About 150 ardent University of San Diego women’s volleyball supporters crowded into a corner of the Draft Mission Beach restaurant late Sunday afternoon. The attraction, besides waves lapping onto the beach?
To watch the “NCAA Selection Show” with the Toreros players and staff and see where USD landed in the NCAA Tournament.
They didn’t have to wait long. The second-ranked team in the nation, the one with a 27-1 record, the one riding a 24-match winning streak will host Northern Colorado (22-8) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday inside Jenny Craig Pavilion.
When San Diego flashed on the TV screen as a No. 2 seed, the crowd erupted so loud you couldn’t hear the announcers talk about the team. Head coach Jennifer Petrie wasn’t in the room at the time. Instead, she snuck off to a back room to be interviewed on ESPNU.
Petrie made it clear she was happy with the seeding.
“All year long we’ve been talking about, ‘Why not us?’” said Petrie. “That’s the way these girls have attacked every match we play. They did everything we asked of them, and I think they made a statement for themselves as to why we should be feared.”
If USD defeats Northern Colorado, it will face the winner of UNLV-Washington State 7:30 p.m. Friday at the JCP. The Cougars are the region’s No. 7 seed. Stanford is the top seed in the region.
As for the USD players, they gave two thumbs-up to the No. 2 seeding.
“I am extremely proud of our team,” said fifth-year senior Katie Lukes, who leads the Toreros with 364 kills. “I think it’s well-deserved. Whether we’re hosting or not, we can play against the best anywhere. It’s something special, but we definitely earned where we are.”
While USD is ranked second in the nation by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, the Toreros are ranked ninth in RPI. Going strictly off RPI, USD could have been seeded third.
Asked if she would have been disappointed with anything less than a two seed, Petrie said, “Absolutely.”
A Mt. Carmel High product, Petrie is in her 25th season as USD’s head coach. The Toreros have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 23 of those seasons.
But USD has been knocked out in the first or second round in 18 of those campaigns. The deepest the Toreros have advanced is the Sweet 16, which they have accomplished four times under Petrie.
This year, though, she has not shied away from saying this is her most talented team ever. And her confidence has seeped into the players.
“Obviously, my goal is for us to win it all,” said Lukes. “I think we can beat anybody in the country. I think it comes down to us believing that and building that confidence and keeping that confidence. My goal is for us to leave it all out there and make history.”
With five starters returning from last season’s 20-8 team, there was no doubt that the 2022 Toreros would continue the program’s rich history. But expectations were elevated to another level when Petrie mined the transfer portal.
Setter Gabby Blossom arrived from Penn State. Outside hitter Breana Edwards transferred from Indiana and libero Madi Allen bid BYU goodbye. Between the trio, they brought 10 seasons of college experience.
“I think the team welcomed them with open arms because of the fact that they knew they were going to elevate our team,” said Petrie. “(Now) it doesn’t matter being seeded one, two or three.
“The fact of the matter is we have a job to do and we’re not going to stop going after it until it’s finished.”
Norcross is a freelance writer.
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