CSU VOLLEYBALL

Lytle: Easy call to have CSU host NCAA tourney action

Kevin Lytle
kevinlytle@coloradoan.com

The decision to have CSU host first- and second-round volleyball tournament action was a no-brainer for the NCAA.

Which probably explains why everyone was so nervous at the selection show watch party Sunday night at Fuzzy's Tacos.

The NCAA and logic go together like fire and beetle kill forest.

There was plenty of nervous energy in the room and it slowly grew as the start of the show was delayed by a Rhode Island and Georgia Tech basketball game running long on ESPNU.

Within the first two minutes of the selections, the No. 16 seed flashed on the board. This was probably the most likely spot for Colorado State University to land, with the Rams sitting 16th in RPI last week.

A groan of frustration and worry ran through the crowd when Kansas was in that spot.

CSU coach Tom Hilbert let out a choice word or two of angst, knowing the host spot might be gone.

Then a few names went off the board that could have been hosts, calming everyone a bit.

Then CSU popped up at No. 15 with the University of Denver, University of Colorado and University of Northern Colorado all coming to Fort Collins. Fuzzy's exploded into celebration.

It's a dream situation for fans, which is why it made so much sense for the NCAA.

CSU had earned a host bid as the Rams won a sixth-straight Mountain West title.

An incredibly hard nonconference slate justified an RPI high enough to host. In nonconference play the Rams faced six teams that made the NCAA tournament field of 64.

Of the six, CSU beat five of them, two away from home. The only loss came to Wisconsin and the Badgers earned the No. 4 seed in the tournament.

Everything else fell perfectly to have four in-state teams come to Moby Arena.

DU and UNC won their conference tournaments, earning automatic bids. CU's RPI of 27 makes the Buffaloes a perfect second team for the bracket.

DU is 70th in RPI and UNC is 74th, so it's perfectly balanced with two high-end teams and two lower-end teams.

CU and UNC play in the first round at 4:30 p.m. Friday with DU and CSU following at 6:30 p.m. The winners play at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the second round.

CSU is always strong in attendance, finishing this season 12th in the nation at 2,901 per game.

With all four teams close by, everyone will bring lots of fans and if CU and CSU play in the second round in a match that I think should draw 7,000 people.

When CSU hosted in 2009 the Rams averaged 2,669 fans in their two matches against Middle Tennessee State and Washington.

I think that number is going to be blown away this year. The fan base continues to grow each year and volleyball fans and players from across the state will flood Moby Arena.

Know the NCAA had to trip up logic-wise somewhere, which is why CSU plays DU in the first round even though UNC has the lowest RPI of the group.

But that's OK.

They had to get this one right and they did.

Time to fill Moby.

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle at twitter.com/Kevin_Lytle and at facebook.com/KevinSLytle.