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BYU Women’s Volleyball: Can the Cougars run the table in the regular season?

By Shaun Gordon

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: A general view of the centre court net prior to the VISA FIVB Beach Volleyball International at Horse Guards Parade on August 12, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Scott Heavey/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: A general view of the centre court net prior to the VISA FIVB Beach Volleyball International at Horse Guards Parade on August 12, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Scott Heavey/Getty Images) /
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BYU Women’s Volleyball still has a chance to finish the regular season unbeaten. If they do, it would be a giant accomplishment. If they don’t it’s no big deal.

Perfection.

It’s insanely difficult to accomplish in sports. Going undefeated through an entire season doesn’t happen often. Even the juggernaut that is Alabama Football hasn’t managed to do it since 2009.

But so far, BYU Women’s Volleyball has been perfect. With the non-conference schedule complete the Cougars sit at 10-0 on the season, and it’s not like they’ve played a cakewalk of a schedule.

They beat No. 1 Stanford, No. 10 USC, No. 21 Utah, and No. 25 Marquette. They’ve played more games on the road or at a neutral site than they have in the friendly confines of the Smith Fieldhouse, and they’ve won them all.

In fact, they’ve only lost four sets. Not four matches, four sets. The only time they’ve been taken to five sets was against Stanford, who’s now the No. 2 team in the nation.

But the question is, can they stay unbeaten throughout the entire regular season?

An Improved WCC

Let’s forget about the NCAA Tournament. Anything can happen there, and six straight wins equals a national championship. And the West Coast Conference doesn’t have a conference tournament.

So let’s focus on just the regular season.

They’ve got 18 more matches to go, two against each WCC school.

In the past, playing 18 games in the relatively weak WCC has hurt BYU’s RPI and hurt their NCAA Tournament seeding.

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This year the conference is improved. It’s still not one of college women’s volleyball’s elite conferences, but it won’t be easy for the Cougars to run the table.

They’ll start the conference slate tonight, hosting a 5-6 Pacific team, then face St. Mary’s on Saturday. That’ll be their first WCC test, as the Gaels are 8-2 on the year.

As conference play progresses, they’ll face a Portland team that’s also undefeated right now and right on the doorstep of the Top 25.

Loyola Marymount isn’t far behind in win percentage, sitting at 10-1 and also receiving votes. San Francisco (7-4) and Pepperdine (6-4) are also sitting above .500.

Then there’s San Diego. The Toreros are 3-6 on the season so far, yet still sit at No. 24 in the nation thanks to their absolutely brutal schedule.

Being Unbeaten Ain’t Easy

BYU is better than those teams. There’s a reason they’re the top team in the nation. But that doesn’t mean they can’t have an off night or two.

Alabama usually loses about one football game per year. Blue Blood basketball programs like Duke and Kentucky lose four or five most years.

There’s a very good chance that the Cougars will slip up and lose a game or two in conference play. If that happens, it’s no big deal. They’re still one of the best teams in the country, and they’ve proved it with their play.

But it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if they run the table and finish the regular season 28-0. If they do, it’ll be a magical season no matter their NCAA Tournament finish.

Although 34-0 would be even better…

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