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NCAA Volleyball Final Four Preview: Trends and Predictions

@NCAAVolleyball

Four teams remain in the NCAA volleyball tournament, including top-seed Wisconsin and No. 2 seed Kentucky.

The Badgers came into the tournament as the still-reigning national runner ups, having lost to Stanford in 2019. For Kentucky, it’s the program’s first-ever trip to a Final Four. 

Here’s what to expect when they take the court Thursday against Texas and Washington.

No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 4 Texas Longhorns

Unlike every other team in the Final Four, Wisconsin is led by a middle blocker, 6’8” Dana Rettke. Rettke is set up by Sydney Hilley, combining to form one of the most dangerous duos in college volleyball. Hilley has been able to find Rettke in big moments, including against Florida, allowing Wisconsin to stay alive in a five-set thriller and advance to the Final Four. 

The Badger duo depends on ball control in order to be dangerous. When the Badgers pass and defend at a high enough level to find Retke as often as they need to, they’re virtually unstoppable. Against Texas, the outside hitter pair of Grace Loberg and Molly Haggerty will be asked to hold the offense down when ball control is lacking, but that’s not how the Badgers will win a ticket to the finals. Where Loberg and Haggerty shine is when the ball is passed or dug well enough to make the other team think about the Badger middles. This will be a challenge against Texas, who is an incredibly high hitting and aggressive team. Texas has a number of tough servers, including Logan Eggleston, who has been an ace machine in the tournament. Serving tough will challenge Wisconsin’s passing game, forcing Haggerty and Loberg to take out of system swings while potentially neutralizing Rettke. 

The Longhorns entered the NCAA Tournament firing on all cylinders, and they will continue to look to their leading scorer Eggleston to take a lot of swings. As a six rotation outside hitter, she is a constant threat on the floor from both the pipe and outside pin. The biggest offensive threat in the Final Four, she has the ability to take over a match.

Sophomore Skylar Fields has likewise had a breakout tournament on the left pin, terminating 18 kills with a .630 clip against Nebraska to send Texas on to the semis. The Eggleston and Fields duo is orchestrated by setter Jhenna Gabriel, who will also be tasked with getting Asjia O’Neal involved. O’Neal has absolutely dominated this tournament when Texas can pass well enough to find her. 

The Texas serve receive will be challenged by Wisconsin, who play aggressive from the line. Assuming Wisconsin will target Eggleston, we will see if she can continue to carry a huge load for her team. Gabriel is the smallest setter in the Final Four, and Wisconsin may try to exploit that by setting the left pin, but their main offense weapon is still Rettke, who will be going up against two of the biggest blockers Texas has on the left side pin. 

My pick: Texas. What the Longhorns lack in serve receive, Eggleton and Fields make up for with their ability to play the high-ball game, allowing the Longhorns to spring the upset.

No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats vs No. 6 Washington Huskies

The Kentucky Wildcats have made their first ever Final Four appearance by playing high energy volleyball. Madison Lilley is a phenomenal setter who looks to Alli Stumler to take a lot of swings. The duo has been playing together for three years and they set the offensive pace for the team. When Stumler goes to the back row, Avery Skinner brings the one-two punch with her attack from the outside pin. 

This team could not run the offense they do without Gabby Curry, a three-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year winner. From serve receive to defense, she takes up a lot of court and plays the ball with the accuracy needed for Lilley to run the offense.

The struggle for Kentucky will be managing Washington’s aggressive serving. The Huskies will avoid Curry like the plague, likely targeting the seam between Skinner and Stumler when it’s available, and otherwise targeting Stumler alone. 

This is Washington’s first Final Four since 2013. Ella May Powell, Washington’s All American setter, runs a fast-paced triple threat offense. Pin hitters Samantha Drechsel, Shannon Crenshaw, and Madi Endsley lead the team in kills, while Washington’s defense depends on aggressive service, allowing the team to utilize their size at the net. 

The ability to keep teams out of system while remaining dynamic in blocking the high ball is what has kept Washington alive in the tournament so far. Their offense is pin-based, which means they don’t need a perfect pass to deliver the ball to their go-to hitter. With the block Washington will see from Kentucky, it will be crucial to keep the pass centrally located enough to make the middle guess which pin it will go to. While they’re certainly the underdogs, the Huskies have shown they can thrive with their backs against the wall.  

My pick: Kentucky. I think the Wildcats and Huskies play a similar pin-dominated game, but that Kentucky plays it a little bit faster and more consistently in transition. If Kentucky can continue to play low-error volleyball in high-ball situations, Washington is going to have a difficult time finding momentum. 

Tune in on Thursday: 

  • No. 2 Kentucky vs No. 6 Washington, 7:00pm ET on ESPN2. 
  • No. 1 Wisconsin vs No. 4 Texas, 9:00pm ET on ESPN2.

USC’s Aaliyah Gayles Opens Up About Her Journey Back to Basketball

USC Basketball - Aaliyah Gayles

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate Aaliyah Gayles. Here are five things to know from our conversation with the redshirt freshman guard from Las Vegas.

#1 Aaliyah suffered from a near-death act of violence in 2022.

The incident taught her a lot about herself and the support around her. “[USC] Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] was one of the first people to fly out there and come see me. That means a lot to me off the court.” 

#2 Her favorite USC memory is when she surprised her teammates after getting out of the hospital.

She left her walker at the door to show she was on the road to returning to the court. “That was my favorite memory because it was family. It was my first time being able to walk to you guys and see you practice.”

#3 There's a reason she wears #3.

#3 was her grandpa’s favorite number and a golden number in her life. Plus, AG3 has a nice ring to it. 

#4 She has a list of basketball GOAT’s:

Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Cason Wallace.

#5 There have been many celebrity appearances at USC’s games over the years, especially this season.

Aaliyah’s favorites include Will Ferrell, Kehlani, and Saweetie. And she hopes Lil Durk will come to watch a game soon.

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Gotham, USWNT forward Midge Purce out with ACL tear

(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

Midge Purce announced on Wednesday that she has torn her ACL. 

The Gotham FC and USWNT forward went down with the injury on Sunday during Gotham’s 1-0 win after tweaking it earlier in the game. Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós did not have any immediate updates following the match, with further evaluation revealing the tear. 

“It’s a reality I’m still struggling with and has left me with not too much to say,” Purce wrote in a statement on social media. “I’m heartbroken to no longer be available for my season with Gotham FC or for Olympic selection with the USWNT – know I’m rooting for you both all year long. 

“Though you may not see it, I’ll be doing everything I can to get back on the field.”

Purce is just the latest women's soccer star to tear her ACL, and joins USWNT teammate Mia Fishel in having torn her ACL in the last couple of months. Other notable players include Catarina Macario and Christen Press, with Macario only just returning to the USWNT lineup after tearing hers in 2022. 

International stars such as Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson have also suffered ACL tears. 

Purce’s injury caused Amorós to call out the international schedule, which has been a growing point of concern as more players fall victim to injuries and the playing schedule becomes more packed. Kansas City’s Debinha suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s opening game, while both Lynn Williams and Rose Lavelle have yet to play for Gotham due to injuries picked up during the W Gold Cup. 

“We lost Midge during the game which for me is a bittersweet flavor,” Amorós told reporters after Sunday’s game. “By the way, it’s another player that came from the Gold Cup. Last week, it was Debinha. We are paying the consequences of a tournament that shouldn’t have happened.”

“We’re talking about protecting the players, [who shouldn’t] go to play an international competition after one week of preseason,” Amorós continued. “We’ve seen the consequences now. We’ve got Rose, Lynn, last week it was Debinha in Kansas [City] and now we have Midge. From my experience, the clubs are going to keep paying for that competition."

In her statement, Purce said that “so many friends, teammates and even players I’ve only ever competed against” reached out to offer support. 

“I am so blessed,” she wrote. “Your messages have meant so much to me throughout this process, you have consoled what, for a moment, felt inconsolable. Thank you for reminding me that our football world is not only full with incredibly talent but also, incredible kindness.”

Lauren Jackson included on Australia Olympics roster

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 01: Lauren Jackson of Australia celebrates with team mates after playing her final Opals game during the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 3rd place match between Canada and Australia at Sydney Superdome, on October 01, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Lauren Jackson has come out of retirement once again to compete for a spot on Australia’s Olympic roster. 

Jackson was included on the 26-player roster named by coach Sandy Brondello on Tuesday that will take part in training camps, tours and games in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. The roster will eventually be whittled down to just 12 players selected from the 26 named on Tuesday.

Jackson helped Australia qualify for the Olympics with a win over Germany in February. After that, she announced her retirement, revealing that she struggled to spend so much time away from her two young children. 

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported that Jackson and the basketball federation had come to an agreement in which they would help cover costs for her children to travel with the team for training camps and the Olympics. 

She’s largely expected to make the Opals’ Olympic roster. 

"It's always an exciting time to announce an Olympic squad and I congratulate all the athletes," Opals coach Sandy Brondello said. "They all know what it means to play for Australia and they all want the opportunity to represent their country at an Olympics. Our squad is full of exceptional talent and they will make the decision to pick a final 12 very difficult."

At the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Jackson helped Australia win a bronze medal with 30 points against Canada. She had previously retired in 2016 due to knee injuries, but slowly made a return in a domestic Australian league the last few years.

Jackson has won four Olympic medals, including three consecutive silver medals starting with Sydney in 2000 when she was a teenager. 

First two rounds of NCAA tournament boast record attendance, viewership

(David K Purdy/Getty Images)

The first two rounds of the women’s NCAA tournament broke attendance and viewership records set just last year – and it wasn’t even close. 

The NCAA announced on Tuesday that attendance for the first two rounds of the tournament was more than 292,000 – up from last year’s record, when almost 232,000 fans attended the first two rounds.

Among the host sites, Iowa had the biggest crowds with nearly 29,000 fans packing Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the first and second rounds. 

"We expected the historic success and quality of play and high level of competition from the regular season would carry through into March Madness. Our championship is again delivering," NCAA vice president of women's basketball Lynn Holzman said in a statement. "Record crowds, ratings, incredible performances and evolving storylines will continue to make the next two weeks a must-see for fans across the world."

And for those that couldn’t attend the sold-out Iowa games, they watched on television. Monday’s matchup between Iowa and West Virginia drew 4.9 million viewers, setting a record for a women’s D-I tournament game prior to the Final Four. 

It is also the third most watched tournament game in the last 20 years, behind last year’s national championship between LSU and Iowa (9.92 million) and Iowa’s Final Four win over South Carolina (5.6 million).

Iowa’s game against Holy Cross in the first round drew 3.23 million viewers. 

But it wasn’t just Iowa drawing big viewership. ESPN’s five games on Monday averaged 2.25 million viewers. UConn and Syracuse drew 2.05 million viewers while LSU and Middle Tennessee on ABC drew 2.01 million viewers on Sunday. 

The full, 16-game slate for the second round averaged 1.4 million viewers – a 121% increase from last year and the highest average ever for the second round.

The full tournament so far is averaging 812,000 viewers per game, a 108% increase from last year.

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