The actual 2021 Women's Volleyball Thread

[FearlessF]

The 10th-seeded Nebraska volleyball team (24-7) plays in its 10th straight NCAA Regional Final this Saturday, Dec. 11, facing No. 2 seed Texas (27-1) at Gregory Gym in Austin, Texas. First serve is set for 9 p.m. on ESPNU with Paul Sunderland handling play-by-play duties and Salima Rockwell providing color commentary.

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9pm?!?!?!?

5 of us are taking the 6th guy out for prime rib & shrimp dinner at a small town bar in Homer, NE Saturday at 5:30pm

we're going early to get some medium rare prime rib - it's very good, been there a few times

the problem???

after eating that huge meal and drinking a few beers, how in the hell can I possibly stay awake for this late match?

[MarqHusker]

On paper the way ESPNU handles the elite 8 makes sense.  All four matches are on in a row, 4, 6, 8 and 10pm ET.  In most years,  there's probably going to be a MT/PT host regional, and easy to put that up at 10pm ET.    This year, its 2 CT zone, 2 ETzone hosts, somebody's gonna get the 10pm slot.  With the Austin regional predictably getting the 7:30/9:30 on Thursday night with the two remaining blue bloods, Washington and Illinois to boot, its a no brainer to keep them at 10pm, considering they are easily the furthest west remaining participants.

of course we're probably talking about 300-350k viewers over 150k.    Saturday night TV isn't exactly viewing priority.  I like the day off b/t Sweet 16 and regional final nights. 

[MarqHusker]

If you can tolerate the maroon doing the PBP, damn good match brewing on espn u w Purdue at Pitt tied at 1-1.  

[MarqHusker]

Damn.  Impressive match by Pitt.   One of the better names.  Lekotor Member-Meneh unstoppable.   Pitt advances to FF. 

[MarqHusker]

Louisville in 4 fun sets defeats GT.   The yellow jackets were certainly worthy,  I hadnt seen them play all year.   The Brazilian player was an absolute machine.   Probably had 65 swings.  

2 ACC teams in the FF, after yielding just 1 in the previous 40 tournaments. 

[MarqHusker]

Wisconsin handles Minn.

Nebraska's freshman take down Texas in 4 in Austin.
Poor serve receive and frankly lousy passing did in the Horns tonight.    Kubiak hit negative for Nebraska and Stivrins did little.  It was the freshman carrying the load for Nebraska.  Amazing play by Batenhorst, Houston native for Nebraska.   Roddy at libero was wonderful.   Krause was so good.  This team hit a historically dreadful. 220, worst  since at least '83 and they are in their 16th final four. 

Btw: refs made some hideous calls, both ways, the worst a key point at 17-12  in the 4th.  Eggleston called for a throw after the chair Ref had let it go on two earlier ocassions in much more egregious fashion.  It was BS.

[FearlessF]

was a bad call

tough competitive match

I was able to stay awake

so you're saying there's a chance

[bayareabadger]

Wisconsin handles Minn.

Nebraska's freshman take down Texas in 4 in Austin.
Poor serve receive and frankly lousy passing did in the Horns tonight.    Kubiak hit negative for Nebraska and Stivrins did little.  It was the freshman carrying the load for Nebraska.  Amazing play by Batenhorst, Houston native for Nebraska.  Roddy at libero was wonderful.  Krause was so good.  This team hit a historically dreadful. 220, worst  since at least '83 and they are in their 16th final four.

Btw: refs made some hideous calls, both ways, the worst a key point at 17-12  in the 4th.  Eggleston called for a throw after the chair Ref had let it go on two earlier ocassions in much more egregious fashion.  It was BS.

I'm trying to recall how many Final Fours and title games UW has been to of late. I know they made a big run in the early 2000s, then the team got better, but the NCAA success didn't. Feels like they've been in it a lot. 

(Looked it up, looks like four FFs and two finals appearances since the current coach arrived, pretty solid)

Louisville being good makes all the sense in the world to me. I'm surprised this is their first final four trip. 

[FearlessF]

[Brutus Buckeye]

So it's definitely going to be a Nebraska-Wisconsin NCM? 

[FearlessF]

if the Huskers can beat Pitt Thursday

[MarqHusker]

I think any scenario is likely in this FF. 

We have a perennial brides maid with a ton of super seniors, including probably the best singular player remaining in Rettke. Can they finally show up at this stage?  They were humbled by UT and Stanford last couple years.  Best team on paper in this FF imo.

Louisville is undefeated,  manhandled Nebraska in Lincoln in Sept, beat Pitt twice, and is a classic sum of parts type of quality team.  Busboom, former Husker player and former asst coach at Nebraska would be first ever Woman HC to win a title.

Pitt probably has the best remaining offensive team, though Texas saw how that could play out against a good defense.  If Nebraska serves them as soft as Purdue did, the Panthers will run Nebraska out.

Nebraska lost seven matches this year,  more than the other 3 participants combined.  Suddenly we should expect the two Freshman hitters to duplicate their only other great performance of the season? I don't care how good the defense is,  they can't win two more matches against this caliber without terminators stepping up at the pins.  I'm not betting this team based on the performance vs UT.  Cook is certainly the master of December peaking, still need Pins to perform.

[utee94]

Congrats to the Husker, just too much for the Horns last weekend.  Best of luck in the FF!

[MarqHusker]

Louisville -190 Wisconsin +135
Pittsburgh -200 Nebraska +140