AT LOUISVILLE, KY.
Florida (22-8) vs. Louisville (30-0), noon➜ Florida’s top player: With T’ara Ceasar leaving the team before the NCAA tournament citing her mental and physical health, the Gators are leaning more on senior outside hitter Thayer Hall, who had 24 total kills in the first two rounds and has 282 kills for the season.
➜ Stat watch for the Gators: Florida coach Mary Wise took over the program in 1991. She got her 1,000th and 1,001st career wins during the first two rounds of the tournament taking down Florida A&M and Miami.
➜ Florida’s NCAA tournament history: Florida is back in the tournament for the first time since 2018 and in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017.
➜ Louisville’s top player: Four Cardinals with at least 220 kills this season need someone to get them the ball. Four-year starting setter Tori Dilfer is that someone, and she has 1,084 assists on the season.
➜ Stat watch for the Cardinals: The margin between Anna DeBeer’s team-leading kills mark (296) and Aiko Jones’ fourth-best (227 kills) is just 69 kills for the inordinately balanced and still unbeaten Cardinals.
➜ Louisville’s NCAA tournament history: This season marks Louisville’s third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance and seventh total in program history. The Cardinals have made the Elite Eight just once, though.
Ohio State (27-5) vs. Georgia Tech (25-5), 2 p.m.➜ Ohio State’s top player: Emily Londot does it all for the Buckeyes. The 6-foot-3 sophomore outside hitter leads Ohio State with 370 kills, ranks third with 106 blocks and ranks fifth with 200 digs.
➜ Stat watch for the Buckeyes: Ohio State leads the Big Ten in assists and kills and trailed just Wisconsin in team hitting percentage. The Buckeyes are also fourth in the conference in digs and third in opponents’ hitting percentage.
➜ Ohio State’s NCAA tournament history: This year’s Sweet 16 appearance marks a second straight and 18th total for the Buckeyes. They’ve reached the Elite Eight three times and the Final Four twice in 1991 and 1994.
➜ Georgia Tech’s top player: Junior outside hitter Julia Bergmann was named ACC Player of the Year, and the 6-foot-5 German leads Georgia Tech with 483 kills to go with 264 digs, 62 blocks and 34 aces.
➜ Stat watch for the Yellow Jackets: Bergmann wasn’t the only Georgia Tech player to top 400 kills this season. Mariana Brambilla, a 5-11 opposite out of Brazil, has 441 kills on the season. The duo are first and third in the ACC in kills per set.
➜ Georgia Tech’s NCAA tournament history: This season’s Sweet 16 appearance is just the third in program history for Georgia Tech and first since 2004.
AT PITTSBURGH
BYU (30-1) vs. Purdue (25-6), 10 a.m.➜ BYU’s top player: Setter Whitney Bower has quarterbacked a balanced BYU attack this season (five Cougars with at least 200 kills) with 1,057 assists on the season. The 5-foot-9 junior also has 288 digs, 97 kills, 44 blocks and 26 aces.
➜ Stat watch for the Cougars: Veteran middle blockers Heather Gneiting and Kennedy Eschenberg make for a formidable duo offensively, too. The Cougars’ duo rank 1-2 in the West Coast Conference this seasonwith hitting percentages at .448 and .431, respectively.
➜ BYU’s NCAA tournament history: BYU advanced to its 26th Sweet 16 this season. That includes reaching the second week of the tournament every year between 2012 and now save for 2019.
➜ Purdue’s top player: Purdue has a two-way threat in 6-foot-3 outside hitter Grace Cleveland. The Normal grad has 365 kills and 131 blocks this season. That ranks Cleveland second and first, respectively, on the team.
➜ Stat watch for the Boilermakers: They have another go-to super senior outside hitter in Caitlyn Newton. The Terre Haute, Ind., native set a career high with 452 kills this season.
➜ Purdue’s NCAA tournament history: Purdue has missed the tournament just three times since Dave Shondell became coach ahead of the 2003 season. This year is the Boilermakers’ 13th Sweet 16 appearance, but Purdue’s first one since 2013.
Pittsburgh (28-3) vs. Kansas (18-11), noon
➜ Pittsburgh’s top player: Fifth-year opposite Chinaza Ndee leads the Panthers with 351 kills and ranks third on the team with 91 blocks.
➜ Stat watch for the Panthers: Penn State transfer Serena Gray tied for fifth in the ACC with 38 aces in 114 sets (0.33 per set). The 6-foot-2 middle blocker is one of four players on the Pitt roster with at least 20 aces this season.
➜ Pittsburgh’s NCAA tournament history: While the Panthers have reached the tournament every year since 2016, last season was their first reaching both the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.
➜ Kansas’ top player: Kansas turned to freshman outside hitter Caroline Bien, the No. 14 recruit in the Class of 2021, early. She delivered. Bien was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and leads the Jayhawks with 329 kills.
➜ Stat watch for the Jayhawks: Bien could still be overtaken for the team kills lead, though. Former UCLA transfer outside hitter Jenny Mosser is nearing her own freshman best (338 kills with the Bruins) with 319 kills this fall for Kansas.
➜ Kansas’ NCAA tournament history: Kansas made its first tournament appearance in 2003 and has 10 total under coach Ray Bechard. That includes a Final Four run in 2015.
AT AUSTIN, TEXAS
Texas (26-1) vs. Washington (26-4), 6:30 p.m.
➜ Texas’ top player: Logan Eggleston, Texas’ veteran 6-foot-2 outside hitter, is undoubtedly the Longhorns’ six-rotation ace with 347 kills and 246 digs this season.
➜ Stat watch for the Longhorns: Brionne Butler, Molly Phillips and Asjia O’Neal rank 1-2-3 in the Big 12 in hitting percentage at .474, .398 and .384, respectively.
➜ Texas’ NCAA tournament history: The Longhorns have three national championships and last won in 2012. This year’s Sweet 16 appearance marks their 16th straight in a streak that dates back to 2004.
➜ Washington’s top player: Junior setter Ella May Powell repeated as Pac-12 Setter of the Year after also winning last season, which was a first for the Huskies as a program. The 6-footer has 1,241 assists, 276 digs, 66 blocks and 62 kills this season.
➜ Stat watch for the Huskies: Powell set Washington to a .253 attack percentage last season, which topped the Pac-12. Powell and the Huskies bettered that mark this year at .288 (still tops).
➜ Washington’s NCAA tournament history: The Huskies have made every tournament since 2002, with Keegan Cook continuing the streak after replacing Jim McLaughlin as coach in 2015. McLaughlin’s run included a national title in 2005.
Illinois (22-11) vs. Nebraska (23-7), 8:30 p.m.
➜ Illinois’ top player: Megan Cooney is in position to join Illinois’ All-Americans after claiming All-Region honors this week. The 6-foot-4 opposite has 376 kills, 282 digs, 83 blocks and 29 aces this season.
➜ Stat watch for the Illini: Taylor Kuper’s 567 digs this fall are both a career-high and have vaulted the 5-8 senior libero into the Illinois record book. She’s fifth all-time in a season, will likely jump to second Thursday and trails Jennifer Beltran’s record by 56.
➜ NCAA tournament history: The Illini’s Sweet 16 appearance is a third in five years under Chris Tamas and 19th total in program history. Illinois also has seven Elite Eight appearances, four in the Final Four and finished as NCAA runners-up in 2011.
➜ Nebraska’s top player: There’s stiff competition for best freshman at Nebraska with Kennedi Orr, Lindsay Krause and Ally Batenhorst ranked 1-2-3 in the Class of 2021 by PrepVolleyball.com. It was libero Lexi Rodriguez, the No. 10 recruit in the class, who was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after totaling 414 digs to go with 107 assists and 14 aces.
➜ Stat watch for the Cornhuskers: It might be best for the other three teams involved in the regional that Texas is the highest seed and will host. Nebraska has sold out every home match since 2001 — a streak that began at 4,030-seat Nebraska Coliseum and has continued at 7,907-seat Bob Devaney Sports Center.
➜ Nebraska’s NCAA tournament history: This is the Cornhuskers’ 46th total tournament appearance (counting the AIAW days). They’ve reached the Final Four 15 times and have won five national championships.
MADISON, WIS.
Minnesota (22-8) vs. Baylor (22-5), 2 p.m.
➜ Minnesota’s top player: Stephanie Samedy repeated as Big Ten Player of the Year this fall. The 6-foot-2 redshirt senior opposite leads Minnesota with 513 kills, and also has 388 digs.
➜ Stat watch for the Gophers: Libero CC McGraw finished second in the Big Ten just behind Maryland’s Milan Gomillion at 4.72 digs per set.
➜ Minnesota’s NCAA tournament history: Minnesota has been a regular in the Sweet 16, missing only in 2014 in a run that dates back to 2009. The Gophers have reached the Final Four six times, but they are still chasing their first national championship.
➜ Baylor’s top player: Yossiana Pressley led Baylor in kills as a freshman in 2017 and has repeated that feat now four more times thanks to her bonus year of eligibility. The 2019 AVCA National Player of the Year and 2020 AVCA First Team All-American outside hitter has 431 kills this season.
➜ Stat watch for the Bears: They haven’t dropped a set in nearly a month. After sweeping Iowa State and Oklahoma to end the regular season, the trend continued against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Washington State.
➜ Baylor’s NCAA tournament history: The Bears didn’t play in their first tournament until 1999, but Baylor has made it five times in the last decade. That includes a 2019 Final Four appearance.
Wisconsin (27-3) vs. UCLA (25-5), 4 p.m.
➜ Wisconsin’s top player: Four-time AVCA First Team All-American Dana Rettke will probably claim her fifth such honor later this month. The 6-foot-8 middle blocker and 2016 News-Gazette All-State Player of the Year leads the Badgers with 361 kills, 146 blocks and a .445 hitting percentage.
➜ Stat watch for the Badgers: Super seniors Rettke and setter Sydney Hilley were both First Team All-Americans in 2020, and libero Lauren Barnes was a Second Team All-American, as well.
➜ Wisconsin’s NCAA tournament history: Wisconsin has made the Sweet 16 every season since Kelly Sheffield took over the program in 2013. The Badgers are still hunting for their first NCAA title after finishing as runners-up in 2013 and 2019.
➜ UCLA’s top player: Mac May became the seventh player ever to be named Pac-12 Player of the Year multiple times when she won this year’s honor to go with one in 2019. The 6-foot-3 outside hitter has 541 kills, 239 digs, 51 blocks and 44 aces this fall.
➜ Stat watch for the Bruins: May has 2,048 career kills, the third most in school history.
➜ UCLA’s NCAA tournament history: UCLA has appeared in 37 of 40 NCAA tournaments since 1981. The Bruins’ postseason success includes four NCAA titles and four runner-up finishes.
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Sweet 16 breakdown | Sports | news-gazette.com - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
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