NCAA volleyball first-round: ESPN+ with no early matches, plenty of overlap

NCAA volleyball first-round: ESPN+ with no early matches, plenty of overlap

29 novembre 2023

Logan Case leaped for joy when Western Michigan won the MAC title. The Broncos play the first match of the NCAA Tournament against Auburn/Ashley Huss, WMU photographer

One can only wonder why the NCAA is not starting the NCAA Division I women’s volleyball tournament until mid-afternoon Thursday, foresaking the late morning and/or early afternoon as it conducts 16 matches.

That being said, it will take multiple devices to watch — all on ESPN+ — if you want to see most of them, because there will be plenty of overlap.

First serve is at 4 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Central as Western Michigan plays Auburn. A half hour later, South Alabama plays Georgia Tech, Baylor plays James Madison and Eastern Illinois plays Marquette.

We’ll take a look at all 16 first-round matches Thursday and then the remaining 16 on Friday. The Thursday winners play Friday, meaning there are 24 matches that day. The Friday winners play Saturday, leaving eight matches Saturday.

Again, all first-round matches are on ESPN+, an app for which you must have a subscription even if you have ESPN and ESPN2 as part of your cable package. The Longhorn Network, if you have it as part of your cable package, will also broadcast the matches played at Texas.

While NCAA volleyball is relegated to ESPN+, note that Thursday on ESPN at 7 p.m. Eastern there is a regular-season, non-conference women’s basketball game between South Carolina and North Carolina.

At the same time on ESPN2 there is a regular-season, non-conference women’s basketball game between Arkansas and Florida State.

At 8 p.m. on ESPN there is a regular-season, non-conference women’s basketball game between Virginia Tech and LSU.

Volleyball, as mentioned, can be seen on the ESPN+ app.

BIG TEN: The four other Power 5 conferences announced their season-end awards (see our story from earlier Wednesday). The B1G is doing it on the Big Ten Network at noon Eastern. At that time it will announce the all-Big Ten teams and the various honors, top player, coach, top defensive player, setter and freshman.

ESPN 5TH SET: ESPN again will have its 5th Set studio show, a volleyball whip-around format that includes host Sam Gore along with Paul Sunderland, Nicole Branaugh, Jennifer Hoffman and Kevin Barnett, an addition that is sure to spice things up. The show provides quick hits and commentary on all the matches that are going on and is a viable alternative if you don’t have multiple viewing devices. The 5th Set will start at 4 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday and at 6 p.m. Saturday. It, too, is on ESPN+ and will get some time on ESPNU on Friday between the NCAA women’s soccer semifinals and from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday.

From the ESPN news release: The 2023 season was the most-watched women’s college volleyball season ever on ESPN platforms, with viewers watching 466 million total minutes across the 35 matches on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. This season also included the two most-watched regular season matches on record across ESPN platforms, with Nebraska-Stanford garnering 466,000 viewers and Kentucky-Louisville bringing in 318,000 viewers in September.

But, once again, none of the first-round matches are on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. They are, however, on ESPN+

NCAA tourney first round

Thursday’s matches with start times (all Eastern)

4 P.M. AT LOUISVILLE: MAC-champion Western Michigan (30-2) vs. SEC at-large Auburn (20-9), followed by ACC at-large Louisville (24-4) vs. Horizon League-champion Wright State (21-10).

WMU has won 20 in a row and totally dominated the MAC. Up-and-down Auburn won four in a row, but then finished the regular season losings four of its last six. the last time they met, Auburn swept in 2019.

Louisville, which went to the 2021 national semifinals and lost in last year’s title match to Texas, is in the NCAA tourney for the 32nd time. Wright State is riding a nine-match winning streak, which includes back-to-back HL tourney sweeps. They haven’t played each other since 2010.

4:30 P.M. AT FLORIDA: Sun Belt at-large South Alabama (22-8) vs. ACC at-large Georgia Tech (22-6), followed by ASUN-champion Florida Gulf Coast (18-9) vs. SEC at-large Florida (18-9).

South Alabama was a surprise at-large, while Georgia Tech rode a roller-coaster all season. The Yellowjackets won six in a row, but then finished 1-3. GT swept South Alabama on September 8.

FGCU was the leader all season in the ASUN. Florida, beset by significant injuries, is 4-5 in its last nine matches. Florida swept the last time they played in September 2022.

4:30 P.M. AT KENTUCKY: Big 12 at-large Baylor (16-12) vs. Sun Belt at-large James Madison (21-9) followed by SoCon-champion Wofford (23-7) vs. Kentucky (19-7).

Baylor has been up and down but one should never count the Bears out in the posteason. JMU has probably been under most observers’ radar but will be ready.

Wofford was a surprise winner of the SoCon. Kentucky has won 16 in a row and could be considered the hottest team in the tournament.

4:30 P.M. AT PURDUE: OVC-champion Eastern Illinois (28-4) vs. Big East at-large Marquette (20-10), followed by MAAC-champion Fairifield (22-6) vs. Big Ten at-large Purdue (21-8).

Marquette won the last match it played with EIU in 2012. It’s hard to imagine Purdue, which has won seven in a row, not advancing.

5 P.M. AT TEXAS: Sun Belt at-large Texas State (20-9) vs. American Athletic-champion SMU (25-6), followed by Big 12-champion Texas (22-4) vs. Big 12 at-large Texas A&M (16-12).

SMU, back in for the first time since 2016, has not played Texas State since 2017 when it won in five. On paper, this should be one of the best first-round matches.

It is very hard to beat defending-champion Texas in Gregory Gym and first-year A&M coach Jamie Morrison knows, because he was briefly a Texas assistant.

5:30 P.M. AT KANSAS: Ivy League-champion Yale (21-3) vs. Big Ten at-large Penn State (21-8), followed by The Summit League-champion Omaha (15-13) vs. Big 12 at-large Kansas (23-5).

Erin Appleman was an assistant at Penn State before she got the job at Yale 20 years ago. Yale has won 17 in a row and went unbeaten in the Ivy for the first time. Penn State has only one loss to an unranked team.

Omaha lost its first nine and then finished strong to win the Summit. Kansas is 14-1 at home.

6 P.M. AT WISCONSIN: ACC at-large Miami (17-11) vs. Missouri Valley-champion Northern Iowa (26-6), followed by SWAC-champion Jackson State (17-12) vs. Big Ten at-large Wisconsin (26-3).

Miami, which has some memorable wins this season, and UNI, which has won 21 in a row, should be quite a first-round match.

JSU, a surprise winner of the SWAC, will battle to score 40 points in three sets against Wisconsin.

7 P.M. AT OREGON: Big West-champion Hawai’i (23-8) vs. Big 12 at-large Iowa State (20-9), followed by Southland-champion Southeastern Louisiana (26-4) vs. Pac-12 at-large Oregon (26-5).

Hawai’i finished second in the Big West but won the tournament and is a dangerous opponent. Iowa State has three significant wins this season, all in the Big 12. This, too, should be an outstanding first-round match.

Southeastern Louisiana, which has won 22 in a row, is better than most would think but playing Oregon at home is a tough task. The Ducks are 7-3 at home but those losses were to Washington State, Arizona State and Stanford.

Friday’s first-round matches with start times (all Eastern)

4 P.M. AT PITTSBURGH: America East-champion UMBC vs. Pac-12 at-large USC, followed by MEAC-champion Coppin State vs. ACC-champion Pittsburgh.

4:30 P.M. AT TENNESSEE: Sun Belt-champion Coastal Carolina vs. Conference USA-champion Western Kentucky, followed by Big South-champion vs. SEC at-large Tennessee.

5 P.M. AT CREIGHTON: Big 10 at-large Minnesota vs. Mountain West at-large Utah State, followed by Patriot League-champion Colgate vs. Big East-champion Creighton.

5:30 P.M. AT NEBRASKA: CAA-champion Delaware vs. SEC at-large Missouri, followed by NEC-champion LIU vs. Big Ten-champion Nebraska.

5:30 P.M. AT ARKANSAS: Big 12 at-large TCU vs. ACC-champion Florida State, followed by WAC at-large Stephen F. Austin vs. SEC at-large Arkansas.

6:30 P.M. AT BYU: SEC at-large Georgia vs. Pac-12 at-large Arizona State, followed by Big Sky-champion Weber State vs. Big 12 at-large BYU.

7 P.M. AT WASHINGTON STATE: West Coast-champion Pepperdine vs. Atlantic 10-champion Dayton, followed by WAC-champion Grand Canyon vs. Pac-12 at-large Washington State.

7:30 P.M. AT STANFORD: Big West at-large UC Santa Barbara vs. Big 12 at-large Houston, followed by Mountain West-champion Fresno State vs. Pac-12-champion Stanford.

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