ASU VB (20-7, 13-3 Sun Belt), on a tear all season until the last week of play, now must recover from three consecutive end-of-season losses before they step into SBC Tourney play next weekend (at GaSouth's Hanner Fieldhouse) as the #2 seed. They actually were caught by Texas State for a second place tie--but own the tie-breaker by virtue of head-to-head competition with the Bobcats earlier in the season.
Coach Matt Ginipro's schedule was end-loaded; and his team caught Arkansas State and UALR at their peak in the last week of the regular season. In so doing, they picked up three momentum-killing losses. They need to regain their swagger before Tourney play begins next Friday.
It also reinforces for Ginipro the size and skill of the players and hordes of screaming fans he'll need to attract to the Holmes Center to compete with Arkansas State--a team that has literally owned the Sun Belt for four or five consecutive years; and which finished this season with only one loss--that being a five-set nail-biting loss to MIzzou in a neutral court, early-season tourney way back in August.
