Three Pac-12 Volleyball teams compete at NCAA Regionals
SAN FRANCISCO - Three Pac-12 teams are headed to the NCAA regional semifinals which takes place on Friday, Dec. 13. Defending NCAA Champion and No. 3 seed STANFORD hosts UTAH, guaranteeing a Pac-12 team in the NCAA regional final on Saturday for the 21st-consecutive year (since 1999). No. 8 seed WASHINGTON travels to Waco, Texas, for its regional competition, home of the No. 1-overall seed Baylor. The Pac-12 has placed at least one team in the regional semifinals every year of the tournament. Friday’s matches will be streamed on ESPN3 with Saturday’s competition broadcast on ESPNU. Winners of the four regionals move on to the national semifinals and championship matches in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Dec. 19 and 21, at PPG Paints Arena.
• Six Pac-12 teams earned NCAA Tournament bids, the Conference going 8-3 through the first two rounds. Pac-12 Champion Stanford was awarded the No. 3 seed overall and is one of four regional hosts after surviving the opening rounds. The Cardinal are 39-0 all-time in the opening round.
• Washington earned the No. 8 overall seed, with UCLA, USC, UTAH and WASHINGTON STATE earning at-large bids, as well. It marks the 20th-consecutive year at least Pac-12 six teams have participated in the “Big Dance.”
• Five of the six Pac-12 teams were making a return trip to the NCAA Tournament after earning bids last season. UCLA was back in the postseason after missing out last season. It bounced back to post a winning record and a fourth-place showing in the Pac-12, a year after recording its first-ever losing record.
• Stanford is one of two teams in the NCAA Tournament to have participated in every bracket, the other being Penn State, who is traveling to Stanford of its regional appearance. The two storied programs could potentially face each other for a chance to get to the national semifinal.
• USC made its 29th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, while the Huskies are in the midst of their 18th straight. Utah and WSU have earned a postseason bid the last three years.
• Stanford won its 19th all-time Pac-12 crown. UCLA junior Mac May was named Pac-12 Player of the Year, the first Bruin to win the honor since 1994. Stanford seniors Jenna Gray and Morgan Hentz were tabbed Pac-12 Setter of the Year and Pac-12 Libero of the Year for the third-straight years, respectively. WSU’s Magda Jehlarova became the first Coug to be named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
• 21 Pac-12 student-athletes earned AVCA All-Region recognitions, led by Utah’s Beth Launiere and Dani Drews, who were named Pacific South Coach and Player of the Year. Washington's Kara Bajema was the Pacific North Player of the Year and Washington State’s Jehlarova was tabbed the Freshman of the Year.
• The Pac-12 has won a NCAA-record 16 of 38 NCAA titles awarded.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE (All Times Specific to Site)
Friday, December 13
Stanford Regional, at Stanford
No. 8 Penn St. vs. Cincinnati 5 p.m. PT (ESPN3)
Utah at No. 3 Stanford 8 p.m. PT (ESPNU)
Baylor Regional, at Baylor
No. 14 Purdue at No. 1 Baylor 11 a.m. CT (ESPN 3)
No. 9 Washington vs. No. 11 Kentucky 1:30 p.m. CT (ESPN 3)
Saturday, December 14
Minneapolis Regional Final – December 14 at 3 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
Stanford Regional Final – December 14 at 7 p.m. PT (ESPNU)
STANDINGS (as of 12/9)
| Teams | Pac-12 Record | Overall Record |
| Stanford | 18-2 | 26-4 |
| Washington | 15-5 | 26-6 |
| Utah | 14-6 | 24-9 |
| UCLA | 13-7 | 19-12 |
| Washington State | 12-8 | 23-10 |
| USC | 11-9 | 18-14 |
| California | 10-10 | 20-10 |
| Arizona State | 9-11 | 17-14 |
| Oregon | 5-15 | 9-20 |
| Arizona | 5-15 | 15-17 |
| Colorado | 5-15 | 13-17 |
| Oregon State | 3-17 | 9-22 |
2019 PAC-12 VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
IN THE PRESEASON
Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll & All-Pac-12 Team | AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll