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Show Thursday, December 3, 1998 8 The Daily Utah Chronicle -- Utes Finally Return to Postseason Eric Walden The 4 Lady Bears made the tournament for the second consecutive year by winning the Athletic Conference champiis Morgan State. will face the Illinois State Redbirds on secutive appearance at the NCAAs. Since its inception in 1981, the Redbirds have qualified for the tournament 11 record. times posting a an also were bid, havThey ing lost in the championship game-o- f the Missouri Valley Conference Tour- Friday. nament. It will be Utah's first postseason appearance since 1993, when the Utes competed in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship in Kansas Should the Utes win their opening match, they would face the winner of the Morgan StateNebraska match-uGiven that Nebraska is 27-- 1 overall, the No. 3 team in the nation according to the USA TodayAVCA poll and the No. 1 seed in the Pacific Region of the NCAA Tournament, coming up against the Corn Huskers would likely be the end of the line. Nebraska has only missed the national tournament only once, having qualified 17 times in all. They are 5 in Chronicle Sports Writer The Utah volleyball team is in Lincoln, Neb. preparing for its first-evNCAA Tournament match. The Utes Mid-Easte- 2-- er before losing to Louisiana State. The Utes have a 4 all-tipostseason record. They qualified for the NCAAs this season as one of 34 teams to receive an bid. The other 30 teams qualified by virtue of wihning their conference championships. Utah is among ten teams playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time, and is among six Western Athletic Conference teams to make the tournament. Those six squads tied the WAC with the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences for having the most teams in the tournament. The Utes are also 6 against teams who made it to NCAAs. Conversely, all of the 22-- 9 Redbirds' losses came at the hands of NCAA qualifiers. ISU fell to Colorado State, Sacramento State, Illinois, Northern Illinois, UC Santa Barbara, No. 1 Long Beach State, and three times to Northern Iowa. The Redbirds did manage to defeat two tournament teams, beating Notre Dame and Peppcrdine. Illinois State is making its third con 7-- 35-1- tournament They advanced to the NCAAs by going 0 in conference play. They beat North Carolina A&T in a dramatic title match to win their 10-- p. Utah placed third in that tournament, defeating Moorhead State, Hofstra, Stephen F. Austin, and Oklahoma 1 kills and Sara Shakula and McKelle Stilson have helped lead Utah to the NCAAs. 1.24 998 National Collegiate Division VOLLEY-BAFirst slid Serosa Rowutt Dcober 1, 5 or 6 1.86 blocks per game in league matchups. sub-regi- -- v. league and secure the national bid. Each match could potentially be the last for Utah seniors Sara Shakula and Erin Petersen. Those two have been instrumental in guiding the Utes to the postseason. Both played quite well in the season's stretch run. Shakula hit .232 for the season, and averaged 2.92 kills and 2.23 digs per game. Petersen was Utah's second best hitter in conference play, at .261. She also contributed play. The final team in Utah's rn onship. ge City, Mo. 18-1- 10-1- 11-- 2 or 12-- SeatUbiah December 17 Nullvnol Semifinals 1 Women's CIAlVIPIOlSfSHIP LL Regions)! December 1 December 17 Cltanpliiiuais tint rad Sarond Deembr1(Mt, 0eeerrer18 'Long Beaer St. (30-0- ) A or 12-1- 3 Komidi or3- Dcembr3-,4-- 5 - ...Pwn.Statt 130) 4 6-- Southern Arizona Btichnea (13-1- Freano St C)ffion (18-1- Coloradg(2t-7- Florida St. ) lllinoia (30-1- Loultvillt(27-- Biviiira t Waawa'i (hanpiaaifciy Amtrlean Tea St South Colorado St, (24-4- CENTRAL MOUNTAIN (23-7- ) South Carolha(2t-1- Tt (25-6- Mo. St. Florida NATIONAL CHAMPION 1 Coaital Carp. of Morgan St. Utah (20-t- ) Wisconsin, host Papp4rdlr 113) EAST gP .. .& PACIFIC Now HnphT Nevada 72-- Brown Viralnla UC fwicnai maecrsos and tvxMhwuni caretis of on of the panicipt in;blulicns 'First- - l so played t ij (17-1- (2S-7- ) (1S.11) Santa Bart). (28-S- ) San Diego (234) WHeoinln (27-4- ) (2-- Arfc (23-6- ) little Hock (20-8- NCA.V1Q.22r9annna Tis Th 6f asn fr (giving... Utah Museum of Natural History Vhy i)Take 10 Nt Qei boxxeiixg &act? OFF your purchase! (Students, Staff A wide ' v till W it H 1T ) Santa Clara (20a) SQUtH Fit (2S.T) 1 (ONo) Hawaii 139-- Utah will take on Illinois State in the NCAA Tournament this Friday. ) UCLA (15-1- Miamt (18-1- Oral Ropartt (29-6- ) Michigan Stat? p3-6- Artiinm (274) I (23-1- annoni st taa-aMorth Carolina Northern Iowa u ) ) Temple (32-3- ) Southern California iiiMi (24-6- Br1flhitiYeur.a(28-3- Ohto St m-13- j Texaa ASM (20-8- ) Indiana () ) Goratowr Chart anoofla (2M0) Texas Tch (23-1- UM8C Cai S(. Saermnwtto FU Atlantic (164) Km St. ) ) (17-1- Eastern Wash. (24-'Stanford (26-3- ) Southeast (29-S- ) Pacific Uotrt Dame ) Houaton 0 ) Wis. Milwaukee (24-1- NortharnB (26) San JoMiSt -- (16-1- Flrfild ) t?1-6- 355 " f & Faculty) selection of unique gif ts for everyone on your list. Friday, December 4th - Sunday, December 20th Museum OPEN 7 DAY5 A WEEK 5tore Presidents Circle, U of U Campus ) |