Setting up the Round of 16 of the NCAA volleyball tournament
The GIST: The national tournament survivors jump back into the fray with this week’s Regionals — tomorrow’s Round of 16 plus Saturday’s quarter-finals — hosted by the highest-seeded team left in each bracket quadrant (in this case, the four No. 1 seeds).
- With three conference rival rematches on tomorrow’s docket, expect a bump-set-spike in your heart rate.
No. 4 Washington State Cougars (26-7) vs. No. 1 Pitt Panthers (27-4), 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU): In this not-to-miss non-conference pairing, both the Cougs and Panthers finished Top-10 in the season’s final poll and are riding seven-match win streaks. But Wazzu has a steep hill to climb — Pitt’s hosting, and they’ve dropped only two home matches in as many seasons.
No. 3 Arkansas Razorbacks (27-5) vs. No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats (21-7), 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU): This all–SEC showdown is bound to be a barnburner. Kentucky has racked up a mind-boggling 18 (!!!) straight dubs — including an October 22nd five-set thriller over the Razorbacks. SEC-ya there.
No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions (23-8) vs. No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers (28-3), 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2): Penn State’s one of just three teams to beat the Badgers this year, but Wisconsin’s hotter than the Academy Museum Gala’s red carpet. There’s no love lost between these Big Ten baddies, making it the most-hyped match of the tourney so far.
No. 5 Arizona State Sun Devils (28-6) vs. No. 1 Stanford Cardinal (28-3), 11:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU): Plan your nap schedule around this all–Pac-12 battle. Arizona State already stunned Stanford with an October 29th sweep, and after No. 8 Houston pushed the Card to five sets in Saturday’s second round, they’re officially on upset watch.
