Deeper look at men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament selection criteria

Selection Sunday is here and three tickets have been punched to the four-team NCAA Tournament following Conference Championship Saturday. However, that lone at-large bid remains undecided as the two front-runners UC Irvine and Long Beach State vie to earn the final spot in the Final Four.

Below is the entry from the 2013 NCAA men’s volleyball championship handbook on how the three-person volleyball selection committee determines the at-large team and seeding for the NCAA Tournament.

Automatic qualifiers will be determined by a method selected by each conference office. The remaining at-large team will be selected using the following criteria (in no priority order):
– Won-lost results;
– Head-to-head competition;
– Results versus non-conference opponents;
– Home and away results;
– Results against common opponents;
– Results against teams already qualified and other teams under consideration; and
– Eligibility and availability of student-athletes for NCAA championships.

The selection committee does not consider match results against NAIA teams, such as Concordia and Hope International. Only matches against NCAA teams factors into the criteria.

Some selection committees in the past have placed a greater emphasis on a certain categories. For instance, the 2010 committee said they placed a greater emphasis on head-to-head results and a team’s record against other teams being considered. However, there is no requirement that categories be weighed differently.

Here is how Long Beach State and UC Irvine match up against each other for the at-large bid using the selection committee criteria and giving equal weight to each category. Also included is how the two leading at-large front-runners and the automatic bid teams — Penn State, Loyola and BYU — match up against each other for NCAA Tournament seeding possibilities.

[Editor’s note: Teams projected to qualify or be under consideration are BYU, Long Beach State, UC Irvine, UCLA, Penn State and Loyola. The NCAA Tournament field will be announced at 3 p.m. [EST] Sunday]

At-large bid (Long Beach State vs. UC Irvine)
Won-lost results: Long Beach State 24-8; UC Irvine 23-7. Edge: UC Irvine
Head-to-head competition: UC Irvine won season series 3-1. Edge: UC Irvine
Non-conference record: Long Beach State 4-1; UC Irvine 4-0. Edge: UC Irvine
Home record: Long Beach State 12-4; UC Irvine 12-3. Edge: UC Irvine
Road record: Long Beach State 9-3; UC Irvine 8-3. Edge: Long Beach State
Record vs. common opponents: Long Beach State 21-4; UC Irvine 19-6. Edge: Long Beach State
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Long Beach State 4-6; UC Irvine 6-4. Edge: UC Irvine
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
OVERALL EDGE: UC Irvine

SEEDING MATCH-UPS FOR NCAA TOURNAMENT

Penn State vs. Loyola
Won-lost results: Penn State 22-7; Loyola 22-9. Edge: Penn State
Head-to-head competition: Penn State defeated Loyola. Edge: Penn State
Non-conference record: Penn State 7-6; Loyola 9-5. Edge: Loyola
Home record: Penn State 14-1; Loyola 13-3. Edge: Penn State
Road record: Penn State 7-5; Loyola 7-4. Edge: Loyola
Record vs. common opponents: Penn State 13-5; Loyola 12-5. Edge: Penn State
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Penn State 1-2; Loyola 0-2. Edge: Penn State
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
OVERALL EDGE: Penn State

BYU vs. Penn State
Won-lost results: BYU 25-4; Penn State 22-7. Edge: BYU
Head-to-head competition: Have not played each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: BYU 1-1; Penn State 7-6. Edge: Penn State
Home record: BYU 17-2; Penn State 14-1. Edge: Penn State
Road record: BYU 8-2; Penn State 7-5 Edge: BYU
Record vs. common opponents: BYU 7-2; Penn State 2-2. Edge: BYU
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: BYU 6-2; Penn State 1-2. Edge: BYU
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
OVERALL EDGE: BYU

BYU vs. Loyola
Won-lost results: BYU 25-4; Loyola 22-9. Edge: BYU
Head-to-head competition: Have not played each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: BYU 1-1; Loyola 9-5. Edge: Loyola
Home record: BYU 17-2; Loyola 13-3. Edge: BYU
Road record: BYU 8-2; Loyola 7-4. Edge: BYU
Record vs. common opponents: BYU 7-2; Loyola 1-5. Edge: BYU
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: BYU 6-2; Loyola 0-2. Edge: BYU
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
OVERALL EDGE: BYU

BYU vs. UC Irvine
Won-lost results: BYU 25-4; UC Irvine 23-7. Edge: BYU
Head-to-head competition: BYU defeated UC Irvine twice. Edge: BYU
Non-conference record: BYU 1-1; UC Irvine 4-0. Edge: UC Irvine
Home record: BYU 17-2; UC Irvine 12-3. Edge: BYU
Road record: BYU 8-2; UC Irvine 8-3. Edge: BYU
Record vs. common opponents: BYU 22-3; UC Irvine 22-5. Edge: BYU
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: BYU 6-2; UC Irvine 6-4. Edge: BYU
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
OVERALL EDGE: BYU

BYU vs. Long Beach State
Won-lost results: BYU 25-4; Long Beach State 24-8. Edge: BYU
Head-to-head competition: BYU won season series 2-1. Edge: BYU
Non-conference record: BYU 1-1; Long Beach State 4-1. Edge: Long Beach State
Home record: BYU 17-2; Long Beach State 12-4. Edge: BYU
Road record: BYU 8-2; Long Beach State 9-3. Edge: BYU
Record vs. common opponents: BYU 22-2; Long Beach State 20-6. Edge: BYU
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: BYU 6-2; Long Beach State 4-6. Edge: BYU
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
OVERALL EDGE: BYU

UC Irvine vs. Penn State
Won-lost results: UC Irvine 23-7; Penn State 22-7. Edge: UC Irvine
Head-to-head competition: UC Irvine defeated Penn State. Edge: UC Irvine
Non-conference record: UC Irvine 4-0; Penn State 7-6. Edge: UC Irvine
Home record: UC Irvine 12-3; Penn State 14-1. Edge: Penn State
Road record: UC Irvine 8-3; Penn State 7-5 Edge: UC Irvine
Record vs. common opponents: UC Irvine 4-1; Penn State 1-1. Edge: UC Irvine
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: UC Irvine 6-4; Penn State 1-2. Edge: UC Irvine
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
OVERALL EDGE: UC Irvine

Long Beach State vs. Penn State
Won-lost results: Long Beach State 24-8; Penn State 22-7. Edge: Penn State
Head-to-head competition: Have not played each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Long Beach State 4-1; Penn State 7-6. Edge: Long Beach State
Home record: Long Beach State 12-4; Penn State 14-1. Edge: Penn State
Road record: Long Beach State 9-3; Penn State 7-5 Edge: Long Beach State
Record vs. common opponents: Long Beach State 7-4; Penn State 4-3. Edge: Long Beach State
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Long Beach State 3-5; Penn State 1-2. Edge: Penn State
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
OVERALL EDGE: Push