Scobel Wiggins Photography

As this is the last major tournament before the Series, what can/should the bubble teams do to make the top 20?
At this point, it is difficult to play catch up in respect to skill sets, but what bubble teams can do is study their opponents a bit and learn as much about them as possible. Many teams have a glaring weakness that many other teams do not pick up on. Instead of the bubble teams trying to use their strengths to win a game, they should try to use the other team's weakness to their advantage to win.

What are the top 8 teams doing that the other teams are not? What makes them successful?
The top 8 teams have a strong youth base. Wisconsin, Ottawa, and Washington all have at least a few star players from strong youth programs. Other colleges are going to have to start picking up the pace in the youth sector if they hope to compete in the years to come. The top 8 teams look deeper and more fundamentally strong because of their former juniors players.

What players are dominating their games and how?
Georgia Bosscher (Wisconsin), Anne Mercier (Ottawa), Emily Baecher (Michigan), Molly Moore (Pitt), Leila Tunnell (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill). Four of these women were stellar youth players. Their games are very, very well rounded. They can throw, mark, get layout blocks, sky, and dominate the game in just about every category. These women are fundamentally sound, and from what I understand, great leaders as well.

What were the biggest surprises of the weekend?
Michigan had no strategy for how to deal with the wind. If there is wind, they are barely a top 25 team. If there is no wind, they are easily a top eight team. UCSB is a surprisingly good team. I know it is a no-brainer, but I can't imagine what that team is going to be like with Katie Berry.

What will other teams have to do in order to beat the teams that made semis?
Find the other team's one major weakness offensively and exploit it.

Which teams don't have coaches and how does that help/hurt them?
We have not yet played a team without a coach this year. I can't imagine being a successful Women's program without a coach. As a coach, it is amazing what you see on the field that you know, as a player, you would have more than likely missed.

Lindsey Hack is the coach of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill team.