NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament: Elite Eight Recap

After 16 weeks of intense competition, the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Final Four is set. This Thursday, Pittsburgh (33-1) and Louisville (29-5) will square off for the third time this season, with a Nebraska (33-2) and Penn State (33-2) rematch following 30 minutes later.

How did these teams get here? Let’s recap the past weekend of elite eight play and look ahead to the final set of matches in 2024.

The first regional final saw the top-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers take on the No. 3-seeded Kentucky Wildcats at the Petersen Events Center.

Through the first set, which ended in a close 25-22 victory for Pitt, and up until the end of the second set, it appeared the match was primed to go to four sets, something that had only happened to the Panthers eight times all season.

Kentucky held a 22-17 lead late in the set until five hitting errors caused the Wildcats’ lead to quickly vanish, allowing Pitt to sneak back even and eventually steal the frame 25-23. That string of points for Pitt carried over into the third set, where there was little battle between the two teams as Pitt clinched its 27th sweep of the season.

The Panthers hit a blistering .500 in the final set, aided by sophomore opposite hitter Olivia Babcock, who led the way with 13 kills, seven digs, three block assists and one service ace. Fellow American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year finalist Brooklyn DeLeye of Kentucky led all point scorers in the match with an impressive 23 points.

But no matter the output of one player, any team needs a complete effort to upset the one-loss Panthers.

The second regional final pitted Louisville against Stanford at the KFC Yum! Center, the site of the upcoming Final Four.

With a chance to play at home the entire way through the tournament, Louisville came out of the gates a bit tight, and Stanford took full advantage, winning the first set 25-22.

After settling into the match, Louisville convincingly won the second set 25-14 but cooled off in the third, where they faced two set points but ultimately pulled out the victory 28-26. They never looked back, topping Stanford in four sets.

The X-factor for Louisville was Arizona transfer Sofia Maldonado Diaz, who finished with 12 kills, many of which came in the clutch.

This historic win allows Louisville to host its national semifinal matchup against ACC rival Pitt. The third edition of Panthers vs. Cardinals is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 19, at 6:30 p.m. EST.

The third regional final, another classic rivalry, took place on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 3 p.m. EST between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Wisconsin Badgers.

This matchup followed the same format as the first two this season, with the Cornhuskers sweeping the Badgers.

Although this was a No. 1 versus No. 2-seeded battle, it did not appear that way. Nebraska’s defense continued to dominate, holding Wisconsin’s potent offense, captained by reigning AVCA Player of the Year Sarah Franklin, to a mere .149 hitting percentage.

The Cornhuskers totaled 50 digs, headlined by star libero Lexi Rodriguez, who is now only nine digs away from becoming Nebraska’s all-time digs leader, potentially passing Olympic gold medalist Justine Wong-Orantes.

With the result of this match, the Badgers will graduate a historic class that earned them their first national championship as freshmen in 2021, including players such as Julia Orzol and Anna Smrek.

With three semifinalists established, the volleyball world turned to the State College regional final, where Penn State took on Creighton. With both teams having won at least a share of their conference titles and boasting identical records, many expected this matchup to be the closest of the slate, and it lived up to the hype.

The squads traded sets, with the Nittany Lions winning the first and third and the Bluejays responding with set two and four victories.

Creighton’s Norah Sis, typically the most efficient scorer for the Bluejays, struggled throughout the match, hitting .000 with eight kills and eight errors. Junior outside hitter Ava Martin picked up the slack, delivering 17 kills and two aces.

On the other side of the net, Camryn Hannah had a similar match to Sis, hitting -.034, while star graduate student Jess Mruzik carried the load with 20 kills on 54 swings.

With the momentum hanging in the balance heading into the fifth set, Penn State elevated its play all-around, hitting a scorching .412 while limiting Creighton to -.053. The final frame ended on a Taylor Trammell kill — a fitting finish for her and the four other seniors in their last match at Rec Hall.

Following the Pitt vs. Louisville match on Thursday, Penn State will rematch Nebraska, whom they defeated in four sets at Rec Hall just two weeks ago. The winner will take on the victor of the first semifinal on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 3 p.m. EST at the KFC Yum! Center in the 44th national championship.

Will Pitt or Louisville win its first-ever title? Will Penn State claim its eighth and first in a decade, or will Nebraska clinch its second since 2017? All four teams, two of which are led by female coaches, have the same goal: to bring home the trophy.

Make sure to tune into the ESPN networks to catch the ultimate weekend of the 2024 season, which will crown a champion.

Luke Armstrong is a first-year majoring in digital and print journalism. To contact him, email lea5382@psu.edu