November 28, 2021
As the sun came up on Sunday morning, Marc and Sarah were having a quiet cuddle on his balcony, taking in some peaceful silence after several days of putting on their more-extroverted faces for those around them.
Sarah: Today's the big day. We finally get an official evaluation of our season's work and how good it actually was according to the committee.
Marc: With four conference champions in your win column and the Top Five all staying on course, I would expect the RPI to creep up a little, poll inertia to push you up a spot, and together that should have you in the conversation for a seed. Probably won't be commensurate with those numbers, but getting one over the Power Five teams hovering around would be a major accomplishment.
While Sarah was in the shower and getting dressed for the day, Marc sat on the NCAA's web page waiting for the final edition of Bracketology, Michella Chester's weekly video column on the NCAA Volleyball Tournament's projected 64-team field, to be posted. Once it had finally shown up on the site, he watched it. Following a rundown of the week's conference tournaments and matches, she began laying out her opinions.
Michella: The top four seeds are pretty well locked-in, with Louisville, Texas, Pittsburgh, and Wisconsin taking those spots. The Power Five conferences are expected to make up a significant amount of the bracket, with as many as 80% of the at-large berths split up between the Big Ten, ACC, SEC, Big XII, and Pac-12. That said, there are a number of impressive teams in the AVCA Top 25 and the RPI that could have an effect on how many of the 16 first-weekend pods will be hosted by members of those leagues, among them Western Kentucky, Creighton, and James Madison. Combined with BYU's 28-1 record, these four teams finished a whopping 114-7 on the regular season. Does the committee stick with the blue bloods, or do they reward one or two of these with a top-16 seed? I believe this is the year where the people in that crowded room at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis finally recognize that winning matches should outweigh a team's built-in scheduling advantage.
The video ended with the projected bracket displayed, which showed JMU slotted in as the number 15 seed, with Ole Miss, North Carolina, and Central Florida coming to Harrisonburg. Once Sarah returned, she and Marc talked about them and what was next.
Sarah: One thing I really appreciate about having you as my man is the free therapy I get. I'm joking, but I do like the fact that you go behind the facts-and-figures and what is showing on the outside to dig deeper and help people with their struggles. Your love has been the best medicine to help me deal with being out of soccer and the pressures that come from being well-known.
Marc: I'm grateful for you accepting it and reciprocating. Why did you wait until last Saturday to say the words?
Sarah: A slight bit of fear that you'd back away because you weren't to that point yet.
Marc: I had been at that point since our first romantic evening together, the Wednesday before you left for New York. You want to do date night this week?
Sarah: YES! Probably will be the only break in life I get between now and possibly Saturday evening. Would have to be sort of late on Monday if we're traveling on Tuesday to our first-round site. If we *somehow* sneak out that seed, we can do it on Tuesday. Speaking of that, did you look for an updated projection this morning?
Marc: Yes. Had us seeded 15th, with Ole Miss as our first round opponent, then facing North Carolina or Central Florida in the second. Would lead to a Round of 16 matchup at Texas.
Sarah: Onto a subject about which I'm curious. How did your sister and her sort-of fiancée get from hand-in-hand to mouth-to-mouth?
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Under The Radar: A Redshirt Diary
FanficSarah Fuller was a goalkeeper on the Vanderbilt University women's soccer team, but is best-known for being the first woman to play in and score in a Power Five Football Bowl Subdivision game. Having finished her degree with two years of eligibility...
