The 1998 NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament began on December 3, 1998, with 64 teams and ended December 19 when Long Beach State defeated Penn State 3 games to 2 in Madison, Wisconsin, for the program's third NCAA title and fifth national title overall.
With the victory, Long Beach State became the first team in NCAA history to complete an undefeated season. Penn State, which had also entered the tournament undefeated, finished as runner-up for the second consecutive year.
The NCAA's expansion from 56 teams to 64 began in 1998.1998-12-03 "Penn State earns top seed for NCAA tournament" The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved on 2009-1-12
Records
The NCAA women's volleyball tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1998, joining the men's and women's basketball tournaments as the only 64-team NCAA Tournaments at the time. The NCAA baseball tournament would expand to the same size in 1999, followed by the NCAA women's soccer tournament in 2001 and the NCAA softball tournament in 2003. The Big Ten and Big 12 each earned six bids in 1998. The Pac-10 only received four bids in the 1998 NCAA Tournament, which is the fewest they have earned in the 64-team era.
Mountain RegionalSeedSchoolConference Berth TypeRecordArizonaPac-10At-large21-6ColoradoBig 12At-large21-7Colorado StateWACAt-large23-7Eastern WashingtonBig SkyAt-large24-5Fresno StateWACAt-large18-104IllinoisBig TenAt-large20-101Long Beach StateBig WestAutomatic30-0MilwaukeeMidwestern CollegiateAutomatic25-5Notre DameBig EastAutomatic17-12San Jose StateWACAt-large21-11South CarolinaSECAt-large21-10Southeast Missouri StateOhio ValleyAutomatic24-11SouthernSWACAutomatic19-12Southwest Texas StateSouthlandAutomatic25-82StanfordPac-10Automatic25-33TexasBig 12At-large24-2 East RegionalSeedSchoolConference Berth TypeRecord3ArkansasSECAt-large27-5BrownIvy LeagueAutomatic23-8ChattanoogaSouthernAutomatic23-101FloridaSECAutomatic31-22HawaiiWACAutomatic29-2IndianaBig TenAt-large15-13Miami (OH)MACAutomatic26-7NevadaBig WestAt-large22-6New HampshireAmerica EastAutomatic24-10Northern IowaMissouri ValleyAutomatic25-2Ohio StateBig TenAt-large16-13TempleAtlantic 10Automatic22-9Texas A&MBig 12At-large20-8Texas TechBig 12At-large23-10UMBCNortheastAutomatic22-64USCPac-10At-large22-5 Central RegionalSeedSchoolConference Berth TypeRecordAmericanCAAAutomatic29-5BucknellPatriotAutomatic16-112BYUWACAt-large28-3Cal State SacramentoBig SkyAutomatic25-8ClemsonACCAt-large21-10Coastal CarolinaBig SouthAutomatic23-12FairfieldMAACAutomatic35-1Florida AtlanticTrans AmericaAutomatic16-5Florida StateACCAutomatic25-10GeorgetownBig EastAt-large24-5HoustonConference USAAt-large21-12Kansas StateBig 12At-large18-114LouisvilleConference USAAutomatic27-4Northern IllinoisMACAt-large26-63PacificBig WestAt-large24-51Penn StateBig TenAutomatic30-0 Pacific RegionalSeedSchoolConference Berth TypeRecordArk.-Little RockSun BeltAutomatic20-8Illinois StateMissouri ValleyAt-large22-94Michigan StateBig TenAt-large23-6Morgan StateMEACAutomatic18-141NebraskaBig 12Automatic28-1North CarolinaACCAt-large28-7Oral RobertsMid-ContinentAutomatic29-5PepperdineWest CoastAt-large17-10San DiegoWest CoastAutomatic23-5Santa ClaraWest CoastAt-large20-9South FloridaConference USAAt-large25-7UCLAPac-10At-large15-113UC Santa BarbaraBig WestAt-large26-5UtahWACAt-large20-9VirginiaACCAt-large26-72WisconsinBig TenAt-large27-4
Mountain Regional (Long Beach)
East Regional (Gainesville)
Central Regional (University Park)
Pacific Regional (Lincoln)
Final Four – Kohl Center, Madison, Wisconsin
National Semifinals
Long Beach State vs. Florida Teams Game 1 Game 2 Game 3LBSU 15 15 15FLA 2 8 10
Long Beach advanced to the finals easily, taking the 10-0 lead in the opening game before winning 15-2. Florida staved off seven game points in the second game before falling 15-8. Long Beach then won a closer third game to sweep the Gators.
Misty May put down 11 kills and had two service aces, while Jessica Alvarado led the 49ers with 12 kills.
Penn State vs. Nebraska Teams Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4PSU 15 15 8 15NEB 11 8 15 11
Lauren Cacciamani had 20 kills, Christy Cochran had 19 and the three-time all-American Bonnie Bremner had 13 to help Penn State beat No. 3 Nebraska in four games. The Huskers ended their season 32-2 while Penn State improved to 35-0 and advanced to the program's third title match.
National Championship: Long Beach State vs. Penn State
Teams Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5LBSU 15 15 13 14 15PSU 3 10 15 16 12
Long Beach took the first two games easily, 15-3 and 15-10. However, like the 1997 NCAA championship, Penn State took the next two games to force a fifth game.
In the decisive rally-scoring fifth game, Penn State led 7-2, but Long Beach tied it up at 8. Tied at 12, Long Beach State's Jessica Alvardo put down two kills before Veronica Wall's 19th kill of the night ended the match, 15-12. Long Beach State's Misty May, also the AVCA National Player of the Year, was named the co-MVP of the Championship along with Penn State's Lauren Cacciamani.1998-12-20. "WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP; Long Beach State Edges Penn State" The New York Times. Retrieved on 2009-1-12.
NCAA Tournament records
There are two NCAA tournament records that were set in the 1998 tournament.
Service aces, tournament (individual record) - Misty May, Long Beach State - 20 (4 vs. Southern, 4 vs. Arizona, 4 vs. Illinois, 4 vs. Texas, 2 vs. Florida, 2 vs. Penn State) Service aces, tournament (team record) - Long Beach State - 43 (shared with 2007 Penn State) (15 vs. Southern, 7 vs. Arizona, 8 vs. Illinois, 6 vs. Texas, 4 vs. Florida, 3 vs. Penn State)
References