Volleyball Earns First Ever NCAA Tournament Bid
11/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
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For the first time in school history, the Crimson Tide volleyball team has earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Alabama (23-10) will be traveling to Columbus, Ohio to face the Ohio Bobcats (31-2) in the first round of the tournament on Friday night at 5:00 EST.
The Tide players and coaches erupted in celebration when Alabama appeared on the ESPNews broadcast of the selection show.
"When I saw Alabama on the screen, I had just an overwhelming feeling of exhilaration. I wanted this for this team," Alabama head coach Judy Green said.
This year's squad rewrote the Tide record books by starting the season 13-1, rolling off 13 straight wins to set a modern era (1989-present) record winning streak and winning three tournaments for the first time in the modern era. Alabama also got off to its best ever Southeastern Conference start, going 8-2 in their first 10 matches. The Tide capped the season with their first appearance in the SEC Tournament championship match in 24 years last Sunday.
"I knew after the first third of the season that this was a special group," Green said. "I knew what kind of opportunity they could have. For our players, this is something they will never forget."
Today's announcement was the culmination of 10 years of work that Green has put in since arriving at the Capstone.
"This is what we've been working for since 1996," Green said. "This is for all the people, the Michelle Green's, Alison Lange's and the Kelly Fash's of the world who worked towards building this program and laid the foundation for what we have accomplished. This is just the beginning of what will be many more trips for us to the tournament in the future."
Joining Alabama and Ohio in Columbus are host school Ohio State and Marshall. Should the Tide defeat the Bobcats on Friday night, Alabama will play either the Buckeyes or the Thundering Herd Saturday night at 7:00 EST.
