Unpredictable matches await in Pac-10

Last year, Pac-10 women’s volleyball boasted six NCAA tournament contenders, three of which reached the Final Four.

This year, the Pac-10 will once again prove to be fiercely competitive as conference play starts on Friday.

In the NCAA tournament, Pac-10 teams went 16-3 when playing opponents from other conferences.

Teams in the Pac-10 did not suffer many major losses this offseason as five of the seven first team All-Americans chosen by the American Volleyball Coaches Association are returning to their Pac-10 teams this season.

And with a recent NCAA rule change where games are now called sets and each set is played to 25 instead of 30 points, teams will rely on speed and athleticism more so than before.

Stanford, the defending conference champions, will fight off opponents in a quest to redeem themselves after their five-set loss in the NCAA Championship last year.

Meanwhile Cal, the young surprise to last year’s Final Four, will open this season more experienced than last and give the field a run for its money.

UCLA, of course, opens the season in an attempt to regain its former glory and repeat its 2006 run to the Final Four.

In a conference where a .500 team can venture deep into the NCAA tournament, look for parity and unpredictable matches.