Many players shined in this year’s NCAA volleyball tournament. But these were the best of the best. 

Madison Lilley, Kentucky

It’s no surprise that Madison Lilley, Kentucky setter and AVCA National Player of the year, tops our NCAA tournament All-Tournament Team. She ran the offense that led Kentucky to their first-ever National Championship, tallying a personal-best 19 digs in the title game while keeping her team above a .300 clip for the entire tournament.

HAVE A NIGHT, MADISON LILLEY! 🤯

On the same day as being named the AVCA Player of the Year, @mplilley03 had the match of a lifetime – averaging almost 16 assists per set as she led @KentuckyVB to its first National Championship appearance.#NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/Dn5aWSUAWJ

— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) April 23, 2021

Alli Stumler, Kentucky

Alli Stumler, Kentucky outside hitter, led her team throughout the tournament. Her team made history by winning the SEC’s first volleyball title, and Stumler made personal history as well, with a career high 26 kills in the national championship match. Possibly the best six-rotation player in the tournament, she carried a huge load for the Wildcats on both offense and defense.

So, this Alli Stumler kid ... Not bad. Not bad. #WeAreUK | #NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/dtt3avYLME

— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) April 20, 2021

Logan Eggleston, Texas

The Big 12 Player of the Year, Logan Eggleston came into the NCAA tournament with lofty expectations as someone who is a threat from everywhere on the floor. When Texas was in trouble, Eggleston was there to clean up the mess. Her consistency in every aspect of the game led the Longhorns to the championship game.

BIG TIME LOGAN!!!@loganeggleston_ was relentless for @TexasVolleyball, leading the way with 17 kills and 9 digs in the Longhorns' sweep of Wisconsin in the National Semifinals.#NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/9kkCfoipNz

— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) April 23, 2021

Azhani Tealer, Kentucky

A jack of all trades, Azhani Tealer is a middle who can also run off two feet behind the setter. Her versatility is a huge reason Kentucky won a national championship, as she was able to find kills when needed all tournament long. She also earns a spot on this list for her blocking IQ. The tournament announcers repeatedly talked about her height — only 5’10 — but she closes to the pins and presses her hands over the net in a way where height doesn’t necessarily matter.

We 💙 @AzhaniTealer's energy!#NCAAVB x @KentuckyVB pic.twitter.com/ZFPZNHVVFf

— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) April 25, 2021

Dana Rettke, Wisconsin

Dana Rettke, middle hitter from Wisconsin, is one of a few middles who lead their programs in kills. She commands attention blocking, running the slide, and attacking in front of the setter. She opens up the court for her teammates and allows a lot of players to shine with her.

What's not to love about a good @dana_rettke slide?!#NCAAVB x 🎥 @BadgerVB pic.twitter.com/jez6HQVp3J

— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) April 19, 2021

Chinaza Ndee, University of Pittsburgh

Chinaza Ndee, right side hitter for the University of Pittsburgh, helped take the volleyball program further than it had ever gone. Ndee played fearlessly against teams that were ranked higher and picked to win. Her swings sealed a ticket to the regional final in a big way — she had 19 kills to upset No. 3 Minnesota. 

CHINAZA NDEE IS UNSTOPPABLE 😳😳#NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/Nb3PFzck9p

— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 2, 2018

Gabby Curry, Kentucky

Gabby Curry reads the game so well. Easy balls never fall on her watch, and she puts her setter (Madison Lilley) in a position to run her offense almost every time. The two-time SEC Libero of the Year brought energy, ball control, secondary setting and so many more crucial elements to the floor en route to helping Kentucky win their first-ever title.

Kentucky volleyball senior Gabby Curry (12) makes “confetti angels” after No. 2 UK’s 3-1 win against No. 4 Texas to claim the school’s first NCAA National Championship Title. @KyKernel @nparks21 @KYKernelSports @braden_ramsey pic.twitter.com/fGHR3Av4jj

— Michael Clubb (@MichaelClubb4) April 25, 2021

Wisconsin volleyball is off to the attendance races, with the No. 7 college squad averaging 8,620 fans per match this season to become this NCAA's best-attended program — narrowly beating Big Ten rival No. 1 Nebraska's 8,602 current average.

Other than the Badgers and Cornhuskers, no other college volleyball team has surpassed 6,000 fans per match this year, but Wisconsin is well on track to surpass even their own dominant attendance history in the sport.

If they finish the season in the top attendance spot, the Badgers will snap a six season streak logging the second-best average crowds per year.

Even more, Wisconsin is on their way to blasting through their program-best mark, set when 7,761 fans per match filled the bleachers in 2022.

The growing demand for Badger volleyball is also translating into significant revenue boosts for school.

"We're really, really excited; we're going to exceed $2 million in volleyball ticket sales for the first time ever," Wisconsin deputy athletic director Mitchell Pinta told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earlier this week. "And we're largely sold out for the rest of our matches at the Field House for the remainder of the season."

Should the Badgers reach that $2 million mark, they will see a massive 25% increase over the $1.6 million the team garnered just two seasons ago, and a near 18-fold growth from the $111,809 in volleyball ticket sales that Wisconsin logged in 2013.

Ultimately, the sky's the limit for both Wisconsin volleyball — and the sport at-large.

"If there's a saturation point on the demand for Wisconsin volleyball, we certainly have not seen it yet," said Pinta.

How to watch Wisconsin volleyball in action

With conference play kicking off this weekend, No. 7 Wisconsin will host unranked Big Ten foe Rutgers at 8 PM ET on Friday, before paying a visit to also-unranked Iowa at 3 PM ET on Sunday.

Both Big Ten battles will stream live on B1G+.

WSL side Liverpool opened their 2025/26 League Cup campaign with an emotional 5-0 win over WSL2 club Sunderland on Wednesday, dedicating the shutout victory to former manager Matt Beard after the 47-year-old's sudden passing last Saturday.

The match marked the Reds' return to the pitch following the postponement of their Sunday regular-season game against Aston Villa due to Beard's passing.

"It's a good win for Matt. We played with a lot of emotion," Liverpool defender Jenna Clark said afterwards, calling Wednesday "a really emotional night and an emotional few days for everyone involved with the club."

"We have pulled through together as a team the best we could and you saw that on the pitch tonight," Clark added.

Beard won back-to-back WSL titles with Liverpool in 2013 and 2014, departing the Reds in 2015 for a two-year stint with the NWSL's Boston Breakers.

He made his return to Liverpool in 2021, lifting the club back into the top-flight WSL by earning promotion his first season back at the helm.

"Matt will leave a huge void in the women's game," USWNT head coach and former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes said in a statement earlier this week. "He was one of a kind, and his loss will be felt by all. My heart goes out to his family, but I want to take the time to acknowledge what a special man he really was."​

How to watch Liverpool this weekend

Liverpool will continue their 2025/26 WSL campaign against Manchester United this Sunday, kicking off live at 7 AM ET on ESPN+.

The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup culminates on Saturday, when host nation England battles for their first tournament title in more than a decade in a top-tier final against Canada, who are hunting their first-ever world championship trophy.

The Red Roses' long dominance on the Rugby World Cup pitch has led them to eight finals in the competition's nine editions, with England emerging victorious twice — in 1994 and 2014.

On the other hand, Canada will make just their second-ever appearance in the World Cup final this Saturday, as the Maple Leafs aim for a decidedly different outcome from their 21-9 loss to England in the 2014 championship game.

The top-ranked Red Roses will also be looking to avenge their narrow 34-31 loss to New Zealand in the tournament's most recent 2022 edition when they square off against No. 2 Canada in front of an sold-out crowd inside London's Twickenham Stadium — with another women's rugby attendance record on the line.

"You feed off of that energy, especially knowing what this game is going to be," England defense coach Sarah Hunter said. "It's a cliché, but [the crowd] almost becomes the 16th person in those moments where you need them."

How to watch the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup final

England and Canada will battle in the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup final at 11 AM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on Paramount+.

While the No. 1 Kansas City Current have officially run away with the 2025 NWSL Shield, the race for top playoff seeding rages on, as the No. 2 Washington Spirit fights to hold their ground against an unpredictable No. 9 Houston Dash this Sunday.

Bolstered by star Trinity Rodman's return from injury, the Spirit enter the weekend on a nine-game unbeaten streak, going up against a motivated Dash side sitting just two points outside of postseason contention.

"Every game we just need to be a lot more clinical in the final third," Rodman said after last weekend's 2-2 draw with No. 11 Angel City. "We're doing all the hard stuff and then it's [lacking] quality at the end."

Washington isn't without top-table challengers, with No. 3 Gotham FC riding their own five-game unbeaten streak into a Friday night match against the No. 4 Portland Thorns, who sit tied for points with both the Bats and the No. 5 San Diego Wave in the NWSL standings.

"At this stage, almost everyone still has a real chance to make the playoffs, which is great for the league," said Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amorós after the Bats' 1-1 draw with Bay FC last Sunday. "But it also means nothing can be taken for granted."

How to watch the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC this weekend

No. 3 Gotham FC kicks off this weekend's NWSL action when they host the No. 4 Portland Thorns at 8 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on NWSL+.

Then in Sunday's NWSL action, the No. 9 Houston Dash will visit the No. 2 Washington Spirit at 1 PM ET, airing live on Paramount+.