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Volleyball Live: 2023 DI Women’s Championship Updates

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The 2023 DI Women’s Volleyball Championship is in full swing, captivating fans with thrilling matches and intense competition. As the teams vie for supremacy, we bring you live updates to keep you abreast of the latest developments in this exciting tournament.

Saturday’s schedule marks the ongoing second round. After its conclusion, the Volleyball tournament will narrow down to the final 16 teams. The first eight teams are confirmed, thanks to Friday’s results. Now, it’s the moment to reveal the remaining regional teams.

  • At 6 p.m., (3) Tennessee faces off against (6) Western Kentucky.
  • At 7 p.m., (1) Pitt takes on (8) Southern California.
  • At 7:30 p.m., (3) Creighton competes against Minnesota.
  • At 8 p.m., (3) Arkansas clashes with TCU, and (1) Nebraska encounters (8) Missouri.
  • At 9 p.m., (4) BYU goes head-to-head with (5) Arizona State, and (1) Stanford meets (8) Houston.
  • At 10 p.m., (4) Washington State plays against (5) Dayton.

Thrilling second set unfolds in Pullman

After Washington State secured a commanding 25-12 win in the initial set, Grand Canyon displayed resilience, pushing the (4) Cougars into a demanding scenario with seven match points in the second set. Magda Jehlarova’s impactful shot eventually sealed the victory for Wazzu at 31-29, underscoring the intense and hard-fought nature of the match.

The fifth-seeded teams persist through a span of five rounds

In a riveting match, (5) Georgia Tech clinched a 3-2 victory over (4) Florida. The Yellow Jackets’ success was driven by Bianca Bertolino’s remarkable double-double, featuring 18 kills and 17 digs, along with Tamara Otene’s impressive 21 kills. This particular match stood out as the most closely contested in the Volleyball tournament, with each set decided by an average of 3.6 points.

Noteworthy was the second set, which went all the way to 30 points. Despite encountering challenges, including 15 service errors and trailing 13-8 in blocks, Georgia Tech’s resilience and standout performances in the second and fifth sets ultimately secured their triumph over a determined Florida squad.

Dayton, ranked fifth, triumphed 3-2 against Pepperdine (26-28, 26-24, 20-25, 25-14, 15-11), securing a spot in the round of 32. Lexie Almodovar, achieving her 12th double-double of the season, played a crucial role with 19 kills and 17 digs, guiding the Fliers to victory over the Waves.

Penn State emerges victorious against Kansas

In a closely fought match, the (5) Nittany Lions secured a 3-2 win against the (4) Jayhawks on their home turf (25-20, 22-25, 25-21, 13-25, 15-13). Defensive specialist Maddy Bilinovic played a crucial role, registering three aces, with her third serving as the decisive blow to eliminate Kansas. The Volleyball teams traded sets, and their hitting percentages were nearly identical, with PSU at .292 and Kansas at .294.

Despite a remarkable performance by Kansas’ Reagan Cooper, who recorded a game-high 29 kills, including six in the fifth set, the combined efforts of Camryn Hannah and Taylor Trammell, contributing 7 kills in the final set for Penn State, proved insurmountable for Kansas. Consequently, the Nittany Lions progressed to the next round of this year’sVolleyball tournament.

The initial pair of positions in the regional semifinals is now confirmed

The (2) Kentucky Wildcats claimed a 3-0 win over Baylor, and (2) Louisville shut out Western Michigan, securing the initial spots in the Volleyball tournament’s regional semifinals.

HOW MANY chances for set points?

During the second set of their second-round clash, Georgia Tech gained five set points against Florida, clinching the set with a tight 30-28 win. In a back-and-forth exchange of points in the extended play, Bianca Bertolino delivered three crucial kills, giving the Yellow Jackets the upper hand. Currently, the teams are leveled at 1-1.

TCU narrowly secures victory against (6) FSU

The first-round competition concluded with a hard-fought match, culminating in Melanie Parra’s 23rd kill, securing a 3-1 lead for TCU (26-24, 16-25, 25-18, 26-24). Jalyn Gibson and Audrey Nalls also reached double-digit kills for the Horned Frogs, with 17 and 13 kills, respectively. Additionally, the duo collectively tallied five service aces. TCU is now poised to meet the winner of the match between (3) Arkansas and SFA in the upcoming round.

Arizona State is making steady progress

The (5) Sun Devils claimed the initial two sets against the Georgia Bulldogs, boasting a current hitting percentage of .431, an 80% siding out rate, and registering nine blocks. Securing the first two sets with scores of 25-21 and 25-12, the Sun Devils now need to be the first to reach 25 points to progress to the second round of the Stanford regional.

Penn State establishes a strong defensive wall

The (5) Nittany Lions gained an early advantage of 25-20 in the first set against (4) Kansas, registering four blocks.

The Gophers clinch a win against (6) Utah State

Minnesota has triumphed in three matches this season, despite maintaining a hitting percentage in the .100s, and today’s encounter with the ranked Utah State is one such instance. Despite converting only 36% of their swings into kills, Minnesota effectively neutralized the offensive threats of the Aggies, holding two of Utah State’s top hitters to .000 and -.200 clips. The third set proved to be the most challenging for the Golden Gophers, featuring nine ties and five lead changes.

Nevertheless, two late four-point rallies secured a 3-0 victory (25-17, 25-14, 25-23). During the match, Minnesota amassed nine service aces, with outside hitter Taylor Landfair contributing three. The Golden Gophers now boast a 62-27 all-time record in the NCAA Volleyball tournament and await the outcome of tonight’s match between (3) Creighton and Colgate for their second-round showdown.

Scores on Friday

In a packed schedule on Friday, the DI women’s volleyball tournament saw 24 more teams, six of them ranked, being eliminated. Three matches went to five sets, and 18 ended as shutouts.

First-round pairings:

  • (8) Southern California beats UMBC 3-0
  • (6) Western Kentucky prevails against Coastal Carolina 3-0 Minnesota triumphs over
  • (6) Utah State 3-0 (8)
  • Missouri secures a 3-0 victory against Delaware TCU wins 3-1 over
  • (6) Florida State
  • (5) Arizona State dominates Georgia with a 3-0 score
  • (3) Tennessee achieves a 3-0 victory over High Point
  • (1) Pittsburgh sweeps Coppin State 3-0
  • (3) Creighton prevails over Colgate with a 3-0 score
  • (8) Houston defeats UC Santa Barbara 3-1
  • (1) Nebraska emerges victorious against LIU 3-0
  • (3) Arkansas secures a 3-0 victory over SFA
  • (5) Dayton narrowly edges out Pepperdine 3-2
  • (4) BYU sweeps Weber State 3-0
  • (1) Stanford dominates Fresno State 3-0
  • (4) Washington State secures a 3-0 victory over Grand Canyon

Second-round matchups:

  • (2) Kentucky triumphs over Baylor 3-0
  • (2) Louisville secures a 3-0 victory against Western Michigan
  • (5) Penn State narrowly defeats (4) Kansas 3-2
  • (3) Purdue secures a 3-1 victory over
  • (6) Marquette (1) Wisconsin dominates Miami (FL) with a 3-0 score
  • (2) Texas sweeps(7) SMU 3-0
  • (5) Georgia Tech secures a 3-2 victory over
  • (4) Florida (2) Oregon wins against Hawai’i 3-0

Oregon finishes the evening with a decisive sweep

Halting Southeastern Louisiana’s 22-game winning streak, Oregon showcased its team’s depth in a commanding and scoreless victory, securing sets of 25-16, 25-13, and 25-13. Mimi Colyer, the outside hitter, emerged as the team leader in both kills (11) and blocks (4), while setter Hannah Pukis stood out with a team-high 8 digs and contributed 30 assists.

The Ducks maintained their dominance by limiting Southeastern Louisiana to an even .000 hitting percentage, achieving a 76.7% siding-out rate, and outscoring the Lady Lions 37-26. The (2) Ducks are now prepared to face Hawai’i tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET.

In the first-round matchups tonight, there were four unexpected upsets involving unranked teams, and a total of 11 shutouts were recorded.

Hawai’i pulls off a surprise victory against the Cyclones

In a surprising twist, Hawai’i orchestrates an upset against the Cyclones. Despite a setback in the initial set with a 16-25 score, the Rainbow Wahine reconfigured their offensive approach to clinch a 3-1 victory over (7) Iowa State.

Hawai’i found itself trailing in several key metrics, with the Cyclones outperforming in kills (57-53), aces (8-4), and digs (73-70). Nevertheless, their outstanding 11-block performance marked their most impressive defensive outing since the first match of the season (15 blocks).

Kennedi Evans displayed exceptional defensive prowess at the net, blocking a team-high seven balls, just short of her career-high of eight blocks. Tali Hakas showcased versatility with five blocks, six kills, and 14 digs, while Caylen Alexander led the Volleyball team with 18 kills. Following this unexpected victory (16-25, 26-24, 25-18, 25-23), the Rainbow Wahine is now prepared to face the winner of tonight’s match between (2) Oregon and Southeastern Louisiana.

Hurricanes brought the storm on UNI

The Hurricanes stirred up a storm against UNI. It has been a captivating day in the opening round of the 2023 tournament, and the excitement is ongoing.

Miami (FL) clinches a 3-1 victory over (8) UNI, securing yet another notable win against a seeded team. The Hurricanes showcased dominance with 57 kills and 16 errors, and Grace Lopez’s impressive 30 kills played a pivotal role in guiding the Canes to a triumphant 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 25-20 performance.

The evening was particularly noteworthy for fifth-year player Savannah Vach, who achieved a historic milestone by reaching 5,209 career assists, leaving an enduring imprint on the program’s record books.

Two wins, both unranked teams swept

The initial advancements to the second round of the 2023 Volleyball tournament resulted from two surprising upsets involving unranked teams. Western Michigan set a strong precedent by securing a decisive 3-0 victory over (7) Auburn in consecutive sets.

The match concluded swiftly within an hour and a half, with the Broncos dominating the Tigers in aces with a score of 11-3. Particularly noteworthy was Andelyn Simkins’ exceptional performance at the Volleyball service line, where she achieved a career-high six service aces and contributed 25 digs, playing a crucial role in guiding her team to a triumphant 25-18, 25-17, 25-19 outcome.

Baylor clinches a decisive 3-0 win over (7)

James Madison, fueled by an outstanding .422 hitting performance marked by 44 kills and only nine errors. Junior hitter Elise McGhee achieves the pinnacle of her three-set career performance, registering an impressive 16 kills on 27 swings with a .519 clip. The Bears showcase both defensive and service excellence, amassing eight blocks and seven service aces. This results in a sweeping victory over JMU, with commanding set scores of 25-15, 25-19, 25-19.

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