Rounds three and four of the NCAA Division One Volleyball Tournament, were nothing but ecstatic! There were not many jaw-dropping upsets, but some games were nail-biting. The energy the girls had was unlike any other, and it filled every inch of the gym.
“I have been playing volleyball for about 11 years, and it has brought me nothing but joy. It brings me even more joy to see that it has grown so much, and touched so many lives,” SLU volleyball player Addie Lyon said.
In round three, the one game that got the blood pumping, was the number two Louisville, and number three Creighton game. It was a very intense five-set match that ended in the downfall of Creighton. Creighton had a tremendous season, but fell short in the fifth set. They gave it their all, and it showed in the stats. Outside hitter, Norah Sis, got the most kills between both of the teams, with a whopping amount of 22.
“As much as I wanted Creighton to beat Louisville, it would have ruined my bracket, but it was still exciting to watch and be part of,” Lyon said.
A head-turning upset that was detrimental to some volleyball brackets, was the number two University of Kentucky, and number three Arkansas game. It was a five-set thriller, and had everyone on the edge of their seats. One player that stuck out above them all, was outside hitter Jillian Gillen, with 20 kills, two errors, and out of 46 total attempts. The best part of her game is that she sits at the height of 5’7. Her average opponents are all above the height of 6 ‘2, yet she still finds a way to take charge, and help win games for her team.
“I was expecting Kentucky to win, move on to the next round and make it far, but it took me by surprise to not only see them lose,” Junior Taylor Holdmeier said.
Round four had its upsets, such as number two University of Texas, and number one Stanford. Texas was not expected to win by many, but those who did have them winning were lucky. Texas has had its fair share of adversity throughout their season, but Saturday’s game proved that they are still the reigning National Champions, and are a force to be reckoned with. One Texas player in particular, is outside hitter Madisen Skinner. She led her team in kills with 24 kills out of 47 attempts, with six errors. The Longhorns lean on her to lead the team to their victories. She has won two National Championships at two different schools. One being Kentucky, and the other just this previous year at her current school, University of Texas. She is an amazing role model to those around her, and her teammates. Skinner is a player to watch, and she has and will have a great rest of her career. The ending score of the match was a close, 25-22 Texas.
“The game was crazy! I did not expect Texas to give us that intense of a game, and pull through to beat them,” Junior Megan Lawson said.
The teams that made it into the Final Four are the University of Texas, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Nebraska. All of these are extremely talented teams that all have a fair shot of being named the NCAA Division One Volleyball National Champions.
The semifinals will feature #1 Nebraska playing #1 Pittsburgh at 6 PM followed by #1 Wisconsin playing #2 Texas at 8:30 PM. For Pittsburgh, they look to finally get past the semifinals after not winning it the past two years. Two seasons ago they lost to Nebraska in four sets in the semifinals, so the Pitt Panthers will look to get their revenge. With star freshman Hannah Babcock, their offense should be firing on all cylinders. Their opponents, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will look to extend their incredible season by making it to the finals. With a stellar block and defense, Nebraska will rely on their passing to have an efficient offense. In the second match, the Wisconsin Badgers, who have shown nothing but dominance will showcase their stars when they take on the Texas Longhorns, who eliminated them in the semifinals in the 2020 tournament. Anna Smrek, Julia Orzol, and Devyn Robinson were all key players when the Badgers won the 2021 title. Big Ten player of the year, Sarah Franklin will need a big game to take down the Longhorns who won the championship last season. For Texas, no one thought that they would make it this far, yet an offense that will be led by Madisen Skinner will look to power through the almighty Wisconsin block.
6:00 PM #1 Nebraska vs # 1 Pittsburgh on ESPN
8:30 PM #1 Wisconsin vs #2 Texas on ESPN
Sunday 12/17- Championship Game on ABC at 2:00 PM
The championship game will be played on Sunday the 17th on ABC at 2 PM in what will be a first for women’s NCAA volleyball. To make a groundbreaking season even more groundbreaking, the championship match will be played on a non cable channel for the first time ever. Viewership will be expected to be in the millions in what will undoubtedly be an amazing championship game no matter who is playing in it.
Volleyball is a growing, and sport played by young men and women, all over the world. It had the spotlight on it just a couple of months ago, with Nebraska hosting an outdoor volleyball game in the Husker Football Stadium. That game set a world record for a Women’s Sporting Event, with 92,003 people in attendance. This was the turning point for not only women’s volleyball, but all women’s sports. The light needs to be shone more on women, and their accomplishments made by them. So, make sure you watch the final rounds of the NCAA Divison One Volleyball Tournament, which will be on December 14th, and the Championship will be held on December 17th!
