Friday was an eventful day in NCAA Division I volleyball. The No. 2 Nebraska team secured a historic victory against No. 7 Wisconsin by sweeping them in three sets. Meanwhile, unranked Miami pulled off an impressive comeback to defeat No. 6 Stanford after being down 24-22 in the fourth set. Additionally, unranked Missouri emerged victorious against No. 7 Texas in a five-set match, positioning them at the top of the SEC standings tied with Texas and Kentucky.
Notable performances from individual players included Evansville’s Giulia Cardona, who recorded 34 kills, hitting .453, along with two aces, three blocks, and eight digs. UC Riverside’s Trinity Sheridan contributed significantly with 31 kills, hitting .324, and adding 10 digs and three blocks. James Madison’s Bre Reid stood out with 28 kills, an ace, 13 digs, and two blocks in a five-set match against South Alabama. Other standout players included Elise McGhee from Baylor, Mailinh Godschall from Duke, and Jayln Stout from Coastal Carolina.
Athletes Unlimited kicked off its final weekend of the season, with Brittany Abercrombie leading the standings with 3,984 points followed closely by Bethania De La Cruz-Mejias with 3,607 points. Madi Kingdon Rishel solidified her position in third place with 3,068 points, making it a competitive three-player race for the season title.
Looking ahead to NCAA volleyball matches on Saturday, there are several exciting matchups to anticipate. No. 4 Louisville will face Notre Dame in the ACC, while No. 8 Kansas hosts West Virginia in the Big 12. No. 13 Arizona State will play No. 22 Utah, and No. 23 BYU will be at home against Arizona. No. 12 Oregon will host UCLA in the Big Ten, with other matchups including Purdue at Rutgers and Indiana at Maryland.
In conference play, No. 15 Dayton aims to extend its winning streak as they take on George Mason in the Atlantic 10. The Southland Conference features a key matchup between Southeastern Louisiana and Stephen F. Austin, with Southeastern Louisiana currently on a 19-game winning streak. South Dakota State, the only unbeaten team at 21-0, will face Kansas City in The Summit League. Additionally, Hampton will seek their first win of the season in a CAA match against College of Charleston.
Overall, NCAA volleyball continues to deliver thrilling matches and standout performances from talented athletes. As the season progresses, fans can expect more exciting matchups and fierce competition as teams vie for conference titles and postseason berths.
