CBV

Alison/Harley once again emerged victorious in the men’s draw at the final CBV event of 2009 in Salvador, Brazil. By defeating Olympic silver medalists Marcio/Fabio in straight sets (25-23, 18-12), the pair claimed its seventh consecutive Brazilian title, setting a new record for consecutive victories on the CBV Tour.

“I confess that I still can’t believe we can reach that mark. There are several strong marks in Brazilian beach volley and to keep a streak like this is something incredible. It was a goal we created at the end of this year and we achieved it,” said Alison, following his team’s historic victory.

Left-handed Harley, voted best player of the 2009 season, celebrated the achievement but regretfully confirmed the end of the partnership between he and Alison.

“It’s a great result. We kept our focus until the end. Our only regret is we now close a partnership that won so many titles in such little time. I believe we still had a lot to achieve and I’m now moving on to establish those goals with my new partner,” Harley stated after announcing he will play with Joao “Billy” Maciel in 2010.

“Everything in my life has been achieved through work. Next year will be no different. I will work harder than ever to remain among the best in Brazil,” said Harley.

Almost overshadowing the miraculous achievements of Alison/Harley were 2004 Olympic gold medalists Ricardo Santos and Emanuel Rego, who won their last medal as a team before also announcing the end of their partnership. Their bronze medal victory over Bruno/Benjamin was the team’s 783rd win.

“Today is a very sad day for me, for the best partnership in beach volleyball history is ending. That’s what we thought at the time of the hug, we form the best team in the world, but as we are on the beach today, I would prefer to think that tomorrow the sun will also shine on a new beginning,” Emanuel said to a packed stadium of crying fans.

Ricardo followed with an additional heart-felt message: “Emanuel is the greatest example of hard work I have ever seen. He is a dedicated athlete, always focused, doing everything for his goals. He deserves every victory he has won in his career. It was a great pleasure to share these special moments of my life with him.”

No news yet as to who Emanuel and Ricardo will individually pair up with in 2010 for the FIVB tour.

For the women, the 12th and final stage of the CBV Tour proved less dramatic. No ending partnerships were announced and Talita/Maria went about their way en route to their eighth Brazilian title of year and 12th 2009 title overall. In the finals, Talita/Maria defeated Cris/Andrezza 18-12, 19-17. First-time medalists Lili/Luana took home bronze by upsetting Sandra/Elaine 19-17, 18-4.

NCAA Top 10

#1 Penn State (32-0, 20-0 Big Ten)

For the third straight season, top-ranked Penn State closed out its regular season undefeated after sweeping No. 12 Michigan, 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-23). The Nittany Lions have now won 96 consecutive matches, 65 straight Big Ten matches, and 72 matches in a row in the confines of Recreation Hall.

#2 Texas (23-2, 18-2 Big 12)

Big 12 Champion Texas wrapped up regular-season play with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-19) win over Kansas Saturday night at Gregory Gymnasium.

#3 Hawai’i (28-2, 16-0 Western Athletic)

Third-ranked University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball won its 10th-straight WAC Tournament title Wednesday night, sweeping New Mexico State 25-12, 25-17, 25-23 in the championship match at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

#4 Washington (23-5, 13-5 Pac-10)

The Huskies stumbled again Friday night with the conference championship on the line. With Washington one point away from a 3-1 win and a share of the Pac-10 title, the 18th-ranked Oregon Ducks came back to take a marathon match 15-25, 21-25, 25-23, 31-29, 15-13 and bring a sour end to UW’s senior night. The Huskies settled for second place in final league standings, a game behind Stanford.

#5 Illinois (24-5, 16-4 Big Ten)

Big Ten heavyweights Illinois and Minnesota met Saturday night in Minneapolis to close out the regular season, with the 13th-ranked Gophers upsetting the 5th-ranked Fighting Illini in three sets, 25-23, 25-23, 25-22.

#6 Stanford (21-7, 14-4 Pac-10)

Sixth-ranked Stanford captured its fourth straight Pac-10 title with a 3-2 (23-25, 18-25, 25-23, 25-20, 15-4) win over 11th-ranked California Friday night in front of 5,125 fans at Maples Pavilion.

#7 Iowa State (25-4, 17-3 Big 12)

ISU set a school record for wins in a season Saturday night with its 25th victory. The Cyclones swept Oklahoma 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-17) at Hilton Coliseum to clinch sole possession of second place in the Big 12. The second-place finish is also the highest conference finish in school history.

#8 Nebraska (23-6, 16-4 Big 12)

The eighth-ranked Cornhuskers closed out the regular season with a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 25-11, 25-11) of Colorado Saturday evening in front of a sellout crowd of 4,189 at the NU Coliseum.

#9 UCLA (23-8, 13-5 Pac-10)

The ninth-ranked Bruins swept Arizona State on Saturday night, 25-19, 28-26, 25-22 to close out the regular season on a high note.

#10 Kentucky (27-4, 17-3 Southeastern)

Kentucky once again fell victim to the upset bug, this time at the hands of Tennessee. The Volunteers escaped with a two-point victory in the fifth set (25-16, 25-14, 24-26, 17-25, 16-14) and prevented the Wildcats from claiming a share of the SEC title.

NCAA Tournament

Late Sunday afternoon, the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee announced the 64-team field for the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship. First-round play begins Thursday.

 

For an interactive bracket, click here .

The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and placed within four regions. The teams tabbed as the top four seeds were No. 1 Penn State; No. 2 Texas; No. 3 Florida State; and No. 4 Stanford.

Thirty-one conferences were awarded automatic qualification, and the remaining 33 slots were filled with at-large selections to complete the bracket.

The established bracketing principles of non-conference first-round and second-round matchups were followed and team pairings were determined by geographical proximity.

How Florida State secured a #3 seed without ever entering the top 10 rankings is a noteworthy topic, as is third-ranked Hawaii receiving a #12 seed?