Nov. 27, 2005

COLUMBIA, Mo.--The NCAA women's volleyball committee announced Sunday the pairings for the 64-team national tournament that will begin this upcoming weekend. The Mizzou Tigers (22-4, 16-4 Big 12) were selected to host first-and-second rounds for the second-consecutive season, earning an all-time team-high 10^th overall seed, being selected to their sixth-straight tournament. Missouri will host Missouri State (24-8, 15-3), winners of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, on Friday at 7:30 p.m., in the Hearnes Center in the first-round match-up. Arkansas and St. Mary's (Calif.) will be the other match on Friday, starting at 5:30 p.m.

 

The second-round match, with winners of Friday's match playing, will begin Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

 

Missouri finished the 2005 regular-season with a 22-4 record, the highest-winning percentage season in school history, adding a team-record 16 Big 12 wins to finish third in the conference with a 16-4 record.

 

The Tigers have been selected to each NCAA Tournament since 2000: the year in which Susan and Wayne Kreklow took the helm at Missouri and earned the school's first-ever bid into the bracket.

 

The Big 12 earned seven spots in the tournament bracket, the highest of any other conference in the nation.

 

Ticket prices and special accommodations will be announced in the next few days.

 

TEAMS IN THE COLUMBIA, MO. FIRST-SECOND ROUND PAIRINGS, QUICKLY ...

 

(10) Missouri

Record: 22-4

Conference: Big 12, 16-4, 3^rd

Coach: Wayne Kreklow (Drake '80), 1^st season [as head coach] at Missouri

At-Large Bid

Note: Has went 6-3 against top-25 teams this season ... has swept three top-10 teams

 

Missouri State

Record: 24-8

Conference: Missouri Valley, 15-3, 2^nd

Coach: Melissa Stokes (San Diego State, '91), 10^th season at MSU

Winner of the Missouri Valley Tournament, def. #1 Wichita State

Note: Has won 10-consective matches

 

Arkansas

Record: 20-11

Conference: SEC, 11-5, 2^nd west division

Coach: Chris Poole (Arkansas Tech '83), 12^th season at Arkansas

At-Large Bid

Note: Came to Missouri in 2004 for NCAA first-round meeting with the Tigers

 

St. Mary's (Calif.)

Moraga, Calif.

Record: 19-9

Conference: West Coast Conference, 9-5, 4^th

Coach: Rob Browning (BYU, `'90), 1^st season at St. Mary's

At-Large Bid

Note: One of five WCC schools to earn entry into the NCAA Tournament

Photos by Justin Kelley/Missouri Sports Information

Photos cannot be used without permission from the University of Missouri Media Relations Office.