What teams join Texas Longhorns volleyball at the Final Four, and who will win the title?
Regardless of the matchups, the NCAA women’s volleyball Final Four looks full of heavyweight matchups. Nebraska, the top-ranked team in the final season poll conducted by the America Volleyball Coaches Association, joins No. 3 Wisconsin and No. 4 Pittsburgh as the top seeds to advance to this week’s tournament in Tampa, Fla., which begins Thursday.
And No. 7 Texas, the only team not seeded atop a region, returns to the Final Four as the defending national champion fresh off an impressive 3-1 win over No. 2 Stanford.
More: How to watch Thursday's Texas-Wisconsin national volleyball semifinal
Nebraska and Pittsburgh meet in the first semifinal on Thursday followed by the match between Texas and Wisconsin. The winners will meet Sunday for the national title.
Let’s take a look at all four teams in the Final Four:
More: The Texas Longhorns football and volleyball teams made history this season. Here's how.
Nebraska (32-1)
Key players: All-American libero Lexi Rodriguez anchors the back row and already has more than 1,400 digs in her decorated three-year career, and 6-foot-4 outside hitter Merritt Beason has reached double digits in kills in 27 matches since transferring in from Florida in the offseason.
Why Nebraska could win it all: The Huskers have tradition on their side with 17 Final Fours and five national titles as well as one of the top recruiting classes in college volleyball history that features four freshmen starters.
Nebraska’s biggest concern: The Huskers don’t have a single senior on their team, and their lone loss in 2023 came in resounding fashion late in the season against fellow Final Four qualifier Wisconsin.
Wisconsin (30-3)
Key players: Two of Wisconsin’s losses came with 6-foot-9 outside hitter Anna Smrek sidelined by an injury, but the Badgers have won seven in a row since her return, and 6-4 outside hitter Sarah Franklin earned player of the year honors in the Big Ten after averaging 4.19 kills a set.
Why Wisconsin could win it all: The most intimidating rotation in the nation features six players at least 6-feet-3 and three players with at least 100 total blocks, and the Badgers only lost one match — a five-set thriller on the road against Big Ten rival Nebraska — with a healthy lineup.
Wisconsin’s biggest concern: The Badgers’ massive block can mask some defensive concerns on the back row.
Pittsburgh (27-5)
Key players: Freshman Olivia Babcock leads the Panthers with 3.61 kills a set and earned freshman of the year honors in the ACC, and three-year starting setter Rachel Fairbanks earned her second consecutive setter of the year award from the ACC.
Why Pittsburgh could win it all: A strong core of players has now led the Panthers to three consecutive Final Fours, and the team overcome a significant hurdle in the regional finals by overcoming a two-set deficit in a win over Louisville, which eliminated Pitt in last year’s semifinals.
Pittsburgh’s biggest concern: The Panthers have never won a national title, and their top attacker — Babcock — is a freshman that has never played on such a big stage.
Texas (26-4)
Key players: Outside hitter Madisen Skinner, the Big 12’s player of the year, has at least 20 kills in six of her past seven matches and averages 4.61 kills a set while middle blocker Asjia O’Neal is a multi-time All-American and member of the U.S. national team.
Why Texas could win it all: The defending national champions are peaking at the right time offensively behind freshman setter Ella Swindle, and coach Jerritt Elliott has led the Longhorns to 11 Final Fours and two national titles in 22 years at the school.
Texas’ biggest concern: The attack needs consistency from the opposite hitter to alleviate the pressure on Skinner and avoid any offensive slumps.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: What three teams join Texas Longhorns volleyball at the NCAA Final Four?
