NCAA volleyball first-round: ESPN+ with no early matches, loads of overlap

One can solely marvel why the NCAA is just not beginning the NCAA Division I girls’s volleyball event till mid-afternoon Thursday, foresaking the late morning and/or early afternoon because it conducts 16 matches.

That being mentioned, it’ll take a number of units to look at — all on ESPN+ — if you wish to see most of them, as a result of there will probably be loads of overlap. 

First serve is at 4 p.m. Jap/3 p.m. Central as Western Michigan performs Auburn. A half hour later, South Alabama performs Georgia Tech, Baylor performs James Madison and Jap Illinois performs Marquette.

We’ll check out all 16 first-round matches Thursday after which the remaining 16 on Friday. The Thursday winners play Friday, that means there are 24 matches that day. The Friday winners play Saturday, leaving eight matches Saturday.

Once more, all first-round matches are on ESPN+, an app for which you have to have a subscription even in case you have ESPN and ESPN2 as a part of your cable bundle. The Longhorn Community, in case you have it as a part of your cable bundle, may even broadcast the matches performed at Texas.

Whereas NCAA volleyball is relegated to ESPN+, be aware that Thursday on ESPN at 7 p.m. Jap there’s a regular-season, non-conference girls’s basketball recreation between South Carolina and North Carolina. 

On the identical time on ESPN2 there’s a regular-season, non-conference girls’s basketball recreation between Arkansas and Florida State. 

At 8 p.m. on ESPN there’s a regular-season, non-conference girls’s basketball recreation between Virginia Tech and LSU. 

Volleyball, as talked about, may be seen on the ESPN+ app.

BIG TEN: The 4 different Energy 5 conferences introduced their season-end awards (see our story from earlier Wednesday). The B1G is doing it on the Huge Ten Community at midday Jap. At the moment it’ll announce the all-Huge Ten groups and the varied honors, high participant, coach, high defensive participant, setter and freshman.

ESPN 5TH SET: ESPN once more could have its fifth Set studio present, a volleyball whip-around format that features host Sam Gore together with Paul Sunderland, Nicole Branaugh, Jennifer Hoffman and Kevin Barnett, an addition that’s positive to spice issues up. The present supplies fast hits and commentary on all of the matches which might be occurring and is a viable various for those who don’t have a number of viewing units. The fifth Set will begin at 4 p.m. on each Thursday and Friday and at 6 p.m. Saturday. It, too, is on ESPN+ and can get a while on ESPNU on Friday between the NCAA girls’s soccer semifinals and from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday.

From the ESPN information launch: The 2023 season was the most-watched girls’s school volleyball season ever on ESPN platforms, with viewers watching 466 million complete minutes throughout the 35 matches on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. This season additionally included the 2 most-watched common season matches on file throughout ESPN platforms, with Nebraska-Stanford garnering 466,000 viewers and Kentucky-Louisville bringing in 318,000 viewers in September.

However, as soon as once more, not one of the first-round matches are on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. They’re, nonetheless, on ESPN+

NCAA tourney first spherical

Thursday’s matches with begin instances (all Jap)

4 P.M. AT LOUISVILLE: MAC-champion Western Michigan (30-2) vs. SEC at-large Auburn (20-9), adopted by ACC at-large Louisville (24-4) vs. Horizon League-champion Wright State (21-10). 

WMU has received 20 in a row and completely dominated the MAC. Up-and-down Auburn received 4 in a row, however then completed the common season losings 4 of its final six. the final time they met, Auburn swept in 2019. 

Louisville, which went to the 2021 nationwide semifinals and misplaced in final yr’s title match to Texas, is within the NCAA tourney for the thirty second time. Wright State is using a nine-match profitable streak, which incorporates back-to-back HL tourney sweeps. They haven’t performed one another since 2010.

4:30 P.M. AT FLORIDA: Solar Belt at-large South Alabama (22-8) vs. ACC at-large Georgia Tech (22-6), adopted by ASUN-champion Florida Gulf Coast (18-9) vs. SEC at-large Florida (18-9).

South Alabama was a shock at-large, whereas Georgia Tech rode a roller-coaster all season. The Yellowjackets received six in a row, however then completed 1-3. GT swept South Alabama on September 8.

FGCU was the chief all season within the ASUN. Florida, beset by vital accidents, is 4-5 in its final 9 matches. Florida swept the final time they performed in September 2022.

4:30 P.M. AT KENTUCKY: Huge 12 at-large Baylor (16-12) vs. Solar Belt at-large James Madison (21-9) adopted by SoCon-champion Wofford (23-7) vs. Kentucky (19-7).

Baylor has been up and down however one ought to by no means rely the Bears out within the posteason. JMU has most likely been underneath most observers’ radar however will probably be prepared.

Wofford was a shock winner of the SoCon. Kentucky has received 16 in a row and might be thought-about the most well liked staff within the event.

4:30 P.M. AT PURDUE: OVC-champion Jap Illinois (28-4) vs. Huge East at-large Marquette (20-10), adopted by MAAC-champion Fairifield (22-6) vs. Huge Ten at-large Purdue (21-8).

Marquette received the final match it performed with EIU in 2012. It’s arduous to think about Purdue, which has received seven in a row, not advancing.

5 P.M. AT TEXAS: Solar Belt at-large Texas State (20-9) vs. American Athletic-champion SMU (25-6), adopted by Huge 12-champion Texas (22-4) vs. Huge 12 at-large Texas A&M (16-12).

SMU, again in for the primary time since 2016, has not performed Texas State since 2017 when it received in 5. On paper, this needs to be top-of-the-line first-round matches.

It is extremely arduous to beat defending-champion Texas in Gregory Health club and first-year A&M coach Jamie Morrison is aware of, as a result of he was briefly a Texas assistant.

5:30 P.M. AT KANSAS: Ivy League-champion Yale (21-3) vs. Huge Ten at-large Penn State (21-8), adopted by The Summit League-champion Omaha (15-13) vs. Huge 12 at-large Kansas (23-5).

Erin Appleman was an assistant at Penn State earlier than she obtained the job at Yale 20 years in the past. Yale has received 17 in a row and went unbeaten within the Ivy for the primary time. Penn State has just one loss to an unranked staff. 

Omaha misplaced its first 9 after which completed sturdy to win the Summit. Kansas is 14-1 at house.

6 P.M. AT WISCONSIN: ACC at-large Miami (17-11) vs. Missouri Valley-champion Northern Iowa (26-6), adopted by SWAC-champion Jackson State (17-12) vs. Huge Ten at-large Wisconsin (26-3).

Miami, which has some memorable wins this season, and UNI, which has received 21 in a row, needs to be fairly a first-round match.

JSU, a shock winner of the SWAC, will battle to attain 40 factors in three units towards Wisconsin.

7 P.M. AT OREGON: Huge West-champion Hawai’i (23-8) vs. Huge 12 at-large Iowa State (20-9), adopted by Southland-champion Southeastern Louisiana (26-4) vs. Pac-12 at-large Oregon (26-5).

Hawai’i completed second within the Huge West however received the event and is a harmful opponent. Iowa State has three vital wins this season, all within the Huge 12. This, too, needs to be an excellent first-round match.

Southeastern Louisiana, which has received 22 in a row, is best than most would suppose however taking part in Oregon at house is a tricky process. The Geese are 7-3 at house however these losses have been to Washington State, Arizona State and Stanford.

Friday’s first-round matches with begin instances (all Jap)

4 P.M. AT PITTSBURGH: America East-champion UMBC vs. Pac-12 at-large USC, adopted by MEAC-champion Coppin State vs. ACC-champion Pittsburgh.

4:30 P.M. AT TENNESSEE: Solar Belt-champion Coastal Carolina vs. Convention USA-champion Western Kentucky, adopted by Huge South-champion vs. SEC at-large Tennessee.

5 P.M. AT CREIGHTON: Huge 10 at-large Minnesota vs. Mountain West at-large Utah State, adopted by Patriot League-champion Colgate vs. Huge East-champion Creighton. 

5:30 P.M. AT NEBRASKA: CAA-champion Delaware vs. SEC at-large Missouri, adopted by NEC-champion LIU vs. Huge Ten-champion Nebraska.

5:30 P.M. AT ARKANSAS: Huge 12 at-large TCU vs. ACC-champion Florida State, adopted by WAC at-large Stephen F. Austin vs. SEC at-large Arkansas.

6:30 P.M. AT BYU: SEC at-large Georgia vs. Pac-12 at-large Arizona State, adopted by Huge Sky-champion Weber State vs. Huge 12 at-large BYU.

7 P.M. AT WASHINGTON STATE: West Coast-champion Pepperdine vs. Atlantic 10-champion Dayton, adopted by WAC-champion Grand Canyon vs. Pac-12 at-large Washington State.

7:30 P.M. AT STANFORD: Huge West at-large UC Santa Barbara vs. Huge 12 at-large Houston, adopted by Mountain West-champion Fresno State vs. Pac-12-champion Stanford.