WKU Volleyball: Lady Toppers to Learn NCAA Fate Tonight

We’re just over a week removed from the Lady Toppers capturing their fourth straight Conference USA tournament title and securing their…

We’re just over a week removed from the Lady Toppers capturing their fourth straight Conference USA tournament title and securing their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

The selection committee will unveil their decisions on the bracket tonight at 8 p.m. CT and the Lady Tops will then know their fate.

Unfortunately for WKU, I don’t think their fate will be a pleasant one. Because of how weak CUSA is in volleyball (although I think North Texas gets an at-large bid tonight), the Lady Tops’ draw is always (or most often than not) not awesome, not even in terms of opponents faced, but in terms of where they’re sent for the first couple of rounds.

Since the Lady Tops joined CUSA in 2014, here’s where the committee has sent them and their subsequent fate:

• 2014: Champaign, Illinois (which, admittedly, isn’t awful, but were still a 30-win team matched up against a 18–9 side). WKU fell in straight sets to Iowa State

• 2015: Provo, Utah. WKU defeated Arizona in straight sets, only to fall in straight sets to BYU in the second round.

• 2016: Stanford, California. WKU fell to Boise State in straight sets.

While the destinations have at least been different over the last few years, the draws still haven’t been ideal — it’s a lot of travel only to face a team that’s much closer to the destination.

While I doubt it’d be something the committee mulls, I’d like to see the Lady Tops go to either Lexington or Louisville (considering both were on top of their respective conferences and I’ll bet good money on the fact that one, if not both, are host sites).

Ultimately I wouldn’t be shocked if WKU gets sent out to Utah, California or even somewhere like Arizona because, well, that’s how it always goes.

A closer draw would be better for the team for obvious travel reasons, and even for fans if they want to take a weekend to head out and see them, but if history is any indicator, it’ll be a bit of a crapshoot.