Huskies Return To Tourney On Friday Against LMU

THIS WEEK IN HUSKY VOLLEYBALL

First and Second Rounds
Stanford, Calif. | Maples Pavilion

FRIDAY, DEC. 6

Washington vs (7) Loyola Marymount • 4:30 pm • ESPN+ | Live Stats

Sacramento State vs (2) Stanford • 7:00 pm • ESPN+ | Live Stats

SATURDAY, SEPT. 7

Match 1 Winner vs Match 2 Winner • 6:00 pm • ESPN+

SEATTLE – Washington Volleyball makes its not-so-long-awaited return to the NCAA tournament this week, back after a one-year absence and ready for its 28^th all-time appearance. The Dawgs will head to an arena they’re very familiar with, but will open the tournament against a team they have surprisingly never faced. Washington and Loyola Marymount meet in the first round this Friday, Dec. 6, at 4:30 p.m. in Stanford’s Maples Pavilion.

 

The Dawgs made 21 consecutive NCAA tournaments from 2002-2022 before missing the dance in 2023, but second-year Head Coach Leslie Gabriel got the Huskies back in the 64-team field as one of the final four at-large selections. UW will look for its first tourney win since reaching the round of 16 in 2021. The Huskies have reached five Final Fours, most recently in the 2020 season, and won the 2005 NCAA Championship.

 

Stanford, a No. 2 overall seed, plays host to the opening two rounds this Friday and Saturday. Washington and No. 7-seed LMU take the court first, then Stanford faces Sacramento State at 7 p.m. on Friday. The winners will then meet on Saturday at 6 p.m. for a spot in the Sweet 16. All three matches at Stanford will be streamed live via ESPN+

 

The Huskies reached the tournament with a 19-11 record going 9-11 in the Big Ten. UW was one of nine Big Ten teams to advance, which tied the SEC and the ACC for most conference qualifiers. The Huskies had crucial wins over ranked Oregon and Minnesota squads to boost its at-large credentials, and UW will head into the tournament the healthiest its been since the season began, with Kierstyn Barton, Audra Wilmes, Madi Endsley, and Katy Wessels all returning to the lineup after recent injuries.

 

Washington and LMU have never met despite sharing the West Coast. The Lions earned one of the four No. 7 seeds by going 24-5 overall and 16-2 to win the West Coast Conference. They were 13-0 at home, 8-4 on the road and 3-1 in neutral matches. They ended the regular season with a 3-1 win at…