Volleyball at midseason: Surprises, favorites and the rematch of the season
We are entering the last month of NCAA women’s volleyball’s regular season, and so far it has had a distinctive hue to it.
The NCAA selection show is Nov. 26 (ESPNU, 6 p.m. ET). Looking toward that, the selection committee released its top 10 teams Sunday. The first five all have a shade of red as their primary color: 1. Nebraska, 2. Wisconsin, 3. Stanford, 4. Louisville and 5. Washington State.
Thus, a sea of red could be on hand in Tampa, Florida, when the final four is played there Dec. 14-17. The same can be said for the most anticipated match for the rest of the regular season: Nebraska at Wisconsin on Nov. 24.
The NCAA tournament begins with the early rounds Nov. 30-Dec. 2, followed by the regionals Dec. 7-9. The Sunday afternoon championship match will be televised on ABC for the first time.
In this last season of the Pac-12 as we know it, Stanford, Washington State and No. 6 Oregon are all in the NCAA’s top 10. That list is rounded out by defending national champion Texas, Pittsburgh, Arkansas and Tennessee.
Will the Cornhuskers’ wise-beyond-their-years team lead the program to its sixth national championship? Could Stanford, in its final year before incongruously joining the ACC, get to double-digit NCAA titles?
We should always keep our eyes on the last two national champs, Texas and Wisconsin. And on Louisville and Pittsburgh, who both went to the Final Four the last two seasons, and are still knocking on the door for their first national championship.
There is no consensus pick yet on national player of the year, either, so that’s another race to follow.
ESPN volleyball analysts Sam Gore, Jennifer Hoffman, Holly McPeak, Paul Sunderland, Courtney Lyle and Missy Whittemore and ESPN.com’s Michael Voepel take a look at the season thus far and what’s to come.
Which team has impressed you most this season?
Missy Whittemore: Early in the season I had my reservations about Nebraska because their preconference schedule was not super strong. However, they have continued to win and win and …. they are still undefeated at 21-0. Looking back, I think the scheduling was just what this very young team needed to build confidence and cohesiveness. I am most impressed with how well their young players have handled the spotlight.
Holly McPeak: Nebraska, with three freshman starters and the incredible defense they play. Harper Murray, Bergen Reilly and Andi Jackson are incredible talents, and they are surrounded by more talent with Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez.
Sam Gore: This has fluctuated throughout the season. And I’m sure I may have a different answer in a few weeks. But early on, it was Florida, then Wisconsin. After Nebraska’s thrilling five-set win against the Badgers in their first of two meetings on Oct. 21, currently I’d have to say it’s the Huskers, with a nod to Stanford.
Paul Sunderland: No question the team that has impressed me the most is Nebraska. Undefeated, a win at Stanford, another over Wisconsin. All with the nation’s best defense — can you say Lexi Rodriguez? — and doing it with those three freshmen in the lineup. Reilly, as a rookie setter, has handled the spotlight and pressure of leading the Huskers perfectly… so far. Oh yeah, Wisconsin is pretty good as well.
Jennifer Hoffman: Nebraska has had a stellar season with an exceptional mix of experience and youth. However, Nebraska is a familiar name in volleyball year after year, so the Huskers’ high level of play is expected no matter how young some of their personnel is.
So I’m going to show love and tip my hat to the Pac-12 for Washington State and Arizona State. These teams are equally impressive and peaking at the right time. The Cougars are laying low much like final four participant San Diego did last year, with quality wins against multiple ranked opponents. Arizona State swept Oregon and most recently Stanford.
Courtney Lyle: Nebraska had a lot of questions to answer coming into the season. They added six new players, but you wouldn’t know it. I was impressed with their composure facing Wisconsin. Nebraska was without Lindsay Krause and the Huskers still found a way to win with other pieces on their bench.
Michael Voepel: My colleagues have Nebraska well covered and that’s well deserved. It is interesting to note on Aug. 30, when the Huskers set the women’s sports attendance record of 92,003 at Memorial Stadium, coach John Cook said he was already getting a feeling his team might have something special going all season long. The Huskers have all but one vote at No. 1 in the current AVCA poll. As you might guess, that other vote went to the 20-1 Badgers.
But I will also highlight another conference: the SEC, which currently has five teams in the AVCA poll, led by Arkansas. The SEC, which won the national championship in spring 2021 (the COVID-19 delayed season) with Kentucky, has continued to elevate overall as a league. And of course, powerhouse Texas will be in the SEC next year.
Which team is this year’s biggest surprise?
Whittemore: Arizona State. There were no significant wins in their perfect preconference slate to really garner much attention, and then they lost to Stanford as expected in conference play. However, the recent sweep of Stanford in the rematch was very impressive. I like teams who get better as the season progresses. The Sun Devils also will have the opportunity to avenge earlier losses to Colorado and Oregon State.
McPeak: Washington State might be the biggest surprise team, but by the same token they are experienced and talented.
Gore: Taking a detour from the Power 5 schools and zeroing in on the Southern Conference. The Citadel had the longest winning streak in the country when they started 23-0. I don’t care what conference you’re in, being undefeated this late in the season at the Division I level is not just surprising, it’s shocking! The streak ended, though, with a loss to Western Carolina on Sunday.
This program had just 11 wins last season, but coach Dave Zelenock has orchestrated one of the best turnarounds the sport has seen. The question is, will the committee give them an NCAA bid if they finish the regular season with one loss but get upset in their tournament? Typically, the Southern Conference is a one-bid league, with it going to the tourney champ.
Sunderland: No single team has surprised me the most, but allow me to point out a few: Tennessee, Washington State (that’s my own fault) and Arizona State. I was skeptical of the Sun Devils, but they are hanging in and JJ Van Niel, in his first season in Tempe, is my pick for coach of the year. Lastly Minnesota at 10-10 overall (6-6 in the Big Ten) has been a surprise in a bad way. What is going on there? They still have standouts Taylor Landfair, Mckenna Wucherer and Melani Shaffmaster.
Hoffman: Minnesota has been a big surprise for not the right reasons. The Big Ten always has several teams snatching NCAA bids and Minnesota is used to being at or near the top. Minnesota is a surprise of the head-scratching kind.
Lyle: I’m calling the Hogs here. Watching Jill Gillen and Taylor Head just tear it up for Arkansas has been a lot of fun. They play with a chip on their shoulder and it makes for electric volleyball.
Voepel: Agree with Paul and Jennifer: This has not been the first season in Minneapolis that coach Keegan Cook — who took over the Gophers after eight years at Washington — was hoping for. But maybe it’s just part of the transitional pain the program is going through after Hugh McCutcheon resigned following last season as he moved into athletic administration.
But here’s a shout-out to Arkansas, which started the season ranked No. 25 and has made it into the top 10 — at No. 8 — for the first time. Sunday, the Razorbacks got their first-ever win at Florida after coming into that match 3-50 all-time against the Gators. Arkansas won in a sweep and now is 10-1 in the SEC, just ahead of 9-1 Kentucky in the standings.
Considering the Razorbacks were 21-9 last year and advanced to the NCAA tournament’s second round, “surprise” might be too strong a word for their performance thus far in 2023. However, they are now 20-3 overall, meaning for the first time since 2001 to 2003, they have had three consecutive years of 20-plus victories.
Plus, it’s also pretty cool that the Hogs’ setter is named Hannah Hogue.
Who is your Player of the Year pick?
Whittemore: Still too early to call, but I’ll say a toss-up between Nebraska’s Merritt Beason, a junior transfer from Florida, and Huskers freshman Harper Murray. Both outside hitters are playing six rotations for the No. 1 team, and that speaks volumes to me.
McPeak: Stanford opposite hitter Kendall Kipp has been really good, and teammate Kami Miner is an incredibly athletic setter who plays amazing defense and keeps her team in system. Texas’ Madi Skinner has shown she is one of the most dominant attackers in the country.
Gore: It could be multiple players, but at the moment, I’d go with Kipp. I’m not looking at specific statistics necessarily to choose her. It’s simply that if I were starting an elite team, she would be my No. 1 pick. To me, Kipp is the most complete volleyball player in the nation.
Sunderland: I never dodge a question, but I do not have a player of the year yet. There is no one this year like Stanford’s Kathryn Plummer or Wisconsin’s Dana Rettke, recent college superstars. But there are many very good players, including Miner, Skinner, Louisville’s Anna DeBeer, Tennessee’s Morgahn Fingall.
Hoffman: Madi Skinner for Texas. Period.
Lyle: How about true freshman setter Bergen Reilly at Nebraska? Reilly came in and won the starting job at a program that is usually at the top of the college volleyball world. She’s handled the moving pieces with injuries taking hitters in and out of the lineup, and she’s guided Nebraska to an undefeated record, including beating the then-No. 1 team in the nation (Wisconsin). That’s no ordinary freshman.
Voepel: Certainly not nailed down yet, but for right now Nebraska’s Merritt Beason.
November match you are most looking forward to?
Whittemore: The Nebraska at Wisconsin rematch Nov. 24 will be an opportunity for Wisconsin to reassert itself prior to selection Sunday.
McPeak: I can’t wait to watch the Nebraska at Wisconsin rematch!
Gore: Nebraska at Wisconsin … Part 2!
Sunderland: Huskers at Badgers. Tickets are going to be expensive or impossible to get.
Hoffman: The day after Thanksgiving, the volleyball world will once again have their plates full when Nebraska plays at Wisconsin.
Lyle: I’m literally counting down the days to the Nebraska-Wisconsin rematch in Madison.
Voepel: It’s universal on the “Madness in Madison,” the Huskers-Badgers showdown. But here is another match we don’t want to miss that’s a couple days earlier. Kentucky is at Arkansas on Nov. 22, and the Razorbacks will look to avenge their Oct. 22 3-2 loss at Lexington.
Bold prediction for the rest of the way?
Whittemore: I’m going to go out on a limb here and say the top four seeds in the tournament all make the national semifinals. I think they could take advantage of the huge crowds we have seen this year and use the homecourt advantage to spur them on.
Gore: I will go the other way … only two of the top four seeds will make the semis.
Sunderland: Tough one but here you go. Stanford has the best collection of wins in the country, but unless the Cardinal find a way to get more production out their middles, they will be vulnerable as the tournament unfolds.
Hoffman: I’m expecting a few first-round upsets from unlikely teams.
Lyle: The number of talented teams continues to grow in college volleyball. I’m going bold: We will have a first-time national champion in Tampa
Voepel: Nebraska plays as fearlessly as Stanford did when the Cardinal were led by their fab freshman class in 2016, and the Huskers finish with a perfect season.
Who makes the national semifinals?
Whittemore: Wisconsin, Nebraska, Louisville, Texas. If these four secure top seeds, they all have a great homecourt advantage.
McPeak: Wisconsin, Nebraska, Stanford and I’m torn on the fourth. It could be Louisville, Washington State or Texas.
Gore: Not ready to make this prediction … too early for me!
Sunderland: Nebraska, Wisconsin, Stanford, Washington State. The Cougars will be saying goodbye to the extinguished Pac-12. Where will they play next year?
Hoffman: As the competition in volleyball continues to level out (in the best way) and upsets become a regular occurrence, the serve and pass game separates the elite from the average. Whichever four teams have the best passing numbers throughout the tournament will be making a trip to Tampa.
Lyle: I’m calling the semis and championship, so I’ll pass on this one.
Voepel: Nebraska (which may try to bring 92,003 fans to Tampa), Wisconsin, Stanford, Texas. For now, I’m just going with the really big dogs.
