04-24-2018, 08:36 AM
An interesting follow-up on the Arkansas match I mentioned earlier. So, they followed up their upset of Auburn with another shocking upset--this time 3rd-seeded (and the 7th-ranked team nationally) South Carolina. They then fell to Florida (though they played them tough, losing 4-2) in the semis, but the deep run with wins over a Top 10 team and a Top 20 team gave them dreams of a NCAA berth they hadn't had before. With that resume, and the number of good teams they lost to in the SEC over the course of the regular season (you're not penalized much at all for losing to highly-ranked teams), they'd probably be in the field.
One problem: it was the end of the season, there were no more matches left on the calendar, and they were 10-16. NCAA rules allow only teams with .500 records or better to make the tournament. So despite likely having earned enough ranking points to be in the field, their overall record would leave them out.
The solution: schedule six more matches against a cupcake and play them all in one day. https://deadspin.com/arkansas-womens-ten...1825475452.
It sounds like Tennessee State got something of a paycheck for their trouble.
One problem: it was the end of the season, there were no more matches left on the calendar, and they were 10-16. NCAA rules allow only teams with .500 records or better to make the tournament. So despite likely having earned enough ranking points to be in the field, their overall record would leave them out.
The solution: schedule six more matches against a cupcake and play them all in one day. https://deadspin.com/arkansas-womens-ten...1825475452.
It sounds like Tennessee State got something of a paycheck for their trouble.