VCU, U.Va. join Liberty in NCAA women’s tournament

VCU given first berth Rams join Cavaliers and Flames as state teams in tournament

How long does it take to travel from ashen disappointment to unrestrained glee?

The Virginia Commonwealth University women's basketball team made the trip in slightly more than 48 hours.

The Rams received the first NCAA tournament invitation in their program's 34-year history last night when they were placed into the Oklahoma City Region as an at-large entry. VCU (26-6) was assigned a No. 10 seed. It will face No. 7 seed Rutgers (19-12) on Saturday on the Scarlet Knights' floor in Piscataway, N.J.

Two minutes of rejoicing followed ESPN's announcement of VCU's invitation. Coaches, players and school officials cried, hugged, laughed and danced in the Founder's Room in the Siegel Center.

"I'm so happy for them and so proud of them," said Rams coach Beth Cunningham, a former All-American at Notre Dame. "I've been there as a player. I know how special it is when you go for the first time."

There were doubts. Many observers believed the Rams' candidacy had been wounded, perhaps mortally, by their loss to James Madison in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.

"The past two days have been grueling," Cunningham said. "But this" . . . She motioned toward the celebration that was still going strong. . . . "this makes it all worthwhile. This makes everything worthwhile. We've gone from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs in 48 hours."

Similar gatherings occurred at Virginia and Liberty. Like VCU, the Cavaliers (23-9) received an at-large bid. They were seeded fifth in the Trenton Region and will face 12th-seeded Marist (29-3) in Saturday's Los Angeles subregional. This NCAA appearance will be Virginia's second in as many seasons as its 23rd overall.

Should the Cavaliers defeat Marist in the opening round, they will face either Cal-Berkeley or Fresno State in a second-round game that could deliver the 700th victory of coach Debbie Ryan's U.Va. career.

The prospect of a transcontinental flight didn't bother Cavaliers forward Lyndra Littles.

"In some ways, it is good for us to be far away because there will be no distractions from family or friends -- just 40 minutes of basketball," Littles said.

Liberty, the state's lone automatic entrant, was seeded 14th in the Raleigh Region. The Flames, winners of the Big South tournament for the 12th time in 13 years, will carry a 24-8 record into Sunday's first-round date with No. 3-seeded Louisville (29-4).

"I'm more determined and full of expectations than ever," said Flames senior guard Rachel Hammond. "I don't want this season to end. I want to keep going. That's what I was thinking to myself during yesterday's [Big South] championship game. I feel like we can compete with Louisville."

NCAA appearances represent business as usual for Virginia and Liberty. But not for VCU, which last year made its first postseason appearance -- in the women's NIT -- since 1995.

"I'm not a person of many words, so all I can say is, 'Wow,'" said Quanitra Hollingsworth, the Rams' all-CAA post player. "When I saw our name go up there on that screen, I said 'Wow.' When I think that this is the first time this has ever been done here, what can I say but 'Wow'?"

Junior guard Kita Waller said she didn't immediately comprehend what she saw. "Then after a split second it hit me and I said, 'Oh, my gosh. That's us.'"

Said senior guard Radoslava Bachvarova: "To know that I came here and contributed to a team that has made history -- I can't tell you how great this feels."

Top seeds were awarded to undefeated Connecticut in the Trenton Region, Maryland in the Raleigh Region, Oklahoma in the Oklahoma City Region and Duke in t he Berkeley (Calif.) Region.

The women's teams from the University of Richmond and James Madison were expected to receive postseason NIT invitations.