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.

Just four teams remain in the NCAA volleyball tournament. Here’s how the Elite Eight went down:

  • No. 6 Washington rallied from a 2-0 deficit against Pittsburgh in the regional finals to pull off the reverse sweep.
  • No. 4 Texas held off No. 5 Nebraska in a four-set battle.
  • No. 2 Kentucky swept No. 7 Purdue 3-0.
  • No. 1 Wisconsin played in their first five-setter of the season and won it against No. 8 Florida.

Tune in: semifinals are Thursday, with both games on ESPN2.

  • Kentucky vs Washington: 7:00pm ET
  • Wisconsin vs Texas: 9:00pm ET

The Elite Eight is set, with all games happening on April 19th. Here’s when and where to watch:

  • Pittsburgh vs. No. 6 Washington 12 ET on ESPN2
  • No. 5 Nebraska vs.  No. 4 Texas @ 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
  • No. 8 Florida vs. No. 1 Wisconsin @ 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU
  • No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 7 Purdue @ 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU

Three Big Ten teams remain after Florida knocked off Ohio State and Texas beat Penn State to advance to the Elite Eight. Meanwhile, No. 2 Kentucky completed the sweep of Western Kentucky and Washington went on a 10-2 run to complete the comeback against Louisville. 

The final four teams will play Wednesday, April 22 at 7 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament kicked off Wednesday with first-round matchups. Undefeated No. 1 seed Wisconsin is projected to win it all, with Kentucky, Minnesota and Texas rounding out the top four.

As the event gets underway, we’ve compiled a list of six players we think will lead their teams deep in the tournament and help them contend for the national title.

1. Dana Rettke, Middle Blocker, Wisconsin

Bio: 6-foot-8 senior from Riverside, Ill. 2017 2018, 2019 AVCA First Team All-American. 2017 AVCA Freshman of the Year. 2019-2020 Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year.

2020-21 stats
Total kills: 138
Hitting percentage: .456
Total blocks: 70

This season, Rettke has proven once again that she is a force to be reckoned with at the net. With 263 kill attempts, 138 kills and only 18 errors, she is an incredibly efficient offensive weapon. Defensively, she’s recorded 70 blocks since the start of the season, a product of her 6-8 stature and lateral speed at the net.

2. Stephanie Samedy, Opposite Hitter, Minnesota

Bio: 6-2 senior from Clermont, Fla. 2020 Big-10 Player of the Year. 2017, 2018 AVCA First Team All-American. First Minnesota freshman ever to receive First Team All-American honors.

2020-21 stats
Total kills: 259
Hitting percentage: .278
Total blocks: 47
Total digs: 158

Samedy is unbelievably fun to watch. The newly crowned Big 10 Player of the Year can jump out of the gym and has a wicked cross-swing (which is very hard to do as a right-handed opposite hitter). A go-to player for the Gophers, Samedy has taken 668 total offensive attempts and has capitalized on 259 of them while committing just 73 hitting errors. If she’s having a bad day on offense, she’s able to make up for it on defense with strong blocks and the ability to dig balls in the backcourt.

3. Yossiana Pressley, Outside Hitter, Baylor

Bio: 6-0 senior from Cypress, Texas. 2019 AVCA National Player of the Year. 2019 ESPNW National Player of the Year. 2019 AVCA First Team All-American.

2020-21 stats
Total kills: 447
Hitting percentage: .247
Total blocks: 55
Total digs: 193

If you find yourself playing volleyball against Pressley, you should be scared. She’s only 6-feet tall, but she makes up for it by jumping higher, hanging for longer and hitting the ball harder (and faster) than most other college players. She’s a dual threat who can kill the ball from the front and back row and is just as impressive on defense.

4. Logan Eggleston, Outside Hitter, Texas

Bio: 6-0 junior from Brentwood, Tenn. 2019 AVCA Second Team All-American. 2018 Big 12 Freshman of the Year. 2020 three-time Big-12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

2020-21 stats
Total kills: 379
Hitting percentage: .333
Total blocks: 42
Total digs: 205
Service aces: 41

Eggleston is a key player for four-seed Texas. The two-time All-American took 873 swings this season, racking up 379 kills for the Longhorns. She’s aggressive behind the service line, as evidenced by her 40 aces, and dug over 200 balls on defense. Eggleston has the tools to lead a balanced Longhorn team deep into the tournament.

5. Lauren Stivrins, Middle Blocker, Nebraska

Bio: 6-4 senior from Scottsdale, Ariz. 2018 AVCA First Team All-American. 2019 AVCA Second Team All-American. Ranked third in the Big Ten in 2019 with a .412 hitting percentage during conference play.

2020-21 stats
Total kills: 181
Hitting percentage: .471
Total blocks: 61

Stivrins is one of the best middle blockers in the country and critical to the success of five-seed Nebraska. She’s quick on offense and has a good “volleyball IQ,” meaning she’s able to see the court and anticipate the next play before it happens. With 181 kills, and only 33 errors on 315 kill attempts this season, Stivrins is incredibly efficient at the net, opening up opportunities for the Huskers’ outside and opposite hitters to score.

6. Madison Lilley, Setter, Kentucky

Bio: 5-11 senior from Overland Park, Kent. 2017, 2018, 2019 AVCA Second Team All-American. 2017 SEC Freshman of the Year. Named Gatorade Player of the Year in high school.

2020-21 stats
Assists: 791
Total digs: 153
Total blocks: 47
Total kills: 47

Recently named the 2021 SEC Player of the Year, Lilley was integral to the Wildcats winning the conference championship and securing the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. With 791 assists on the season, Lilley has excellent court vision and the ability to spread the Wildcats’ offense across the net. If Kentucky is going to advance to its first Final Four in program history, the three-time All-American will play a huge role in getting them there.

Tune in: Tournament matches will be streamed on ESPN3, with the Final Four airing on ESPN2.

  • First round: April 14, ESPN3
  • Second round: April 15, ESPN3
  • Regional Semifinals: April 18, ESPN3/U
  • Regional Finals: April 19, ESPN3/U
  • Semis: April 22, ESPN2
  • National Championship: April 24, ESPN2

According to World Herald Sports’ Lincoln Arneal, ESPN has updated its coverage plans for the NCAA volleyball tournament. All matches in the first two rounds will now include commentary and be shown live on ESPN platforms. The statement released by ESPN states that, “despite the variety of challenges related to the pandemic, all 47 matches will be live on ESPN platform and will include commentators.”

This comes after the NCAA faced severe backlash over news emerged yesterday about unsafe courts and a lack of coverage for the first two rounds of the tournament.

There is no word yet on who those commentators will be or what the schedule looks like.

The NCAA is under fire once again. 

Mere weeks after facing backlash over their treatment of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, the NCAA is once again facing criticism over the women’s volleyball tournament. 

Big Ten analyst Emily Ehman was the first to break the news Thursday, writing that the construction of the eight practice courts inside the convention center creates a high-risk injury environment. Additionally, players won’t have locker rooms until the Elite Eight, meaning they would have to change into uniforms on the bench.

Nebraska’s John Cook voiced his concern about use of the convention center. With four competition courts laid out in two halls, matches will be played simultaneously in the first and second rounds, likening it to a high school club tournament. 

“It should feel special,” Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said. “For a lot of people that won’t be the case.”

The first two rounds of the tournament will be streamed on ESPN’s digital platforms without play-by-play or analysis. 

“I really hope they take a closer look at that. I have a feeling that could blow up as much as what the weight room stuff did in women’s basketball,” Sheffield told the Associated Press. “It’s stunning they’re not (having) a broadcast team. To me it’s just lazy… that you’re just going to be looking at silence while watching NCAA tournament games.” 

That includes teams that don’t get very much television coverage in the first place, Ehman adds. 

“They’ve made so many sacrifices to get to this point,” she said in a phone call on Friday. “And now that they’re here they don’t even get commentators to talk about them during a match.”

Purdue coach Dave Shondell added to the criticism, calling it “BUSH LEAGUE.”

The NCAA responded on Twitter, stating that “players were never expected to change clothes on the bench” and that secure changing areas would be provided for each team. Additionally, “as in previous years, there is no requirement to produce coverage of or provide live commentary in the first and second rounds of the Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship” even despite the fact that many have offered up their services for free. 

“The fact that you’re saying, ‘oh we’re not required to so we’re not going to’ doesn’t make it any better,” Ehman said. She mentioned that while she doesn’t know if the no-commentary decision stems from ESPN or the NCAA, it’s still unacceptable.

“It doesn’t really make sense to me why that’s an adequate response and why they’re not providing commentary,” she said. “I’m sure if they really wanted to and truly cared about it they would have pushed to have commentary as they have had for a lot of NCAA championships in the past.”

Author’s note: Following publication of this article, ESPN has updated its coverage to include commentary on the first two rounds of the tournament.

Wisconsin has earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament, which begins April 14th.

  • Typically a 64-team affair, this year’s tournament features 48 squads duking it out in a volleyball bubble in Omaha, Nebraska.
  • The top 16 teams all have first-round byes.

Wisconsin was the national runner up in 2019, and the 13-0 Badgers are now seeking their first-ever NCAA title.

  • Defending Champion Stanford, which won three of the past four titles, missed the field for the first time since the NCAA tournament began in 1981.
  • No. 13 seed Penn State is now the only program to have made every NCAA tournament.

The Top 16 seeds: No. 1 Wisconsin, No. 2 Kentucky, No. 3 Minnesota, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 6 Washington, No. 7 Purdue, No. 8 Florida, No. 9 Ohio State, No. 10 Oregon, No. 11 Louisville, No. 12 Baylor, No. 13 Penn State, No. 14 Utah, No. 15 Washington State, No. 16 BYU.

Tune in: tournament matches will be streamed on ESPN3 with the Final Four airing on ESPN2.

  • First round: April 14th, ESPN3.
  • Second round: April 15th, ESPN3.
  • Regional Semifinals: April 18th, ESPN3/U.
  • Regional Finals: April 19th, ESPN3/U.
  • Semis: April 22nd, ESPN2.
  • National Championship: April 24th, ESPN2.