SEMO VOLLEYBALL TEAM TO FACE STANFORD

Just as Southeast Missouri State University volleyball coach Cindy Gannon figured, her Otahkians will face one of the nation's top teams in the NCAA Tournament.

But it won't just be any ordinary top team.

The NCAA pairings were announced Sunday night and the Otahkians learned they will take on two-time defending national champion Stanford, which will host the four-team Mountain Sub-Regional in Palo Alto, Calif.

Southeast and Stanford will square off Friday, although the time has not yet been determined.

"I knew we'd have to play one of the top teams and I guess Stanford is about as good as it gets," said Gannon with a laugh. "But when you make the tournament, you just go where they send you.

"We'll go out and play hard. We've got nothing to lose. I'm sure Stanford is thinking they've got an easy win. We'll just try our best."

Southeast, with a 24-11 record, earned its second NCAA berth in the past three years by winning the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

Stanford, 25-3, is a No. 2 national seed. Top-ranked and unbeaten Long Beach State is the No. 1 seed in the Mountain Region.

"They're going to be tough," Southeast junior Jackie Derwort, the MVP of the recent OVC tourney, said about Stanford. "But we'll play the best we can and have fun."

Added Southeast junior Angie Aschoff, an all-OVC first-team selection this year, "We're excited. Our goal was to make the NCAA Tournament so we're happy. We're looking forward to going to California."