In what I consider to be a more realistic rankings poll, today's Volleytalk Top 25+ poll has the following for PAC 12 teams (shown with their OOC results vs. other Top 25+ teams per Volleytalk poll):
#11 - Washington (L @ #5 Ohio State 1-3, W @ #24 Pepperdine 3-1)
#12 - Stanford (W vs. #20 Florida 3-1, L @ #2 Texas 0-3, L vs. #7 Minnesota 1-3, W vs. #21 Penn State 3-2, W vs. #14 Nebraska 3-1, L @ #6 Kentucky 2-3)
#13 - Oregon (W vs. #21 Penn State 3-0, L vs. #7 Minnesota 2-3)
#16 - Utah (W vs. #23 San Diego, 3-1, W @ #14 Nebraska 3-2, L @ #28 Boise State 1-3, L @ #10 BYU)
#18 - UCLA (W vs. #17 Georgia Tech 3-1, L @ #23 San Diego 2-3)
#22 - Colorado (No matches vs Top 25+ teams)
and the 3 Big Guns that Stanford beat (Florida, Penn State, Nebraska) are all ranked below Stanford, and rightfully so:
#14 - Nebraska
#20 - Florida
#21 - Penn State
At this point, I concur with BostonCard's assessment (which he made in the WVB: #16 Stanford @ #8 Kentucky message thread) that Stanford would be a 3-seed if the NCAA Tournament seedings were determined right now.
Stanford is, by far, the most battle tested in OOC schedule among PAC 12 teams, and we can see the gleaming POTENTIAL of this team, especially with the further development of both FRANCIS at OH/OPP and MINER at Setter, to eventually dominate PAC 12 play.
Based on her first 2 collegiate matches, a baptism of fire vs. big guns Nebraska and Kentucky, I can see why FRANCIS was #2 (VolleyMag)/#5 (PrepVolley) overall recruit from the Class of 2021. Same thing with MINER as #4 (PrepVolley)/#5 (VolleyMag) overall recruit from the Class of 2021, after setting Stanford through its entire brutal OOC schedule.
With respect to PAC 12 play, it's almost like an IDEAL PROGRESSION for Stanford in the first half of its PAC 12 schedule:
- 4 home matches (2nd match vs. #18 UCLA next Sunday, 9/26),
- 2 road matches (6th match vs. #13 Oregon),
- 2 home matches (7th match vs. #14 Utah, 8th match vs. #22 Colorado),
- 2 road matches (10th match vs. #11 Washington)
#11 - Washington (L @ #5 Ohio State 1-3, W @ #24 Pepperdine 3-1)
#12 - Stanford (W vs. #20 Florida 3-1, L @ #2 Texas 0-3, L vs. #7 Minnesota 1-3, W vs. #21 Penn State 3-2, W vs. #14 Nebraska 3-1, L @ #6 Kentucky 2-3)
#13 - Oregon (W vs. #21 Penn State 3-0, L vs. #7 Minnesota 2-3)
#16 - Utah (W vs. #23 San Diego, 3-1, W @ #14 Nebraska 3-2, L @ #28 Boise State 1-3, L @ #10 BYU)
#18 - UCLA (W vs. #17 Georgia Tech 3-1, L @ #23 San Diego 2-3)
#22 - Colorado (No matches vs Top 25+ teams)
and the 3 Big Guns that Stanford beat (Florida, Penn State, Nebraska) are all ranked below Stanford, and rightfully so:
#14 - Nebraska
#20 - Florida
#21 - Penn State
At this point, I concur with BostonCard's assessment (which he made in the WVB: #16 Stanford @ #8 Kentucky message thread) that Stanford would be a 3-seed if the NCAA Tournament seedings were determined right now.
Stanford is, by far, the most battle tested in OOC schedule among PAC 12 teams, and we can see the gleaming POTENTIAL of this team, especially with the further development of both FRANCIS at OH/OPP and MINER at Setter, to eventually dominate PAC 12 play.
Based on her first 2 collegiate matches, a baptism of fire vs. big guns Nebraska and Kentucky, I can see why FRANCIS was #2 (VolleyMag)/#5 (PrepVolley) overall recruit from the Class of 2021. Same thing with MINER as #4 (PrepVolley)/#5 (VolleyMag) overall recruit from the Class of 2021, after setting Stanford through its entire brutal OOC schedule.
With respect to PAC 12 play, it's almost like an IDEAL PROGRESSION for Stanford in the first half of its PAC 12 schedule:
- 4 home matches (2nd match vs. #18 UCLA next Sunday, 9/26),
- 2 road matches (6th match vs. #13 Oregon),
- 2 home matches (7th match vs. #14 Utah, 8th match vs. #22 Colorado),
- 2 road matches (10th match vs. #11 Washington)