“Be you, be great”

The GIST: The field is, ahem, set — 64 teams will compete in the single-elimination NCAA volleyball tournament starting tomorrow. Here’s what you need to know before the first serve.

The No. 1 seeds: No. 1 overall seed Pitt has been the team to beat all season, with just one loss way back on October 12th. But the Panthers aren’t the only powerhouse to watch — all of the No. 1 seeds have a rich history of bumping, setting, and spiking through opponents.

• Penn State’s won seven titles, Nebraska’s notched five, and Louisville has 33 NCAA tourney appearances. Queens of the court, indeed.

Other teams to watch: The No. 3 seed Texas Longhorns are coming off back-to-back NCAA titles, led by fifth-year senior Madisen Skinner. The outside hitter delivered a signature performance in last season’s final, posting 16 kills against aforementioned Nebraska. Lethal.

• Don’t count out No. 2 seed Wisconsin, either. The Badgers impressed in a competitive Big Ten (alongside Penn State and Nebraska) and are seeking their first title since 2021.

• As for an underdog contender, No. 4 seed Oregon’s never won a ’ship, but the Ducks — who made it all the way to the quarter-finals last year — have been a tournament mainstay, appearing 17 times in the last 19 years. Can they quack up some magic this season?

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The GIST: If you thought last week was wild, buckle up — the top-25 matchups are only heating up. We have teams riding high and others (looking at you, defending champs UConn) in desperate need of a win as the star-powered SEC/ACC Challenge and Big 12-Big East Battle began yesterday.

🐻 No. 15 Baylor at 🐶 No. 25 UConn — 6:30 p.m. ET — FS1: Before a blowout win this past Saturday, UConn had lost three straight and plummeted from No. 2 to No. 25 in the latest AP poll. Beating Baylor, a team that’s yet to record a top-25 win, would certainly help the reigning champs get back on track.

🐘 No. 10 Alabama at 🐏 No. 20 UNC — 7:15 p.m. ET — ESPN: Alabama is without fifth-year senior Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and his average of 11.5 points per game after he ruptured his Achilles on Saturday. That means the Crimson Tide will lean on its three other double-digit scorers while contending with UNC’s experienced backcourt. Tide or Tar Heels?

🦅 No. 5 Marquette at 🌪️ No. 6 Iowa State — 8 p.m. ET — ESPN+: Transfers are a major part of college sports, but Marquette’s top scorers are a testament to staying the course. Guard Kam Jones and forward David Joplin are both four-year Golden Eagles and flying high with 19.6 and 15.9 points on average, respectively.

• As for the Cyclones, Iowa State’s sophomore big Milan Momcilovic is the one to watch fresh off a 24-point performance. No. 5 vs. No. 6? Say less.

🐯No. 2 Auburn at 😈 No. 9 Duke — 9:15 p.m. ET — ESPN: The undefeated Tigers have already topped then-No. 4 Houston, then-No. 5 Iowa State, and then-No. 12 UNC this season, and are looking to add the Blue Devils to their list of slain top-25 opponents.

• But they’ll have to get through Duke’s dynamic freshman duo: Cooper “likely No. 1 overall 2025 NBA Draft pick” Flagg and Kon Knueppel.

The GIST: Why leave all the fun to the men? It’s also shaping up to be a wild stretch of women’s basketball, with three top-25 matchups tipping off tomorrow. We’re talking everything from big dogs to underdogs — woof, woof.

🐱 No. 14 Kentucky at 🐏 No. 16 UNC — 5 p.m. ET — ESPN2: Undefeated Kentucky is on a roll, while North Carolina is looking for its first ranked win of the season. Wildcats center Clara Strack has been a force for Kentucky, averaging a double-double per game, but UNC boasts its own talented young bigs. This is going to be good.

🐮 No. 4 Texas at 🍀 No. 10 Notre Dame — 7 p.m. ET — ESPN: This game features not one, but two superstar duos. Senior Rori Harmon leads Texas alongside her sophomore teammate Madison Booker. For the Irish, it’s all about sophomore Hannah Hidalgo and senior Olivia Miles. Grab your goggles because this is must-see TV.

😈 No. 8 Duke at 🐓 No. 3 South Carolina — 9 p.m. ET — ESPN: Duke is on a roll after beating No. 13 Kansas State and No. 11 Oklahoma last week, but nothing would compare to knocking off the defending champs.

• Meanwhile, SC responded to suffering its first loss in 43 games late last month by beating its next two opponents by an average of 44 points. Consider that statement made.