8 left: Louisville vs. Pitt; Arkansas vs. Nebraska; Oregon vs. Wisconsin; Texas vs. Stanford
Jillian Gillen goes all out as Arkansas teammate Courtney Jackson looks on/Matt Smith photo
Which four teams will advance to Tampa for the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship?
Saturday’s four regional finals are set, all can be seen on ESPNU, and the times are Eastern:
4 p.m. — No. 5 Louisville (27-4) vs. No. 4 Pittsburgh (28-4)
6 p.m. — No. 9 Arkansas (28-5) vs. No. 1 Nebraska (31-1)
8 p.m. — No. 6 Oregon (29-5 vs No. 3. Wisconsin (29-3)
10 p.m. — No. 7 Texas (25-4) vs. No. 2 Stanford vs. (29-3)
This came after a Thursday that included three five-set matches that were all that and more as, in order, Louisville survived against Creighton, Arkanas knocked off Kentucky and Texas went overtime to beat Tennessee.
Wisconsin beat Penn State in four, totally dominating the sets it won, and Stanford lost the first set to Arizona State before winning in four.
There were three sweeps, Nebraska over Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh over Washington State and Oregon over Purdue.
Two ACC teams remain and they play each other in Louisville and Pittsburgh. They split their ACC matches this season after Louisville beat Pitt in last year’s national semifinals.
A round-of-eight first timer in Arkansas, the last SEC team, plays at Big Ten champion Nebraska. They haven’t faced each other since 2016.
The Pac-12’s Oregon, which just keeps on winning, at 2021 champion Wisconsin. They haven’t played each other since 2015.
And defending-champion Texas, the last Big 12 team left, at Pac-12 champion Stanford, which swept at Texas in early September. Stanford won the 2016, ’18 and ’19 NCAA titles; Texas won it all last year.
The only one of the top eight seeds that didn’t advance was Kentucky, which couldn’t beat Arkansas a third time this season.
Thursday’s recaps, followed by an NIVC update:
Louisville beat Creighton 25-21, 14-25, 25-23, 24-26, 15-8 as Charitie Luper led with 20 kills, hitting .341, to go with an assist, a solo block and 10 digs. Anna DeBeer had 19 kills with eight errors in 46 attacks to hit .246, but that includes second set in which she had two kills and four errors. DeBeer added an assist, an ace, two blocks and 13 digs. Cara Cresse had 12 kills, hit .417, and had an assist, an ace, three digs and three blocks, one solo. Reserve Reese Robins was particulary effective, getting five kills with one error in seven attacks and two blocks, one solo. Elena Scott had 27 digs and five assists and Elle Glock had 49 assists and five digs. Her team hit .277.
Big East champion Creighton ended its season 29-5. The 12-seeded Bluejays, who had won 17 in a row, were led by Norah Sis, who had 22 kills. But she hit .157 after having 11 errors in 70 swings to go with an assist, an ace, two blocks and nine digs. Ava Martin had 13 kills, hit .344 and had an assist, two aces, a block and eight digs. Kiana Schmitt had 12 kills and four blocks, two solo. Kendra Wait had four kills in nine errorless tries, 44 assists, 16 digs and three blocks, one solo. Her team hit .222. Sydney Breissinger had 14 digs, 11 assists and an ace …
Pittsburgh hit .425 and made short work of Washington State, completely overpowering the Cougars 25-20, 25-13, 25-16. Olivia Babcock led with 15 kills and hit .500 after having two errors in 26 attacks to go with four of her team’s eight aces, six digs and five blocks, one solo. Torrey Stafford had 10 kills, hit .318, and had an assist, five digs and three blocks, one solo. Emma Monks, who had seven kills and hit .556, became Pitt’s all-time blocks leader with five. Rachel Fairbanks had 31 assists, seven digs and three blocks, two solo.
Washington State, an at-large from the Pac-12, ended its season 26-8. The Cougars, who hit .141, got eight kills from Iman Isanovic and seven each from Pia Timmer and Magda Jehlarova …
Nebraska blasted Georgia Tech 25-11, 25-6, 25-21. The Huskers hit .326 as Merritt Beason led with 11 kills. She had one error in 23 swings and hit .435 to go with an ace, eight digs and four blocks, two solo. Ally Batenhorst had 10 kills, two blocks and two digs. Bergen Reilly had a kill, 30 assists, three blocks and 10 digs.
Georgia Tech, an at-large from the ACC, ended its season 24-7. The Yellow Jackets hit .019. Tamara Otene led with nine kills but had 14 errors. Nebraska had nine errors as a team …
Kentucky’s Reagan Rutherford blasts through the Arkansas block/Matt Smith photo
Ninth-seeded Arkansas had not only lost to No. 8 Kentucky twice in the regular season, but hadn’t beaten the Wildcats since 2012. This time, in their third meeting this season, Arkansas came away with a 22-25, 25-22, 25-15, 22-25, 25-10 victory. Jillian Gillen led with 20 kills and hit .391 after having two errors in 46 attacks to go with an assist, two aces, 12 digs and two blocks, one solo. Maggie Cartwright had 15 kills with five errors, also in 46 swings, and had an assist, two aces, 11 digs and two blocks, one solo. And Taylor Head, who also took 46 swings, had 13 kills with seven errors, four assists, 15 digs and four blocks, one solo. Courtney Jackson had 19 digs, two assists and an ace, and setter Hannah Hogue had two kills in three errorless tries, 43 assists, an ace and 17 digs.
Kentucky, the SEC champion that had won 18 in a row, ended its season 21-8. The Wildcats hit .184. Brooklyn DeLeye led with 16 kills and had eight digs and a block. Erin Lamb had 15 kills, hit .313, and had two blocks and two digs. Azhani Tealer had 12 kills and hit .435 after having two errors in 23 attacks to go with a dig and five blocks. Reagan Rutherford had 11 kills but seven errors, an ace, eight digs and four blocks, one solo. Emma Grome had two kills, 52 assists, two blocks and 15 digs …
Wisconsin lost at Penn State in their only Big Ten meeting, but this time, playing at home, the Badgers had a 17-4 blocks advantage and came away with a 25-11, 28-30, 25-12, 25-18 victory. Sarah Franklin led with 15 kills, four blocks and three digs. Temi Thomas-Ailara had 11 kills, a block and two digs. Devyn Robinson had 10 kills with one error in 21 attacks to hit .429 and had five blocks and three digs. Carter Booth had 10 kills with one error in 12 swings, an assist and seven digs, and Anna Smrek had seven kills, an assist, five blocks and two digs. CC Crawford had three kills in nine errorless tries, four digs and 10 blocks, two solo. Setters Izzy Ashburn and MJ Hammill combined for 42 assists, an ace and 22 digs. Their team hit .268.
Penn State, which ended its season 23-9, hit .082. Jess Mruzik led with 15 kills, an ace and 14 digs. Zoe Weatherington had 12 kills but nine errors and three blocks, and Camryn Hannah had nine kills but 14 errors. Mac Podraza had a kill, 38 assists and 13 digs …
Oregon swept 11th-seeded Purdue 25-14, 25-19, 29-27. The Ducks, who have won eight in a row since losing to Stanford in the Pac-12, outblocked Purdue 10-4 and hit .364. Morgan Lewis and Mimi Colyer had 14 kills each. Lewis, who hit .462, had a block and two digs. Colyer had three blocks and 11 digs. Gabby Gonzales had 10 kills with one error in 21 attacks and hit .429 to go with three aces, a block and six digs. Hannah Pukis had 42 assists, two block and 10 digs, and Georgia Murphy had 13 digs, six assists and an ace.
Purdue, an at-large from the Big Ten, ended its season 23-9. Eva Hudson led with 12 kills but had seven errors, a block and four digs. Chloe Chicoine had 10 kills, three assists, an ace and dive digs …
Texas held on to beat Tennessee 25-19, 20-25, 23-25, 26-24, 16-14 as Madisen Skinner had a career-high 26 kills. Texas, which squandered a 14-10 fifth-set lead, finally won on a kill by Asjia O’Neal, who had 10 kills and eight blocks. Skinner, who hit .328, had two assists, two aces, five blocks and five digs. Jenna Wenaas had 11 kills but nine errors and had a block and a dig. O’Neal, who hit .304, also had an assist and a dig. Molly Phillips had nine kills in 18 errorless attacks, an assist, four blocks and two digs. Ella Swindle had five kills, 40 assists, an ace, four blocks and 10 digs. Her team hit .263. Emma Halter had 20 digs and five assists.
Tennessee, an at-large from the SEC, ended its season 26-5. Morgahn Fingall led the Vols with 24 kills, and had 12 errors, six digs and six blocks. Jenaisya Moore had 13 kills but 11 errors to go with four assists, a block and 11 digs. Raeven Chase had 12 kills, hit .435 and had two blocks and a dig. Erykah Lovett had 10 kills, five assists, a solo block and nine digs. Caroline Kerr had four kills in nine errorless tries, 56 assists, two aces, two blocks and 10 digs. The Vols hit .235 …
Stanford, which split its two matches with Arizona State in the Pac-12, won its 11th match in a row, 22-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-21 over the Sun Devils. Kendall Kipp led the Cardinal with 23 kills, an ace, four blocks and 10 digs. Elia Rubin had 19 kills, hit .341 and had an assist, two aces, three blocks and 15 digs. Caitie Baird had 10 kills but nine errors, three aces, three blocks and 17 digs. Sami Francis, had six kills and six blocks, one solo. Kami Miner had a kill in three errorless tries, 53 assists, ana ce, a block and 12 digs. Her team hit .217. Elena Oglivie had 15 digs and three assists.
Arizona State, which finished tied with Washington State for third in the Pac-12 and had one of biggest turnarounds in nation, ended its season 28-7. The Sun Devils, who hit .190, got 17 kills from Marta Levinska and 16 from Geli Cyr. Their teammates combined for 16 kills. Mary Shroll had 30 digs, five assists and an ace. Shannon Shields had four kills with one error in 11 attacks, 38 assists, two blocks and four digs.
NIVC semifinals set
Saturday, Montana State (24-8) plays at Wichita State, then Sunday, South Florida (22-11) is at UTEP (24-9).
Montana State advanced by beating Wyoming in five as Kira Thomsen had 24 kills, hit .383 and had three aces, 10 digs and three blocks … Wichita State swept Drake as Morgan Stout led a balanced attack with 14 kills, hitting .444 after having two errors in 27 attacks to go with five digs and six blocks, two solo … South Florida swept Georgia Southern behind 22 kills from Maria Clara Andrade, who hit .400 and had an assist, an ace, 12 digs and two blocks, one solo … UTEP beat Clemson in four as four players had 10 or more kills, 13 by Marian Ovalle, who had six blocks and five digs.
Click here for the NIVC tournament website.
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