Well, no story from the Honolulu Star Bulletin so far
this week (we'll probably get one today).  But I
happened to pick up a copy of Wednesday's Honolulu
Advertiser while buying a chicken sandwich at Jack
In The Box.  Ann Miller's story sheds light on the
tie-breaking procedure in determining the qualifiers
for the MPSF tournament.

- mike
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          'BOWS COULD USE SWEEP OF TROJANS
      Taking two would enhance playoff chances

                   By Ann Miller
              Advertiser Staff writer


A sweep would make it simple for the University of Hawaii
men's volleyball team this weekend.  Anything less would
leave lots to chance and a complex series of tiebreakers.

The ninth-ranked Rainbows (16-10) close their regular
season Friday and Saturday against 13th-ranked Southern Cal
(12-9) at the Special Events Arena.  Both teams are
fighting for the final berths in next week's Mountain
Pacific Sports Federation tournament.

Hawaii is 8-9 in the MPSF and fourth in the Pacific
Division - a half-match ahead of 11th-ranked Pacific (7-9).
USC, at 9-7 is in third place - a half-match behind eighth-
ranked Long Beach State (10-7); those teams play Tuesday on
the final night of the regular season.

The top three in each division qualify for the tournament.
The two remaining teams with the best records also qualify.

Stanford (13-3) has clinched the Pacific title and will
host a wild card team in the first round.  Any of the next
four Pacific division teams could become the other wild
card, along with 14th-ranked Cal State-Northridge (8-9).

The Matadors are fifth in the Mountain Division but beat
all four contending Pacific teams head-to-head, which is
the first tiebreaker.  The Rainbows split with UOP and
Long Beach.

The next tiebreaker is MPSF match record within the
division.  Hawaii, Long Beach and USC all have four losses,
Pacific has five and CSUN six - with top-ranked UCLA and
No. 6 UC-Santa Barbara still to play.

One more victory will clinch second place for Long Beach
and it could get it Friday against unranked Loyola
Marymount.  If that happens, a sweep of USC will give
Hawaii third place while a split could leave it out.

The final tiebreakers are "overall MPSF match record
against all other MPSF Tournament qualifiers, overall MPSF
match record against all other MPSF Tournament qualifiers
from their division and percentage of games won in all MPSF
matches."

The MPSF Tournament first round is next Saturday.  Division
champions host the wild card team from the opposite
division and second-place teams host third place from the
other division.  The winners play April 24 and 26 at the
home of the highest remaining seed.  The tournament winner
gets the league's automatic final four berth.