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BYU Women’s Volleyball: The finale loss may be a good thing

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 lost more than just a match with their regular-season finale loss to Loyola Marymount, but they might have relieved some pressure as well.

The streak is broken, and BYU Women’s Volleyball is perfect no more.

After winning the first 27 games of the season, the Cougars fell in the regular season finale in straight sets to Loyola Marymount.

To call the loss a shock would be an understatement. The Lions were no slouch, though, entering the game with a 19-9 record, including a 9-8 conference mark.

But they utterly outclassed the No. 1 team in the nation.

And the loss stings for the Cougars. It’ll knock them off their perch as the top team in the country, and they could fall as low as No. 4 in the polls.

Then there’s BYU’s RPI. The Cougars entered the final match with the No. 5 RPI in the country, and they’ll tumble a few spots there too.

Losing More Than a Match

Why is that important?

Seeding.

In the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament the top four overall seeds host every one of their matches until the Final Four, unless they lose. That’s a huge advantage, especially for BYU with the atmosphere in the Smith Fieldhouse.

Does BYU deserve to drop out of those top four seeds because of one loss? No.

But they will, because the NCAA Selection Committee is rarely, if ever, favorable toward BYU. And it’s not just in volleyball.

Suffice it to say, the Cougars will likely find themselves without four home games in the NCAA Tournament because of the loss.

Under Pressure

But the loss may not be all bad.

That’s because the pressure is off. The pressure to keep the winning streak alive. The pressure to remain the No. 1 team in the nation. The pressure to pull off a perfect season.

And that pressure is real. Although it’s a completely different sport, Dallas News took an insightful look on the toll winning streaks can have on players and coaches in Texas high school football, and the weight that’s lifted when the streak finally breaks.

Whether BYU’s players and coaches want to admit it, the win streak carried baggage. Any win streak does. But that baggage is gone now.

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The bullseye is off the Cougars’ back as the nation’s top team. Teams will still be gunning for them in the tournament, but the extra motivation to break BYU’s streak isn’t there anymore.

Will that lifted weight be enough to counter the likely loss of home-court advantage?

The next few weeks will tell.

NCAA Women’s Volleyball Selection Show:

Sunday, November 25th

6:30pm MT, ESPNU

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