An NCAA volleyball tournament that was sprinkled with upsets at the start has folded into form at the end. All four No. 1 seeds — Pittsburgh, Louisville, Nebraska and Penn State — have advanced to the final four in Louisville.
The national semifinals on Thursday will feature rematches of conference rivals with Pittsburgh and Louisville of the ACC squaring off in one and Nebraska and Penn State of the Big Ten playing in the other. The Panthers went 2-0 against the Cardinals this season, and the Nittany Lions won their lone matchup against the Cornhuskers.
Pittsburgh and Louisville are both looking to claim their first national title. Nebraska has won five, most recently in 2017, and Penn State has won seven, most recently in 2014.
The national championship is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. on ABC.
First round
Thursday, Dec. 5
Loyola Chicago 3, No. 5 BYU 0
No. 6 Minnesota 3, Western Kentucky 1
No. 6 USC 3, UT Arlington 0
Ole Miss 3, No. 7 Florida State 2
No. 7 Georgia Tech 3, Tennessee 2
No. 5 Dayton 3, South Carolina 1
No. 7 Missouri 3, Texas State 0
No. 4 Purdue 3, Western Michigan 0
No. 5 Marquette 3, FGCU 0
No. 3 TCU 4, Hawaii 0
No. 3 Kentucky 3, Cleveland State 0
No. 3 Texas 3, A&M-Corpus Christi 0
No. 2 SMU 3, Wichita State 0
No. 2 Creighton 3, South Dakota 0
No. 2 Wisconsin 3, Fairfield 0
No. 4 Baylor 3, Wofford 0
No. 4 Utah 3, College of Charleston 0
No. 4 Oregon 3, High Point 0
Friday, Dec. 6
No. 8 Oklahoma 3, UTEP 2
No. 8 UNI 3, Illinois 1
No. 6 Florida 3, NC State 0
No. 8 North Carolina 3, Yale 1
No. 8 Miami (FL) 3, South Dakota State 0
No. 6 Texas A&M 3, Colorado State 1
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, Morehead State 0
No. 1 Louisville 3, Chicago State 0
No. 1 Penn State 3, Delaware State 0
No. 7 LMU (CA) 3, Washington 2
No. 3 Kansas 3, Colgate 0
No. 1 Nebraska 3, Florida A&M 0
No. 3 Arizona State 3, New Hampshire 0
No. 2 Stanford 3, Sacramento State 0
Second Round
Friday, Dec. 6
No. 4 Purdue 3, Loyola Chicago 0
No. 3 Kentucky 3, No. 6 Minnesota 1
No. 3 Texas 3, No. 6, USC 0
No. 5 Dayton 3, No. 4 Baylor 2
No. 2 Creighton 3, Ole Miss 0
No. 7 Missouri 3, No. 2 SMU 1
No. 2 Wisconsin 3, No. 7 Georgia Tech 1
No. 4 Oregon 3, No. 5 TCU 1
No. 5 Marquette 3, No. 4 Utah 2
Saturday, Dec. 7
No. 1 Louisville 3, No. 8 UNI 2
No. 1 Penn State 3, No. 8 North Carolina 1
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, No. 8 Oklahoma 0
No. 6 Florida 3, No. 3 Kansas 2
No. 6 Texas A&M 3, No. 3 Arizona State 1
No. 1 Nebraska 3, No. 8 Miami (FL) 0
No. 2 Stanford 3, No. 7 LMU (CA) 0
Regional semifinals
Thursday, Dec. 12
No. 3 Kentucky 3, No. 7 Missouri 1
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, No. 4 Oregon 2
No. 2 Stanford 3, No. 6 Florida, 1
No. 1 Louisville 3, No. 4 Purdue 0
Friday, Dec. 13
No. 2 Creighton 3, No. 3 Texas 1
No. 1 Penn State 3, No. 5 Marquette 1
No. 2 Wisconsin 3, No. 6 Texas A&M 2
No. 1 Nebraska 3, No. 5 Dayton 1
Regional finals
Saturday, Dec. 14
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, No. 3 Kentucky 0
No. 1 Louisville 3, No. 2 Stanford 1
Sunday, Dec. 15
No. 1 Nebraska 3, No. 2 Wisconsin 0
No. 1 Penn State 3, No. 2 Creighton 2
National semifinals
(All times Eastern)
Thursday, Dec. 19
No. 1 Louisville 3, No. 1 Pittsburgh 1
No. 1 Penn State 3, No. 1 Nebraska 2
National championship
Sunday, Dec. 22
No. 1 Penn State 3, No. 1 Louisville 1
Tournament storylines
The 64-team field includes a ukulele-playing, cough-drop-sucking coach, a player whose dad was once compared to Michael Jordan, and stars who are willing to share the good and the bad of fame. Here are some stars and storylines to watch between now and the final in Tampa.
Pitt volleyball chases history with a hunter’s mindset
With an innovative coach in Dan Fisher, a powerful lineup and a hunter mindset, top-seeded Pittsburgh looks ready to win its first national title. Read more
7:00
How visualization has helped Pitt volleyball become a title contender
Andrea Adelson examines how Pittsburgh’s roster, anchored by five seniors, and the practice of visualization might lead to the school’s first volleyball national title.
Can Madisen Skinner lead Texas volleyball to a three-peat?
Madisen Skinner’s volleyball ascent was fast — maybe too fast. After an up-and-down season, she looks to elevate Texas from a No. 3 seed to a three-peat NCAA champion. Read more
7:18
Madisen Skinner’s road to back-to-back titles at Texas
Aishwarya Kumar shares Texas volleyball outside hitter Madisen Skinner’s historic collegiate journey, which includes three national titles.
Nebraska volleyball’s Harper Murray trying to regain trust, recapture love
Harper Murray was arrested for DUI and charged with shoplifting during the offseason. The Nebraska sophomore star has focused on healing while leading the Huskers through another exceptional season. Read more
7:53
How Kami Miner’s career was influenced by her dad
Aishwarya Kumar chronicles how Stanford volleyball player Kami Miner’s career has been influenced by her father, former NBA first-round pick Harold Miner.
The pain of ‘Baby Jordan’ and the power of Kami Miner
Harold Miner spent years agonizing over his unrealized NBA dreams. When his young daughter started doing 30-inch box jumps, he became her guide, and she became his healer. Now, Kami Miner looks to lead Stanford volleyball to a national title. Read more
Sam Gore, Aishwarya Kumar, Holly McPeak, Courtney Lyle and Michael Voepel analyze the 64-team bracket and spotlight the teams and players (spoiler: Olivia Babcock) to watch. Read more Zachary C. Bako for ESPN Heavy hitters Andi Jackson, Sarah Franklin, Torrey Stafford, Eva Hudson and Kennedy Martin headline the list. Read more
Roundtable: Which teams have a tough road to Louisville?
16 players to watch at regionals
