Category: Volleyball

Texas Longhorns’ lose head volleyball coach to Team USA

Texas volleyball coach Erik Sullivan is leaving the Longhorns and will take over to Team USA.

USA Volleyball has announced Texas Longhorns Associate Head Coach Erik Sullivan as the new head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team, succeeding Karch Kiraly, who led the team to three Olympic medals and a World Championship title.

Sullivan, with decades of coaching and playing experience, is stepping in at a crucial moment for the program. The appointment comes before the 2025 Volleyball Nations League season, which commences on June 4 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Sullivan’s coaching career is extensive, having led the Texas Longhorns to three NCAA Championships, including consecutive titles in 2022 and 2023. Renowned for his defensive expertise, he has also coached at Nebraska and Colorado. Additionally, he served with the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team at the FIVB Championships in 2011.

In a statement on Monday on behalf of USA Volleyball Sullivan said:

“I’m honored and excited to take on this new responsibility as head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team,” said Sullivan. “Karch Kiraly has left an incredible legacy, and I’m committed to continuing the work he has done with this amazing team. My goal is to build on a strong foundation and create an environment where our athletes can develop to their fullest potential while competing at the highest level. I look forward to working alongside this talented group of athletes as we prepare for the challenges ahead.”

“I’m thrilled that Erik Sullivan will be the next head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team,” said two-time Olympian and Longhorn elite Chiaka Ogbogu. “The team will continue its tradition of being led by a world-class coach, and Erik’s experience as an Olympian will be invaluable. The volleyball knowledge I gained from him continues to shape my game, but the leadership lessons he taught me—about upholding a gold-medal standard—are what I’m most grateful for.”

Sullivan will assume the role in preparation for the upcoming international season, with a primary focus on building momentum for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It was noted he will assist the Longhorns in a smooth transition and Longhorn nation has already embraced his move.

As they say:

What Starts Here, Changes the World.

Rodriguez named finalist for AVCA National Player of the Year

Nebraska Cornhusker senior libero Lexi Rodriguez has been named a finalist for AVCA National Player of the Year.

Nebraska senior libero Lexi Rodriguez was named a finalist for AVCA National Player of the Year. The award will be presented on Friday at the AVCA All-America awards banquet.

Rodriguez is a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and the first libero named an AVCA Region Player of the Year. She is also the third player in program history to be named a four-time All-American.

This season, she leads the team with 3.91 digs per set and ranks second in school history in career digs with 1,882 digs, just nine digs shy of breaking the school record of 1,890 digs held by Justin Wong-Orantes.

The other three finalists are Sarah Franklin of Wisconsin, Brookly DeLeye of Kentucky, and Olivia Babcock of Pittsburgh.

Nebraska will face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday night in the NCAA Semifinal on ESPN. The match will begin 30 minutes after the first semifinal match between the Pittsburgh Panthers and Louisville Cardinals at 5:30 p.m. CT

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Wisconsin volleyball swept by Nebraska, ends season in Regional Final of 2024 NCAA Tournament

Wisconsin volleyball swept by Nebraska, ends season in Regional Final of 2024 NCAA Tournament

The No. 2-seed Wisconsin Badgers fell to the No.1-seed Nebraska Cornhuskers in the fourth round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

After vanquishing No. 6-seed Texas A&M in five sets in the tournament’s third round, the Badgers could not overcome arguably the best team in the nation.

Staged in Nebraska’s Devaney Center, the Cornhuskers claimed all three sets 26-24, 25-17, 25-21 to advance to the Final Four in Louisville, Kentucky.

Superstar Sarah Franklin finished with a team-best 12 kills and added one block in the effort. Anna Smrek added nine kills and three blocks, Julia Orzol finished with seven kills and Carter Booth added six kills and three blocks.

The loss marks the Badgers’ third loss via sweep against Nebraska this season. The Cornhuskers have lost just two matches this season and are poised to claim their first title since 2017 and sixth in program history.

Nebraska will now face the winner of Penn State-Creighton in the Final Four. The winner of that contest will square off against the victor of Pittsburgh vs. Louisville.

Wisconsin finishes the season with a 26-7 mark in a roller coaster of a season. The team dropped three straight to begin the year before winning 21 of its ensuing 23 matches in a two-month span.

The Badgers remained within the top 10 of the weekly AVCA rankings for the duration of the season, but the team didn’t appear as dominant as it did a season ago when it lost to Texas in the 2023 Final Four.

Kentucky falls to Pitt in the Elite Eight on Saturday night

Kentucky women’s volleyball was eliminated from the postseason by Pitt on Saturday.

A great season from Kentucky women’s volleyball has come to an end, as the Wildcats are out of an opportunity for a national championship.

Wildcat volleyball fell in straight sets to the Pitt Panthers, losing 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-17) in Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

Kentucky came into the tournament as a three-seed, ultimately taking down unseeded Cleveland State (3-0), 6-seed Minnesota (3-1), and 7-seed Mizzou (3-1) on Thursday night to advance to the Elite Eight. It was the fifth time in program history that the Wildcats had advanced that far, with Kentucky making the final eight teams in 1983, 1987, 2017, and 2020 as well.

But, sadly, Pitt ended Kentucky’s season prematurely. Pitt used their home court advantage to the fullest, using a passionate Panther crowd to kill any sort of momentum the Wildcats mustered throughout the match.

The loss meant that Pitt stifled Kentucky of a potential Governor’s Cup matchup. The Panthers will now play the Louisville Cardinals at the KFC Yum Center.

The loss also means that Kentucky’s season is officially over. The Wildcats finish 23-8 — although there were many silver linings to come from this season.

Kentucky won its eighth-consecutive SEC Championship, it’s fifth outright in that run. Wildcats head coach Craig Skinner was named SEC coach of the year, and sophomore outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye was named SEC player of the year.

Volleyball advances to Regional Final following 3-1 win over Dayton

The Huskers will now face the Wisconsin Badgers in the Regional Final.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers faced off against Dayton Friday night, looking to reach their 33rd regional final. The Huskers achieved that feat by taking down the Flyers in four sets (25-17, 25-18, 25-27, 25-13).

Though Dayton took the third set 27-25, Nebraska held the Flyers at bay throughout. The Huskers kept Dayton a .087 attack percentage. Nebraska, meanwhile, hit 53 of 134 to give it the edge.

Harper Murray served up a career-high 22 kills off 44 attacks, along with a season-high 16 digs, four service aces and four blocks. Rebekah Allick hit 10 of 19 and four blocks.

Andi Jackson earned a team-high seven blocks along with eight kills off 18 attacks. Bergen Reilly nailed two kills off three attacks, finished with a team-high 47 set assists, six digs and four blocks.

Lexi Rodriguez tallied up a team-high 22 digs, bring her career total to 1,865. Rodriguez is now 26 digs away from breaking Justine Wong-Orantes’ all-time record.

Nebraska advances to the Regional Final, facing off against Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon. The first serve is set for 2:00 p.m. CT on ABC.

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Kentucky volleyball will play in the NCAA Elite Eight

Kentucky women’s volleyball is on to the Elite Eight after beating Missouri.

After taking down an SEC rival when it mattered most, the Kentucky volleyball team is one step closer to a national championship.

Kentucky women’s volleyball took down Missouri yesterday, winning 3-1 (25-20, 25-20, 16-25, 25-13) to advance to the NCAA Elite Eight.

This will be the fifth Elite Eight appearance in Wildcat history, as Kentucky also made it this far in 1983, 1987, 2017, and 2020.

This was Kentucky’s third win over Missouri this season, as they also took down the Tigers 3-0 on October 6 and 3-1 on November 27.

Sophomore outside hitter Brooklyn Deleye led the way this go-around, tallying 22 kills, 3 aces, and two blocks.

“We just have to clean up the little things,” the AVCA Southern Region Player of the Year said post match. “But we are ready (for the Elite Eight).”

Senior Emma Groome and Megan Wilson each had terrific matches as well. Groome notched 50 assists and 10 digs, while Wilson had 13 kills — including a SportsCenter Top 10 worthy header in the second set.

The Wildcats will now advance to play Pitt, who took down Oregon 3-2 across five sets yesterday.

That matchup is slated for December 14 at 5 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and is also available to be streamed on ESPN+.

Florida volleyball falls to Stanford in regional semifinal

Florida volleyball’s 2024 season came to end Thursday night with a regional semifinal loss to Stanford in the third round of the NCAA tournament.

Florida volleyball’s 2024 NCAA Tournament run came to an end in the regional semifinals against Stanford, 3-1, on Thursday night.

The Gators took the opening set but couldn’t hold off the Cardinal after that. Sophomore Kennedy Martin led all players with 24.5 points, 21 kills and 5.0 blocks. Martin also notched her 1,000th career kill and set various program records with the season over.

In an individual season, Martin had the second-most kills per game (5.56), second-most points per game (6.28) and 10th-most kills in a season (512). she also set the program record for kills in a game this year with 33 against Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Only a sophomore, Martin’s breakout season has the Gators primed for another deep run in 2025.

How it happened: Stanford def. Florida, 3-1

Florida led early in the first set, but Stanford rallied to take a late lead. A pair of service errors knotted things up at 23 and 24 points. A kill by Kennedy Martin and a block assist by Isabel Martin — set up by a beautiful pancake save — delivered a 1-0 lead.

Stanford jumped out to a 10-5 lead early in the second set and never looked back, evening things up 1-1 with a 25-17 win. Set 3 started off in Florida’s favor, but a four-point rally made it a back-and-forth affair. Stanford gained the advantage late and won 26-24 to move within a set of the regional final.

The Gators were the first to 20 in Set 4, but the Cardinal went a 3-0 run to put the match within reach. Martin delivered a pair of kills to keep it close, and Florida even reached set point twice, but Stanford prevailed and advanced to the regional final.

Senior sendoff

Five Gators — Trinity Adams, Erin Engel, Annie Cate Fitzpatrick, Isabel Martin, Elli McKissock and Gabrielle Essix missed most of the season with a knee injury and could return if granted a medical redshirt; however, volleyball does not have a participation threshold, so her five sets played against Florida State make her ineligible for a regular redshirt.

McKissock leaves Florida with the most digs (2,147) and sets played (534) in program history. She is also second in matches played (146), third in digs per set (4.02) and eighth in service aces (144)

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Wisconsin volleyball defeats Georgia Tech, moves on in 2024 NCAA Tournament

Wisconsin volleyball defeats Georgia Tech, moves on in 2024 NCAA Tournament

The No. 2-seed Wisconsin Badgers rallied back to beat No. 7-seed Georgia Tech to advance to the third round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Friday.

After dropping the first set of the match 27-25, the Badgers rallied back to defeat the Yellow Jackets 25-20, 25-23, 25-21 in the ensuing sets to punch a ticket to the Sweet 16 for the twelfth straight season.

Star outside hitter Sarah Franklin followed her 12-kill, three-block effort against Fairfield on Thursday with a team-high 20 kills against Georgia Tech. Anna Smrek accounted for 13 kills and nine blocks, and veterans Carter Booth and Devyn Robinson combined for 18 kills and 11 blocks in the comeback victory.

Unlike its 3-0 sweet against Fairfield on Dec. 5, Georgia Tech posed an early challenge for UW. The Yellow Jackets refused to quit in each set and forced Wisconsin to earn the 3-1 win through late rallies.

Georgia Tech actually notched five more kills and 11 more assists than the Badgers on the evening, but the Badgers hit .265 with 10 fewer errors than the Yellow Jackets.

Wisconsin is now set to square off against No. 6-seed Texas A&M in Lincoln, Nebraska on Friday, Dec. 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will be aired on ESPN2.

If UW snatches the Sweet 16 victory over the Aggies, it will likely face No. 1-seed Nebraska in the Elite 8. The Cornhuskers have vanquished the Badgers in six straight sets this season and are arguably the best team in the country.

The latest come-from-behind win could work in UW’s favor. While a sweep may indicate dominance, adversity can harden a team with championship aspirations on its mind.

Huskers sweep Miami to advance to round three of the NCAA Tournament

The Huskers will now face the Dayton Flyers in the third round of the NCAA tournament

The Nebraska volleyball team entered the second round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday night, clashing with No. 8 Miami. The Huskers delivered another sweep, punching their ticket to the team’s 40th NCAA Regional.

Nebraska held the Hurricanes to under 20 points in each set, accompanying the Huskers’ defensive outing. The Huskers held Miami to a .058 attack percentage and 32 kills off 104 attacks. The Huskers finished 41 of 92 in attacks.

Harper Murray finished with a team-high nine kills off 17 attacks, a team-high 12 digs, and a team-high two service aces. Merritt Beason also delivered 17 attacks, earning eight kills.

Rebekah Allick scored seven blocks in the win and hit six kills off nine attacks. Bergen Reilly landed four of seven in attacks and tallied a team-high 33 set assists.

Nebraska will remain home to host the third round and the quarterfinals. In the third round, the Huskers will face the No. 5 Dayton Flyers. Match day and time are to be determined.

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Wisconsin volleyball sweeps Fairfield, advances to second round of 2024 NCAA Tournament

Wisconsin volleyball sweeps Fairfield, advances to second round of 2024 NCAA Tournament

The No. 2-seed Wisconsin Badgers swept the Fairfield Stags to advance to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

The Badgers didn’t struggle in separating from Fairfield, winning 25-16, 25-16 and 25-14 before a jam-packed home crowd to punch their ticket to the Second Round against No. 7 Georgia Tech.

Senior middle blocker Anna Smrek finished with a team-best 14 kills and added five blocks, while back-to-back Big Ten Player of the Year Sarah Franklin finished with 12 kills and three blocks in the effort.

As a team, Wisconsin tallied 48 kills to Fairfield’s 29, 45 assists to the Stags’ 27 and seven aces to Fairfield’s one. With the win, UW moves to 26-1 all-time in the first round of the tournament.

Kelly Sheffield’s eyes are certainly not set on a first-round victory over a team from the MAAC. For this season to be a success, his squad will need to vanquish the No. 1-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers in the tournament’s quarterfinal round.

Wisconsin is 0-2 against Nebraska this season, but the team’s history of consistent postseason success is undeniable. Wisconsin’s next test vs. Georgia Tech is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT on Friday and will be broadcasted on ESPN +.