Thirty minutes passed and 32 volleyball teams had been selected, none of which were Marquette. The Golden Eagles were together in the Al McGuire Center cafeteria sitting in a mounting state of agony as they waited and hoped to see their name appear on the TV screen during the ESPNU college volleyball tournament show. The broadcast announced the Wisconsin section of the bracket, and then all of a sudden applause burst out.
They were in. Marquette was going to play Washington State in its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
When head coach Ryan Theis saw the word Marquette appear on the TV, he clapped and cheered with the rest of his team.