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Introduction
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The Nebraska Cornhuskers women`s volleyball team gave their school a terrific early Christmas present Saturday, dropping Wisconsin 3-2 in the NCAA Division I championships. It was the end of a perfect season.
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The Championships
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The Huskers finished their season 34-0, becoming only the second NCAA Division I team in history to finish the season without a loss. (Long Beach St. was the first, finishing 36-0 in 1998.)
Still, the final was an amazing thing to witness, not just because it was an incredible five-game struggle between two great volleyball teams, but also due to the glaringly noticable absence of any California or Hawai`in schools.
Both Hawai`i and USC had been bumped off in the semi-finals, leaving the Midwest to battle it out for Division I supremacy. It was the second national title for Nebraska (the first coming in 1995) and Wisconsin`s first-ever trip to the championship game.
It`s positive proof that the balance of power is changing in NCAA Division I. Parity is becoming the rule, and it can no longer be assumed that the finals will always feature "A California School vs. Someone Else."
But in truth, that`s good for the sport, and means volleyball`s popularity is soaring, and no longer just the domain of a few tanned bodies in Southern California.
It shows that talented volleyball players can stay closer to home, where their friends and family can see them perform, and not have to sacrifice their dreams of playing for a national championship.
So congratulations to the Huskers and the Badgers, who put on a great volleyball show and placed 5 out of 6 players on the All-Tournament first team.
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My Recommended Site of the Week
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If you want full details on the NCAA championships, whether it`s volleyball or any other NCAA sanctioned sport, check out www.ncaachampionships.com. It`s a terrific site for college sports fans, and covers all divisions, as well.
You can read about Hawai`i Pacific`s win over Augustana of South Dakota in the Women`s Division II championship, completing a perfect 27-0 season for the Sea Warriors.
Or about Central College (39-2), from my home state of Iowa, who won the Division III crown by defeating Wisconsin-Whitewater (40-2) in a clean 3-0 sweep.
It`s a terrific site, and worth book marking.
Till next time, deck the halls with balls of volley.
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Have a question you`d like to ask?
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Just visit www.volleyball-tips.com, and ask me! And please pass the word! We`re growing fast, and we always are happy to have you add your own tips to the site. Volleyball is the #1 sport in the entire world among women, so there`s plenty of interest, and plenty of knowledge that could be shared.
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Next Week: Novel Volleyball Ideas ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Guru Information
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Gary Anderson has been involved with volleyball for over 30 years. He served on the boards of the USVBA and NCVBA, has worked with hundreds of players as camp director for a number of organizations, and is currently head coach at Valley High School in NE Iowa.
