The semifinals are all set within the girls’s volleyball NCAA championship.
After an exhilarating first 4 rounds, the 4 No. 1 seeds all booked journeys to Louisville for an opportunity to win the Nationwide Championship.
The 2 matchups are battles between acquainted foes, in what must be a spicy version of the Last 4. We’ll preview every matchup and take a guess at who will win all of it.
The primary semifinal begins at 6:30 p.m. ET. The following match will comply with and each video games will air on ESPN on Thursday night time.
No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh
The left aspect of the bracket contains a battle between two ACC applications who’ve change into nationwide powers in recent times.
The Playing cards stomped Purdue within the Candy Sixteen, shutting down the Boilermakers’ two greatest attacking threats Eva Hudson and Chloe Chicoine by holding them to underneath .200 hitting within the match en path to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-18) sweep. Then the Playing cards booked their ticket to the Last 4 by beating the No. 2 Stanford Cardinal 3-1 (22-25, 25-14, 28-26, 25-20) as they have been capable of avenge a late season misplaced to Stanford.
Louisville out-blocked Stanford 16-10 in that match and stored the Cardinal to a .153 hitting proportion, responding rather well after dropping the opening set. Louisville was the most effective blocking crew within the NCAA this season, and Sophia Maldonado Diaz and Phekran Kong every had seven blocks in that win over Stanford.
Hometown hero Anna DeBeer had 15 kills in each second weekend matches for Louisville, and she or he’ll have an opportunity to win the nationwide title in her hometown.
As for the Pitt Panthers, they arrive into their third match towards the Cardinals on an 18-game successful streak. The Panthers gutted out a five-set win (25-19, 24-26, 25-16, 21-25, 15-12) over the Oregon Ducks within the Candy 16 earlier than sweeping the Kentucky Wildcats 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-17) to achieve the Last 4.
The Geese pushed the Panthers to the sting of their matchup, however Pitt responded after shedding the second and fourth units. Within the third set, the Panthers held the Geese to .269 hitting in comparison with its 4.64 mark. Then within the remaining set, the Panthers pressured the Geese into six assault errors and a .087 hitting proportion as Pitt clinched the win with .217 hitting.
Star Olivia Babcock had 31 kills towards the Geese, and she or he was not too long ago named as considered one of 4 semi-finalists for the Nationwide Participant of the Yr award.
How Louisville wins
Louisville’s block is statistically the most effective within the NCAA. Their center blockers — 6-foot-6 Cara Cresse and 6-foot-4 Phekran Kong — are each graduate seniors and bodily forces within the center main that block. They’ll should be at their best possible towards a potent Pitt assault, however the Panthers’ youthful attackers might get rattled with some large early stuffs.
If the Cardinals can feed off that dwelling vitality, add a whole lot of massive momentum performs from blocks and get Anna DeBeer going, the Cardinals can proceed its nationwide championship quest.
How Pitt wins
The Panthers’ assault is arguably the most effective within the nation. Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford are electrical attackers — and nonetheless solely freshmen — who appear to all the time increase their sport when Pitt wants them. Within the Panthers’ two wins over Louisville within the common season, Babcock had 5.00 kills per set whereas Stafford had 3.56. In the meantime, junior Bre Kelley and graduate senior Valeria Vazquez Gomez are additionally viable choices for the Panthers’ assault.
If the Panthers can get off to an early lead, have Babcock and Stafford come up clutch, and go on some service runs to take the group out of it — Pitt averages two aces per set as a crew and has that as an X-Issue of their sport — the Panthers can get their third win over the Playing cards.
No. 1 Penn State vs. No. 1 Nebraska
The Nittany Lions and Cornhuskers shared the Huge Ten title this season — and share the proper aspect of the bracket. Now, they’ll meet with a spot within the Last on the road.
Penn State is led by head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, who was identified with breast most cancers through the season and has nonetheless been on the bench, took down Marquette 3-1 (25-15, 25-21, 24-26, 25-20) within the Candy Sixteen and beat Creighton in a five-set thriller (25-15, 16-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-7) to achieve the Last 4 for the primary time since 2017.
The Nittany Lions have been led all season by freshman setter Izzy Starck, who was named AVCA’s Freshman of the Yr. In the meantime, graduate senior Jess Mruzik was named an All-American. Mruzik got here up massive for PSU within the final two rounds, tallying 20 kills in each matches. Camryn Hannah is the second greatest attacker for Penn State, however the Nittany Lions additionally function Caroline Jurevicius, Maggie Mendelson and Taylor Trammel as key different choices for Stark to set.
The Nittany Lions are additionally able to getting scorching from the service line, averaging 1.5 aces per set as a crew. Ava Falduto and libero Gillian Grimes are two again row gamers who’re constant servers, whereas Mruzik additionally posts a risk behind the road.
Nebraska received to the Last 4 by taking down the Dayton Flyers 3-1 (25-17, 25-18, 25-27, 25-13) earlier than notching its third sweep of the season towards rival Wisconsin (26-24, 25-17, 25-21) in an announcement win heading into Louisville.
Towards the Flyers, though some components of the offense struggled, Harper Murray put the assault on her shoulders. The sophomore had 22 kills, 16 digs and 4 aces towards Dayton, and she or he posted a second double double towards Wisconsin with 10 kills and 12 digs. Towards the Badgers, Taylor Landfair led the best way on the assault for the Huskers with 13 kills, however the story in each matches was Nebraska’s flooring protection.
Senior libero Lexi Rodriguez, who was named a semi-finalist for AVCA Participant of the Yr — a uncommon feat for a backrow participant — highlighted precisely her high quality towards Wisconsin. Rodriguez appeared to cowl the entire flooring towards the Badgers, stymying a usually lethal Badger offense to assist maintain UW to simply .126 hitting.
That backrow hustle helped the Huskers out-block each Dayton and Wisconsin, posting double digit blocks in each matches. Bekah Allick had 4 blocks towards Dayton and 6 towards Wisconsin.
How Penn State wins
The Nittany Lions already beat Nebraska of their one and solely assembly this season, and their attackers are getting scorching on the proper time. Camryn Hannah had 24 kills towards Marquette, whereas Caroline Jurevicius had 11 towards Creighton. Mruzik has been regular all season and the freshman setter has not performed like a freshman. Couple that with a couple of Nebraska gamers having some down offensive video games, that would imply PSU has a much bigger arsenal to get a second victory over the Huskers.
If Penn State can get Mruzik beginning off scorching, serve robust early towards the Huskers to make Rodriguez work further onerous whereas forcing Nebraska out-of-system and make it robust for the Huskers’ attackers to construct momentum, PSU can have an opportunity at its first nationwide championship since 2014.
How Nebraska wins
Certain, Merritt Beason has struggled offensively recently, that means the Huskers have needed to lean on Harper Murray or their center blockers, but it surely’s onerous to maintain Nebraska wanting down lengthy. This can be a program that reached the Last final yr earlier than shedding to Texas and returned just about all its gamers. That is an skilled crew, and so they have Lexi Rodriguez, who can dampen any offense.
If different Huskers in addition to Murray can get scorching offensively, Rodriguez continues her run of masterclass performances at libero and the skilled Huskers don’t get rattled and showcase their championship pedigree, the Huskers will attain one more Last.
Nationwide Champion prediction: Pittsburgh Panthers.
They’ve been the primary crew just about all season. They’ve solely misplaced one match all season, and have an attacking duo who’re two of essentially the most electrical hitters within the nation.
Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford are one way or the other nonetheless solely sophomores. However the remainder of the crew is affected by skilled seniors who’re additionally stars in their very own proper. Valeria Vazquez Gomez has seen her attacking numbers drop with the arrival of Babcock and Stafford, however she is a six rotation participant who has been the spine of Pitt’s rise. Senior libero Emmy Klika and senior setter Rachel Fairbanks have been additionally key components of the squad that now has reached 4 straight Last Fours, this system’s first Last 4 appearances.
The combination of expertise throughout the board and the dynamic duo of Babcock and Stafford have been so onerous to beat this season. The crew is full, and has showcased extra explosiveness than the remainder of the Last 4. I consider that Nebraska will get by on the opposite aspect of the bracket, however that Pitt is ready to add to this system’s rise and win its first ever nationwide title.
