PROVO, Utah-Despite a disappointing 3-0 loss to Loyola Marymount to end the regular season, the highly successful BYU women’s volleyball team still earned a #4 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament as confirmed late Sunday evening when the bracket was released.
The 27-1 Cougars will host Stony Brook, the champions of the America East Conference, Friday evening at 7:00 pm at the Smith Fieldhouse.
The Seawolves come in with a record of 21-8. The Smith Fieldhouse also hosts the Utah Utes’ match against the Denver Pioneers at 4:00 pm Friday afternoon as the Cougars were selected to be the host team for this pod.
This tournament berth commemorates the seventh consecutive season the vaunted Cougars’ volleyball team has qualified for the NCAA Tournament. This is the 31st overall berth in program history for BYU, the seventh-most for a program in NCAA women’s volleyball history.
The Cougars have been the top-ranked team in 11 of this season’s 14 American Volleyball Coaches Association coaches’ polls by virtue of their 27-match winning streak.
This saw the Cougars vanquish top overall seed Stanford, #14 seed Marquette and other Power 5 conference squads Duke, Syracuse, Utah and USC.
Senior outside hitter Roni Jones-Perry has been BYU’s brightest star, as she has amassed 487 points on the season.
Senior libero/defensive specialist Sydnie Martindale has also been a key contributor to the Cougars’ cause. She has amassed 134 digs, 25 sets and 16 total points on the season.
