NCAA Women
December 9, 2023
Just eight teams remain, with spots in the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship national semifinals on the line.
There are four NCAA Tournament regional finals Saturday, all finishing on ESPNU.
But only the first will start on ESPNU.
That’s because ESPN allotted just two hours per match.
As if.
So the second, third and fourth matches will start elsewhere.
They’ll have to. So have a second TV/viewing device ready to go.
Since the matches will likely — providing they don’t end in improbable sweeps — endure for much longer than two hours, ESPN told us the likely start-viewing outlets will be ESPN News and/or ESPN+.
Exactly where will be determined as the day unfolds, and ESPN said it will alert viewers on screen where to go as one match is in progress on ESPNU and the other begins.
That being said, here is the Saturday schedule, all times Eastern:
4 p.m. — No. 5 Louisville (27-4) vs. No. 4 Pittsburgh (28-4)
6 p.m. — No. 9 Arkansas (28-5) vs. No. 1 Nebraska (31-1)
8 p.m. — No. 6 Oregon (29-5 vs No. 3. Wisconsin (29-3)
10 p.m. — No. 7 Texas (25-4) vs. No. 2 Stanford vs. (29-3)
Historically
Four of the eight programs have won NCAA titles, including defending champion Texas of the Big 12, which has won three times.
The Pac-12’s Stanford, the all-time leader with nine titles, won most recently in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
Nebraska of the Big Ten, which has five crowns, last won in 2017.
The Big Ten’s Wisconsin won its title in 2021.
Neither the ACC’s Louisville nor Kentucky, who played each other in last year’s national semifinals before Louisville lost to Texas, the SEC’s Arkansas, nor the Pac-12’s Oregon have ever won it all.
Previously
In the ACC this season, Louisville swept Pitt in Louisville on October 13 but then Pitt pulled off a 19-25, 24-26, 26-24, 25-21, 17-15 reverse sweep at home on November 18.
Top-seeded Nebraska, which is 20-0 at home this season, is 3-0 all-time against Arkansas, but they haven’t played since 2016. …
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