Rochford hurt her hand a few weeks ago. I think McCracken was hurt around the same time.
Lacrosse drew Northwestern seemingly every year during their unbeatable run, and softball ends up versus Michigan every year.
Post-9-11 the NCAA made a rule to severely limit travel in post-season play. Except for men's and women's basketball, most championships would place unseeded teams strictly based on geography. Any team closer than 500 miles would have to bus. Championship draws were much more balanced geographically before 9/11.
The NCAA framed this as way to protect players, keep them safe by limiting airline travel. It was a typical NCAA move and just a way to use 9/11 to save money by reducing flights. Shameless.
Michigan was #2 overall seed. Had ND performed better throughout year, maybe they get sent to Missouri or Knoxville or somewhere else.