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NCAA Volleyball Final Four Preview: Trends and Predictions

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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.

‘The Late Sub’ Digs Into the Injury Report for NWSL and USWNT Star Trinity Rodman

A close-up profile of USWNT star Trinity Rodman looking out on the 2024 Olympic pitch.
Spirit star Trinity Rodman is away from the NWSL indefinitely with an ongoing back injury. (Harriet Lander - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins breaks down the newly reported indefinite absence of NWSL star Trinity Rodman from the Washington Spirit, with the 22-year-old attacker rehabbing an ongoing back injury that could reshape the prospects of both the Spirit and the USWNT.

Calling her "the face of the NWSL," Watkins details the Spirit star's long-term back injury, which has led Rodman to seek treatment with a team doctor in London — all while acknowledging that she doesn't think her "back will ever be 100%."

Watkins digs into the potential contributing factors to Rodman's current injury status, including the USWNT's heavy use of the forward during the 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning run in Paris — and whether the team will make different decisions going forward due to the fallout on players like Rodman.

"I'm really curious if [USWNT manager Emma] Hayes and her coaching staff will adjust the way they approach strikers in the future, or forwards in the future, or rotation — or if this is just one of those many stories of a player giving it all for the United States and living with the consequences," says Watkins.

As for Washington, Watkins note that — in the wake of copious injuries — the Spirit is still finding ways to win, with club owner Michele Kang and the coaching staff shrewdly managing the depleted roster.

"I think they would be a juggernaut if they were healthy, but they can win pretty, they can win ugly," notes Watkins.

'An NWSL breaking point'

Watkins also points out that she thinks Rodman's choice to seek treatment in London could be significant, as the forward is currently in a contract year.

With multiple NWSL standouts recently defecting to European clubs, Watkins argues that the US league is hitting a "breaking point" when it comes to retaining top players.

"I am just really, really curious if, by the end of this season, this situation has led Rodman back to the Spirit or if this is the beginning of a player having to progress forward in a different environment," Watkins sums up.

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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Mid-Table Contenders Square Off in Sixth NWSL Matchday

Seattle's Ainsley McCammon and Ana-Maria Crnogorevic warm up before a 2025 NWSL match.
Coming off a big win against Portland, the Seattle Reign face a key mid-table matchup this weekend. (Steph Chambers/NWSL via Getty Images)

There's a traffic jam in the middle of the NWSL standings, with this weekend's slate bound to create some distance among mid-table teams jockeying to break free from the pack.

Between rising underdogs and top-dog rivalries, expect the 2025 NWSL season's sixth matchday to leave it all on the field:

  • No. 10 Houston Dash vs. No. 11 Utah Royals, Friday at 8 PM ET (NWSL+): Tied up at four points apiece, the pair of struggling teams just below playoff contention on the NWSL table will battle for a boost above the cutoff line as the recently sold Royals take a trip to Texas on Friday.
  • No. 3 Washington Spirit vs. No. 4 Gotham FC, Saturday at 1 PM ET (CBS): This week's top-table showdown features two injury-struck East Coast rivals getting rowdy at Audi — can Gotham turn things around or will Washington keep persevering?
  • No. 9 Bay FC vs. No. 8 Seattle Reign, Saturday at 10 PM ET (ION): Seattle holds a slim tie-break over Bay FC as both teams hug the playoff line, with the Reign looking to build on last week’s Cascadia Clash victory over Portland.

This weekend has the potential to divide the contenders from the pretenders, while the league's top three clubs continue to hold court over the rest of the field.

Spirit, Gotham Stoke East Coast Rivalry Flames in Saturday NWSL Matchup

Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury makes a save against East Coast rival Gotham during the 2024 NWSL semifinals.
The Washington Spirit knocked East Coast rival Gotham out of the 2024 NWSL Playoffs. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Saturday's soccer lineup underlines a brewing East Coast rivalry, as the Washington Spirit hosts Gotham FC for the first time since knocking the Bats out of the 2024 NWSL semifinals.

"Just playing against them, you feel that fire," Spirit forward Makenna Morris told JWS this week, with Washington's Audi Field anticipating a large crowd for Saturday's match.

Both clubs know each other well, with 2021 NWSL champions Washington and 2023 trophy-winners Gotham seeing a number of big-name players migrating between New York and DC in recent years.

After finishing 2024 in the league's top four, both teams continue to lurk near the top of NWSL table this season, cementing the idea that the best rivalries blossom between winning sides.

"The [team] that poses the most challenge to you, it just makes you want to beat them so bad," said Washington midfielder Gabby Carle.

"You hate to play them because they're good, but you also love it because it's so competitive," echoed Morris.

Ultimately, familiarity is breeding healthy resentment between two of the NWSL's winningest sides, providing a little extra incentive to secure all three points in this weekend’s matchup.

How to watch NWSL rivals Washington vs. Gotham this weekend

The Spirit will host East Coast rival Gotham at 1 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage of the 2024 NWSL semifinals rematch airing on CBS.

WSL Clubs Fight for Survival in Champions League Semifinals

Barcelona's Claudia Pina celebrates her goal by pointing at teammate Alexia Putellas during their first-leg 2024/25 Champions League semifinal win over Chelsea.
Chelsea will attempt to overcome a 4-1 deficit against Barcelona on Sunday. (Ruben De La Rosa/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

As the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL) wraps up its two-leg semifinals on Sunday, the English teams still in the running find themselves on the brink of elimination from Europe's most prestigious club competition.

Facing a 4-1 deficit against reigning champs Barcelona, Chelsea will aim to close the gap — and keep their historic quadruple hopes alive — at home this weekend.

Meanwhile, Arsenal will try to overcome a more manageable 2-1 deficit against eight-time Champions League winners Lyon, traveling to France to keep their UWCL campaign alive.

An English side hasn't won the UWCL since 2007, when Arsenal took home the WSL's lone European championship trophy.

"Huge respect for their history and what they have been doing and producing in the Champions League, in Europe," Arsenal manager Renée Slegers said of Lyon. "I think they're still a very strong side."

"Subconsciously, you always have that thing when you fall short, like last year," said Lyon midfielder and USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps, reflecting back on last season’s title loss to Barcelona. "You lose a game, you lose a tournament – the feeling is there until you're back in the the games that can fix that feeling."

How to watch the 2024/25 Champions League semifinals

Sunday's second leg of the 2024/25 Champions League semifinals kicks off with Chelsea vs. Barcelona at 9 AM ET, before Arsenal faces Lyon at 12 PM ET.

Both matches will air live on DAZN.

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