite it’s early-round success, Nebraska has seen its share of upsets. In 2007, #10 seed (6th-ranked) California ended #2 seed (2nd-ranked) Nebraska’s hunt for a second-consecutive NCAA Championship, by sweeping the Huskers in the Regional Final in Seattle. Nebraska Head Coach John Cook had this to say in his post-match press conference:
California played great tonight and certainly put the pressure on us and never let off. I thought our team rallied at times but could never put together a string of points and we didn’t play very well at the end of close games and when you get to regional finals, that’s what you have to be able to do, is put on pressure and play great at the end of games. Cal certainly did a tremendous job of that tonight.
Forgettable outings for USC? Its second-round home loss in 1999 to unseeded Minnesota probably qualifies, as would unseeded Pepperdine’s 2005 victory over the #12 seed Trojans on USC’s home court. The 2006 Sweet Sixteen loss to #12 seed Hawai’i might get some dissenters, given that the match was on Hawai’i’s home court in front of a large, partisan crowd.
Washington has experienced both the memorable and the forgettable. In 2010, the unseeded Huskies pulled off a huge upset in Seattle against #2 seed Nebraska, defeating the Huskers 3-1. Less memorable outings were in 2007, when unseeded and unranked BYU knocked off Washington in the second round in Seattle (Washington’s first-ever home loss in the NCAA Tournament) and a second round loss in 2009 to unseeded Colorado State in Fort Collins.
Summary Charts — All Teams
People who really understand statistics undoubtedly can tease more meaning from these charts than we can. We’ll leave the analysis to you.
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NCAA Tournament Records - 1998-2010 (All Matches)
| Team | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 13-0 | 11-2 | 9-2 | 6-3 | 6-0 | 5-1 | 50-8 |
| Stanford | 13-0 | 11-2 | 8-3 | 7-1 | 7-0 | 2-5 | 48-11 |
| Nebraska | 13-0 | 13-0 | 10-3 | 6-4 | 3-3 | 2-1 | 47-11 |
| USC | 13-0 | 9-4 | 7-2 | 6-1 | 2-4 | 2-0 | 39-11 |
| Washington | 9-0 | 6-3 | 6-0 | 3-3 | 1-2 | 1-0 | 26-8 |
| Florida | 13-0 | 12-1 | 6-6 | 3-3 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 35-13 |
| Total | 74-0 | 62-12 | 46-16 | 31-15 | 20-11 | 12-8 | 245-62 |
NCAA Tournament Records - 1998-2010 (Home Matches)
| Team | First Round | Second Round | Sweet 16 | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford | 11-0 | 10-1 | 4-1 | 4-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 29-2 |
| Penn State | 13-0 | 11-2 | 5-1 | 5-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 34-3 |
| Florida | 12-0 | 12-0 | 3-3 | 3-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 30-3 |
| Nebraska | 11-0 | 11-0 | 6-1 | 4-2 | 1-1 | 1-0 | 34-4 |
| Washington | 5-0 | 4-1 | 4-0 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 15-3 |
| USC | 12-0 | 8-4 | 2-0 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 23-5 |
| Total | 64-0 | 56-8 | 24-6 | 19-5 | 1-1 | 1-0 | 165-20 |
NCAA Tournament Records - 1998-2010 (Away Matches)
| Team | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-1 | 1-3 | 6-0 | 5-1 | 16-5 |
| USC | 1-0 | 1-0 | 5-2 | 5-0 | 2-4 | 2-0 | 16-6 |
| Stanford | 2-0 | 1-1 | 4-2 | 3-1 | 7-0 | 2-5 | 19-9 |
| Washington | 4-0 | 2-2 | 2-0 | 1-1 | 1-2 | 1-0 | 11-5 |
| Nebraska | 2-0 | 2-0 | 4-2 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 1-1 | 13-7 |
| Florida | 1-0 | 0-1 | 3-3 | 0-3 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 5-10 |
| Total | 10-0 | 6-4 | 22-10 | 12-10 | 19-10 | 11-8 | 80-42 |
Florida
Florida came close to winning it all during our 13-year period — three Semi-Final appearances — but wasn’t been able to win the NCAA Championship. But in the process, it still managed to put together a 105 set winning streak and win 130 consecutive regular season conference matches.
In 2010, the Gators seemed ready to take the final step, having earned the #1 seed. But it was not to be, as Florida suffered what may have been the biggest upset of the tournament, losing to #16 seed Purdue, 3-0. The Gators were up 24-20 in the first set, but lost 28-26. Purdue took the next two sets 25-15 and 25-19.
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NCAA Tournament Record - Florida (Home Matches)
| Year | Final Record | Tournament Seed | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 35-3 | #1 Gainesville Regional | 1-0 (Chattanooga 3-0) | 1-0 (Ohio State 3-0) | 1-0 (#4 Regional seed USC 3-1) | 1-0 (#2 regional seed Hawai'i 3-2) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 1999 | 33-3 | #2 Stockton Regional | 1-0 (Liberty 3-0) | 1-0 (Illinois 3-2) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2000 | 29-5 | #14 | 1-0 (Arkansas-Little Rock 3-0) | 1-0 (South East Missouri State 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2001 | 28-2 | #10 | 1-0 (Florida A&M 3-0) | 1-0 (Florida International 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2002 | 34-3 | #5 | 1-0 (Central Florida 3-0) | 1-0 (South Florida 3-1) | 1-0 (Temple 3-0) | 1-0 (Washington State 3-1) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2003 | 36-2 | #3 | 1-0 (Georgia Southern 3-0) | 1-0 (UCF 3-0) | 1-0 (#14 seed Colorado State 3-0) | 1-0 (#11 seed Penn State 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2004 | 28-5 | unseeded | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2005 | 33-3 | #8 | 1-0 (Florida Atlantic 3-0) | 1-0 (Kansas State 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2006 | 30-3 | #9 | 1-0 (Florida A&M 3-0) | 1-0 (Arizona State 3-1) | 0-1 (Minnesota 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| 2007 | 29-3 | #13 | 1-0 (College of Charleston 3-0) | 1-0 (Oklahoma 3-0) | 0-1 (#4 seed Texas 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| 2008 | 27-4 | #15 | 1-0 (Florida A&M 3-0) | 1-0 (Colorado State 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2009 | 25-6 | #16 | 1-0 (College of Charleston 3-0) | 1-0 (FIU 3-0) | 0-1 (#1 seed Penn State 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| 2010 | 29-2 | #1 | 1-0 (South Carolina State 3-0) | 1-0 (Florida State 3-2) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| Total | 396-44 | 12-0 | 12-0 | 3-3 | 3-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 30-3 |
NCAA Tournament Record - Florida (Away Matches)
| Year | Final Record | Tournament Seed | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 35-3 | #1 Gainesville Regional | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#1 Regional seed Long Beach State 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 1999 | 33-3 | #2 Stockton Regional | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#3 Regional seed BYU 3-0) | 0-1 (#1 Regional Seed Pacific 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2000 | 29-5 | #14 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#3 seed USC - 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 2001 | 28-2 | #10 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#7 seed Pepperdine 3-0) | 0-1 (#2 seed Nebraska 2-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2002 | 34-3 | #5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#1 Seed USC 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 2003 | 36-2 | #3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#2 seed Hawai'i 3-1) | 0-1 (#1 seed USC 3-1) | 1-1 |
| 2004 | 28-5 | unseeded | 1-0 (Florida A&M 3-0) | 0-1 (#11 seed Stanford 2-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2005 | 33-3 | #8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#9 seed Louisville 3-0) | 0-1 (#1 seed Nebraska 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2006 | 30-3 | #9 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2007 | 29-3 | #13 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2008 | 27-4 | #15 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#2 seed Stanford 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 2009 | 25-6 | #16 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2010 | 29-2 | #1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#16 seed Purdue 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| Total | 396-44 | 1-0 | 0-1 | 3-3 | 0-3 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 5-10 |
Nebraska
In 2000, in John Cook’s first year as Nebraska’s Head Coach, the Huskers became only the second team in NCAA history to finish a season undefeated. In 2006, they had another stellar season, as they went 33-1, and won the NCAA Championship in the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska, after holding the #1 ranking for the entire season.
2007 wasn’t quite as successful, as #10 seed California defeated #2 seed Nebraska in the Regional Final. In 2010, Nebraska was again upset, this time in the Regional Semifinal in Seattle, by unseeded Washington, 3-1. A controversial call at the end of the fourth set led to a heated exchange between the two coaches after the match.
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NCAA Tournament Record - Nebraska (Home Matches)
| Year | Final Record | Tournament Seed | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 32-2 | #1 Lincoln Regional | 1-0 (Morgan State 3-0) | 1-0 (Utah 3-1) | 1-0 (Pepperdine 3-2) | 1-0 (#2 Regional seed Wisconsin 3-2) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 1999 | 27-6 | #3 Los Angeles Regional | 1-0 (Davidson 3-0) | 1-0 (San Diego 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2000 | 34-0 | #1 | 1-0 (Princeton 3-0) | 1-0 (South Carolina 3-2) | 1-0 (#16 seed Ohio State 3-0) | 1-0 (#8 seed Arizona 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2001 | 31-2 | #2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#15 seed Colorado State 3-1) | 1-0 (#10 seed Florida 3-2) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2002 | 31-2 | #3 | 1-0 (Tennessee-Martin 3-0) | 1-0 (Arizona State 3-0) | 1-0 ( Miami 3-0) | 0-1 (#6 seed Hawai'i 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-1 |
| 2003 | 28-5 | #9 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#8 seed UCLA 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 2004 | 30-2 | #1 | 1-0 (Iona 3-0) | 1-0 (Wichita State 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2005 | 33-2 | #1 | 1-0 (Alabama A&M 3-0) | 1-0 (Duke 3-0) | 1-0 (#16 seed UCLA 3-0) | 1-0 (#8 seed Florida 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2006 | 33-1 | #1 | 1-0 (American 3-1) | 1-0 (Northern Iowa 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#4 seed UCLA 3-1) | 1-0 (#2 seed Stanford 3-1) | 4-0 |
| 2007 | 30-2 | #2 | 1-0 ( South Dakota State 3-0) | 1-0 (Wichita State 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2008 | 31-3 | #4 | 1-0 (Liberty 3-1) | 1-0 (UAB 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#1 seed Penn State 2-3) | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| 2009 | 26-7 | #10 | 1-0 (Coastal Carolina 3-0) | 1-0 (Northern Iowa 3-0) | 1-0 (#7 seed Iowa State 3-0) | 0-1 (#2 seed Texas 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-1 |
| 2010 | 29-3 | #2 | 1-0 (Sacred Heart 3-0) | 1-0 (Auburn 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| Total | 395-37 | 11-0 | 11-0 | 6-1 | 4-2 | 1-1 | 1-0 | 34-4 |
NCAA Tournament Record - Nebraska (Away Matches)
| Year | Total Record | Tournament Seed | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 32-2 | #1 Lincoln Regional | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#1 Regional seed Penn State 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 1999 | 27-6 | #3 Los Angeles Regional | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#2 Regional seed UCSB 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 2000 | 34-0 | #1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#5 seed Hawai'i 3-1) | 1-0 (#7 seed Wisconsin 3-2) | 2-0 |
| 2001 | 31-2 | #2 | 1-0 (Oral Roberts 3-0) | 1-0 (Kansas State 3-1) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#3 seed Stanford 0-3) | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| 2002 | 31-2 | #3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2003 | 28-5 | #9 | 1-0 (Valparaiso 3-0) | 1-0 (Dayton 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2004 | 30-2 | #1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (Louisville 3-0) | 0-1 (#8 seed USC 2-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2005 | 33-2 | #1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (unseeded Santa Clara 3-0) | 0-1 (#3 seed Washington 0-3) | 1-1 |
| 2006 | 33-1 | #1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#16 seed San Diego 3-0) | 1-0 (#8 seed Minnesota 3-2) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2007 | 30-2 | #2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (Michigan State 3-2) | 0-1 (#10 seed California 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2008 | 31-3 | #4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (Michigan 3-0) | 1-0 (#6 seed Washington 3-2) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2009 | 26-7 | #10 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2010 | 29-3 | #2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (unseeded Washington 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| Total | 395-37 | 2-0 | 2-0 | 4-2 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 1-1 | 13-7 |
Penn State
Penn State enjoyed unprecedented success in the 13-year period, winning five NCAA Championships (in six appearances in the Finals), but it suffered its share of upset losses. In 2002, unseeded Temple defeated the Nittany Lions 3-1 (24-30, 26-30, 30-26, 23-30). In 2004, Penn State was ranked #3 going into the Regional Semifinal, but lost to #15 seed UCLA , 3-1 (24-30, 30-22, 25-30, 28-30). Head Coach Russ Rose noted that Chrissie Zartman, UCLA’s libero had played very well.
We hit too many balls at her. I was disappointed more in our effort than the outcome. I would have liked us to have played harder, and I would have liked us to have played better. If we had played better and lost, then I would feel fine.
As we noted above, Penn State was also upset in 2005, this time by another #15 seed, Tennessee. The 3-1 loss (27-30, 30-14, 27- 30, 31-33) was a tough loss for the #2 seed Nittany Lions, particularly because it was on their home court. After the match, Head Coach Russ Rose had this to say about his team:
I thought we took some balls at critical times and made some mistakes. Tennessee kept the ball in play and didn’t have any fear when they gave us free balls in the first game. We gave them five points on three missed serves and two free balls. Is that our best team and our best match, I don’t think it is. We have to give credit to our opponent and hope the younger players get better and the new kids understand the importance of working hard and doing a little better than the last group. . . . The performance wasn’t based on anything other than the other team played a little harder and we had some young people that didn’t play as well. When you depend on freshmen, you sometimes live and die by what happens. I’ve been on the winning and losing end both times. I understand how it is.
Things turned around in 2007, the start of what has turned into four consecutive NCAA Championships.
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NCAA Tournament Record - Penn State (Home Matches)
| Year | Final Record | Tournament Seed | First Round | Second Round | Sweet 16 | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 34-1 | #1 - University Park Regional | 1-0 (Bucknell 3-0) | 1-0 (Clemson 3-0) | 1-0 (#4 Regional seed Louisville 3-0) | 1-0 (#2 Regional seed BYU 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 1999 | 36-1 | #1 - University Park Regional | 1-0 (Robert Morris 3-0) | 1-0 (Baylor 3-0) | 1-0 (Minnesota 3-0) | 1-0 (#3 Regional seed UCLA 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2000 | 29-6 | #11 | 1-0 (James Madison 3-0) | 1-0 (Washington St. 3-1) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2001 | 22-8 | unseeded | 1-0 (Fairfield 3-0) | 0-1 (#8 Seed UCLA 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2002 | 25-8 | #12 | 1-0 (Penn 3-0) | 0-1 (unseeded Temple 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2003 | 31-5 | #11 | 1-0 (Robert Morris 3-0) | 1-0 (Pittsburgh 3-1) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2004 | 29-3 | #2 | 1-0 (American 3-0) | 1-0 (Maryland 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2005 | 31-3 | #2 | 1-0 (Binghamton 3-0) | 1-0 (Long Island 3-0) | 0-1 (#15 seed Tennessee 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| 2006 | 32-3 | #3 | 1-0 (Long Island 3-0) | 1-0 (Hofstra 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2007 | 34-2 | #3 | 1-0 (Siena 3-0) | 1-0 (Albany 3-0) | 1-0 (unseeded Michigan 3-0) | 1-0 (unseeded BYU 3-0) (BYU had defeated #6 seed Washington) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2008 | 38-0 | #1 | 1-0 (Long Island 3-0) | 1-0 (Yale 3-0) | 1-0 (unseeded Western Michigan 3-0) | 1-0 (#8 seed California 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2009 | 38-0 | #1 | 1-0 (Binghamton 3-0) | 1-0 (Penn 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2010 | 32-5 | #4 | 1-0 (Niagara 3-0) | 1-0 (Virginia Tech 3-0) | 1-0 (unseeded Oklahoma 3-0) | 1-0 (#12 seed Duke 3-1) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| Total | 412-45 | 13-0 | 11-2 | 5-1 | 5-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 34-3 |
NCAA Tournament Record - Penn State (Away Matches)
| Year | Final Record | Tournament Seed | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 34-1 | #1 University Park Regional | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#1 Regional seed Nebraska 3-1) | 0-1 (#1 Regional seed Long Beach State 2-3) | 1-1 |
| 1999 | 36-1 | #1 University Park Regional | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#1 Regional seed Pacific 3-2) | 1-0 (#1 Regional seed Stanford 3-0) | 2-0 |
| 2000 | 30-6 | #11 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#6 seed Colorado St. 3-1) | 0-1 (#3 seed USC 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2001 | 22-8 | unseeded | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2002 | 25-8 | #12 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2003 | 31-5 | #11 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#6 seed Kansas State 3-1) | 0-1 (#3 seed Florida 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2004 | 29-3 | #2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#15 UCLA 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 2005 | 31-3 | #2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2006 | 32-3 | #3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#14 seed Purdue 3-0) | 0-1 (#6 seed Washington 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2007 | 34-2 | #3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#10 seed Cal 3-0) | 1-0 (#1 seed Stanford 3-2) | 2-0 |
| 2008 | 38-0 | #1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#4 seed Nebraska 3-2 in Omaha Nebraska in front of 17,000+ fans) | 1-0 (#2 seed Stanford 3-0) | 2-0 |
| 2009 | 38-0 | #1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#16 seed Florida 3-0) | 1-0 (#9 seed California 3-0) | 1-0 (#12 seed Hawai'i 3-1) | 1-0 (#2 seed Texas 3-2) | 4-0 |
| 2010 | 32-5 | #4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#9 seed Texas 3-0) | 1-0 (#7 seed Cal 3-0) | 2-0 |
| Total | 412-45 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-1 | 1-3 | 6-0 | 5-1 | 16-5 |
Stanford
Stanford appeared in seven NCAA Finals during the 13-year period, winning two NCAA Championships — including in 2004, when the #11 seed Cardinal became the lowest seed ever to win the national title.
On the flip side, Stanford fell victim to the upset pandemic in 2005, as it lost to unseeded (but 15th-ranked) Santa Clara 3-1 in Maples Pavilion in a second round match. The win was Santa Clara’s first over Stanford in 20 matches.
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NCAA Tournament Record - Stanford (Home Matches)
| Year | Final Record | Tournament Seed | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 27-4 | #2 Long Beach Regional | 1-0 (S.E. Missouri State 3-1) | 1-0 (Notre Dame 3-1) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 1999 | 31-3 | #1 Los Angeles Regional | 1-0 (Florida Atlantic 3-0) | 1-0 (Santa Clara 3-1) | 1-0 (Arizona 3-1) | 1-0 (#2 seed UCSB 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2000 | 19-12 | unseeded | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2001 | 33-2 | #3 | 1-0 (Nevada 3-0) | 1-0 (San Jose State 3-0) | 1-0 (#14 seed Utah 3-1) | 1-0 (#11 seed Texas A&M 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2002 | 32-5 | #2 | 1-0 (Sacramento State 3-0) | 1-0 (Pacific 3-1) | 1-0 (#15 seed Ohio State 3-0) | 1-0 (#10 seed Arizona 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2003 | 25-7 | #5 | 1-0 (Sacramento State 3-0) | 1-0 (Pacific 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2004 | 30-6 | #11 seed | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2005 | 26-6 | #5 | 1-0 (Nevada 3-0) | 0-1 (Santa Clara 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2006 | 30-4 | #2 | 1-0 (Sacramento State 3-0) | 1-0 (Missouri 3-2) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2007 | 32-3 | #1 | 1-0 (Santa Clara 3-0) | 1-0 (Sacramento State 3-0) | 1-0 (#16 seed Cal Poly 3-0) | 1-0 (#8 seed UCLA 3-1) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2008 | 31-4 | #2 | 1-0 Albany (3-0) | 1-0 (Long Beach State 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2009 | 23-8 | #4 | 1-0 (Long Island 3-0) | 1-0 (St. Mary's (CA) 3-2) | 0-1 (#13 seed Michigan 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| 2010 | 27-4 | #3 | 1-0 (Albany 3-0) | 1-0 (Colorado State 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| Total | 366-68 | 11-0 | 10-1 | 4-1 | 4-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 29-2 |
NCAA Tournament Record - Stanford (Away Matches)
| Year | Total Record | Tournament Seed | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 27-4 | #2 Long Beach Regional | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#3 Regional seed Texas 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 1999 | 31-3 | #1 Los Angeles Regional | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#2 Regional seed Long Beach State 3-0) | 0-1 (#1 Regional seed Penn State 0-3) | 1-1 |
| 2000 | 19-12 | unseeded | 1-0 (Loyola Marymount 3-0) | 0-1 (#13 seed UCSB 2-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2001 | 33-2 | #3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#2 seed Nebraska 3-0) | 1-0 (#1 seed Long Beach State 3-0) | 2-0 |
| 2002 | 32-5 | #2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#3 seed Hawai'i 3-0) | 0-1 (#1 seed USC 1-3) | 1-1 |
| 2003 | 25-7 | #5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#12 seed Washington 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 2004 | 30-6 | #11 seed | 1-0 (Jacksonville 3-0) | 1-0 (Florida 3-2) | 1-0 (#6 seed Texas 3-0) | 1-0 (#14 seed Wisconsin 3-0) | 1-0 (#7 seed Washington 3-1) | 1-0 (#5 seed Minnesota 3-0) | 6-0 |
| 2005 | 26-6 | #5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2006 | 30-4 | #2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (California 3-0) | 1-0 (#7 seed Texas 3-1) | 1-0 (#6 seed Washington 3-0) | 0-1 (#1 seed Nebraska 3-1) | 3-1 |
| 2007 | 32-3 | #1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#5 seed USC 3-2) | 0-1 (#3 seed Penn State 2-3) | 1-1 |
| 2008 | 31-4 | #2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#15 seed Florida 3-0) | 1-0 (#7 seed Hawai'i 3-0) | 1-0 (#3 seed Texas 3-2) | 0-1 (#1 seed Penn State 0-3) | 3-1 |
| 2009 | 23-8 | #4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2010 | 27-4 | #3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (Ohio State 3-1) | 0-1 (#6 seed USC 2-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| Total | 366-68 | 2-0 | 1-1 | 4-2 | 3-1 | 7-0 | 2-5 | 19-9 |
USC
USC certainly made the most of its NCAA Finals opportunities — two appearances during our 13-year period, with two victories.
It also suffered its share of upsets. In 2005 (that dread year), unseeded Pepperdine defeated #12 seed USC on the Trojan’s home court. USC was upset again in 2006 (at least in terms of losing to a much lower seeded team), when #12 seed Hawai’i downed the Trojans 3-2 in Honolulu.
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NCAA Tournament Record - USC (Home Matches)
| Year | Final Record | Tournament Seed | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 24-6 | #4 Gainesville Regional | 1-0 (UMBC 3-0) | 1-0 (Texas A&M 3-1) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 1999 | 21-9 | #4 University Park Regional | 1-0 (Hofstra 3-0) | 0-1 (unseeded Minnesota 2-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2000 | 29-3 | #3 | 1-0 (Georgia State 3-0) | 1-0 (Cal Poly 3-0) | 1-0 (#14 seed Florida 3-0) | 1-0 (#11 seed Penn State 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2001 | 25-4 | #4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#13 seed Ohio State 3-0) | 0-1 (#5 seed Arizona 2-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2002 | 31-1 | #1 | 1-0 (San Diego 3-0) | 1-0 (Texas A&M 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2003 | 35-0 | #1 | 1-0 (New Hampshire 3-0) | 1-0 (Loyola Marymount 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2004 | 23-6 | #8 | 1-0 (College of Charleston 3-0) | 1-0 (Kansas State 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2005 | 17-11 | #12 | 1-0 (UCSB 3-1) | 0-1 (Unseeded Pepperdine 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2006 | 27-5 | #5 | 1-0 (Mississippi 3-0) | 1-0 (BYU 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2007 | 29-5 | #5 | 1-0 (Pepperdine 3-0) | 1-0 (Long Beach State 3-2) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2008 | 17-12 | unseeded | 1-0 (San Diego 3-1) | 0-1 (#7 seed Hawai'i 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2009 | 22-10 | unseeded | 1-0 (Oklahoma 3-0) | 0-1 (#12 seed Hawai'i 3-1) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2010 | 29-5 | #6 | 1-0 (New Mexico 3-0) | 1-0 (San Diego 3-1) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| Total | 329-77 | 12-0 | 8-4 | 2-0 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 23-5 |
NCAA Tournament Record - USC (Away Matches)
| Year | Final Record | Tournament Seed | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 24-6 | #4 Gainesville Regional | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#1 Regional seed Florida 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 1999 | 21-9 | #4 University Park Regional | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2000 | 29-3 | #3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#7 seed Wisconsin 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 2001 | 25-4 | #4 | 1-0 (Liberty 3-0) | 1-0 (Duke 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2002 | 31-1 | #1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (Michigan State 3-0) | 1-0 (#9 seed Pepperdine 3-0) | 1-0 (#5 seed Florida 3-1) | 1-0 (#2 seed Stanford 3-1) | 4-0 |
| 2003 | 35-0 | #1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#16 seed Texas A&M 3-0) | 1-0 (#8 seed UCLA 3-1) | 1-0 (#13 seed Minnesota 3-1) | 1-0 (#3 seed Florida 3-1) | 4-0 |
| 2004 | 23-6 | #8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#9 seed San Diego 3-1) | 1-0 (#1 seed Nebraska 3-2) | 0-1 (#5 seed Minnesota 1-3) | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| 2005 | 17-11 | #12 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2006 | 27-5 | #5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#12 seed Hawai'i 2-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 2007 | 29-5 | #5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#12 seed St. Johns (NY) 3-2) | 1-0 (#4 seed Texas 3-0) | 0-1 (#1 seed Stanford 2-3) | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| 2008 | 17-12 | unseeded | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2009 | 22-10 | unseeded | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2010 | 29-5 | #6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (Indiana 3-0) | 1-0 (#3 seed Stanford 3-2) | 0-1 (#7 seed California 0-3) | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| Total | 329-77 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 5-2 | 5-0 | 2-4 | 2-0 | 16-6 |
Washington
In 2005, in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, Washington defeated #1 seed Nebraska 3-0 to become the second NCAA Women’s Volleyball Champion in history to sweep each of its opponents (Texas was the first, in 1988). Washington’s Head Coach Jim McLaughlin, who had led USC to the 1990 men’s NCAA Championship, became the first coach in NCAA history to win an NCAA Championship in both men and women’s volleyball.
An oddity of the 2005 Final Four was that Nebraska’s Semifinal opponent, Santa Clara, was the first unseeded team ever to reach the Final Four, and Washington’s opponent in its Semifinal match — #15 seeded Tennessee — was the lowest seeded team (other than unseeded Santa Clara) to ever reach the Final Four.
Significant upsets of Washington came in 2007, in a second round loss to unseeded and unranked BYU in Seattle, and in 2009, in a second round loss to unseeded Colorado State in Fort Collins. The Huskies enjoyed a big victory as the underdog in 2010, when they defeated #2 seed Nebraska 3-1.
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NCAA Tournament Record - Washington (Home Matches)
| Year | Final Record | Tournament Seed | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 9-15 | n/a | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 1999 | 8-18 | n/a | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2000 | 8-19 | n/a | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2001 | 11-16 | n/a | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2002 | 20-11 | unseeded | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2003 | 23-9 | #12 | 1-0 (Northwestern 3-0) | 1-0 (Utah 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2004 | 28-3 | #7 | 1-0 (Idaho 3-0) | 1-0 (Kansas 3-0) | 1-0 (#10 seed St. Mary's 3-0) | 1-0 (#15 seed UCLA 3-2) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 2005 | 32-1 | #3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2006 | 29-5 | #6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#11 seed Ohio State 3-0) | 1-0 (#3 seed Penn State 3-1) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2007 | 27-4 | #6 | 1-0 (Missouri 3-2) | 0-1 (unseeded BYU 2-3) (Washington's first-ever loss at home in the post-season) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2008 | 27-5 | #5 | 1-0 (Portland State 3-0) | 1-0 (unseeded Santa Clara 3-0) | 1-0 (#12 seed Utah 3-0) | 0-1 (#4 seed Nebraska 2-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-1 |
| 2009 | 24-6 | #6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2010 | 24-9 | unseeded | 1-0 (Michigan 3-0) | 1-0 (#15 seed Hawai'i 3-0) | 1-0 (#2 seed Nebraska 3-1) | 0-1 (#7 seed California - 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-1 |
| Total | 270-121 | 5-0 | 4-1 | 4-0 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 15-3 |
NCAA Tournament Record - Washington (Away Matches)
| Year | Final Record | Tournament Seed | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Regional Final | Semi-Final | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 9-15 | n/a | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 1999 | 8-18 | n/a | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2000 | 8-19 | n/a | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2001 | 11-16 | n/a | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2002 | 20-11 | unseeded | 1-0 (Colorado State 3-1) | 0-1 (#6 seed Hawai'i 0-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2003 | 23-9 | #12 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 (#5 seed Stanford 3-1) | 0-1 (#13 seed Minnesota 2-3) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2004 | 28-3 | #7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#11 seed Stanford 1-3) | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| 2005 | 32-1 | #3 | 1-0 (Siena 3-0) | 1-0 (Colorado State 3-0) | 1-0 (#14 seed Purdue 3-0) | 1-0 (#11 seed Wisconsin 3-0) | 1-0 (#15 seed Tennessee 3-0) | 1-0 (#1 seed Nebraska 3-0) | 6-0 |
| 2006 | 29-5 | #6 | 1-0 (Colorado State 3-1) | 1-0 (Colorado 3-0) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 (#2 seed Stanford 0-3) | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| 2007 | 27-4 | #6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2008 | 27-5 | #5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 2009 | 24-6 | #6 | 1-0 (Northern Colorado 3-1) | 0-1 (unseeded Colorado State) | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 2010 | 24-9 | unseeded | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Total | 270-121 | 4-0 | 2-2 | 2-0 | 1-1 | 1-2 | 1-0 | 11-5 |