Three months and every week after Kentucky and Nebraska kicked issues off on August 28 in Louisville, the NCAA Match begins Thursday.
We’ll proceed to supply the match checklist right here in chronological order. They are often seen (solely) on ESPN+ and all instances are Jap.
3:30 — Loyola Chicago vs. BYU
4:30 — Western Kentucky vs. Minnesota
5 — UT Arlington vs. USC
5 — Texas State vs. Missouri
5:30 — Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech
5:30 — Ole Miss vs. Florida State
5:30 — South Carolina vs. Dayton
6:30 — Purdue vs. Western Michigan
6:30 — FGCU vs. Marquette
7 — Hawai’i vs. TCU
7:30 — Cleveland State vs. Kentucky
7:30 — Texas vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
8 — South Dakota vs. Creigton
8 — Wichita State vs. SMU
8 — Wisconsin vs. Fairfield
8 — Wofford vs. Baylor
9:30 — Excessive Level vs. Oregon
9:30 — Utah vs. Faculty of Charleston
Additionally on this version of Volleyball Right this moment, ESPN does some well-deserved volleyball-ratings chest-beating, the Huge Ten introduced its season honors, the teaching carousel spins on, Bowling Inexperienced received the NIVC opener, and Pitt’s Olivia Babcock performed water polo as a child. Who knew?
🗣️ @NCAAVolleyball scores its finest common season EVER on ESPN platforms
🏐 Most-consumed season on file (635M whole minutes)
🏐 Averaged 140,000 viewers, up 21% YoY
🏐 Elevated viewership YoY amongst girls (+20%), P18-24 (+70%), P2-17 (+90)#NCAAWVB pic.twitter.com/FIKFXLX14d— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) December 4, 2024
Boffo ESPN volleyball rankings
ESPN introduced that 2024 marked the most-watch faculty volleyball common season on its shops, up 21 p.c. VBM’s Larry Hamel breaks it down:
The uncooked variety of a 21% bump in viewership for NCAA girls’s volleyball throughout ESPN platforms through the common season continued the development of atypical viewers development at the same time as conventional cable TV continues to see its subscribership lower. This provides to the worth of NCAA volleyball as a TV property.
The knowledge doesn’t element how that development is distributed throughout ESPN’s cable channels and its ESPN+ subscription streaming service. However for the reason that common was 140,000, I strongly suspect solely the linear cable shops have been counted. A few of that enhance might be attributed to the flagship ESPN channel’s telecasting extra matches since its typical viewership far outstrips ESPN2 and ESPNU.
The demographic will increase cited within the publish by ESPN PR pictured above additionally is extremely encouraging for volleyball, which made important beneficial properties amongst younger viewers. Cable TV has trended older and older with every passing 12 months however volleyball appears to be a sport that kids wish to watch.
Franklin repeats as B1G POY
From the Huge Ten information launch:
The Huge Ten Convention introduced the 2024 Volleyball All-Huge Ten Groups and particular person honors on Wednesday, as chosen by a vote of the convention’s 18 head coaches. Wisconsin graduate scholar and out of doors hitter Sarah Franklin was chosen as Participant of the Yr, whereas Nebraska’s Lexi Rodriguez was named Libero of the Yr (voted to exchange Defensive Participant of the Yr) and Bergen Reilly earned Setter of the Yr. Penn State’s Izzy Starck was named Freshman of the Yr and Katie Schumacher-Cawley was named Coach of the Yr by each the coaches and media.
Click on right here for the full convention information launch.
Teaching carousel spins on
A coach acquired employed and three acquired fired.
Austin Peay employed Stephen F. Austin assistant Evan Amstutz. He takes over a staff that completed 2-26, 1-15 within the ASUN. Taylor Mott, there for 13 seasons, was fired on October 30. The Govs have been 1-21, 0-10 on the time. Austin Peay has been to the NCAA Match twice, in 2010 and 2017.
Learn the Austin Peay information launch right here.
Northeastern fired Lenika Vazquez after 5 seasons. The Huskies completed 10-16 this season, 8-10 within the CAA. Northeastern has by no means been to the NCAA Match.
Learn the Northeastern information launch right here.
Memphis will not be renewing the contract of Sean Burdette, who has been on the faculty for seven years. The Tigers completed 12-16 this season, 6-10 within the American Athletic Convention. Memphis has been to the NCAA Match as soon as, in 1994. Learn the full Memphis information launch right here.
And in a wierd twist, as a result of Burdette’s daughter, junior center Brinley, performs for my beloved Salukis, Southern Illinois coach Ed Allen is leaving after six seasons. SIU completed 10-19 this season, 3-15 within the Missouri Valley Convention. The Salukis have been to the NCAA Match as soon as, in 2015.
Learn the whole SIU information launch right here.
NIVC victory for Bowling Inexperienced
Bowling Inexperienced (22-9) of the MAC knocked out Binghamton (19-11) of America East 25-18, 25-21, 21-25, 25-15 within the first match of the NIVC. Bowling Inexperienced will play host to Wright State of the Horizon League on Thursday. Wright State had a first-round bye.
Mia Tyler led BGSU with 14 kills as she hit .367 and had a solo block and two digs. Lauryn Hovey had 11 kills, two assists, three aces, 9 digs and 4 blocks, one solo. Binghamton’s Tsvetelina Ilieva capped her super season with 21 kills, two assists, three aces, a block and 10 digs.
Different matches Thursday consists of Utah Valley vs. Washington State, Idaho State vs. Wyoming, UTRGV vs. Arkansas State, Jackson State vs. Stephen F. Austin, Lindenwood vs. Omaha, Toledo vs. DePaul, UConn vs. Mercer and Winthrop vs. East Carolina.
Click on right here for the NIVC match web site.
Olivia Babcock, well-rounded water polo goalie
I’ve been sitting on this nugget for a very long time, since early September, the day earlier than Pitt swept Penn State, when Olivia Babcock advised me she touches 10 toes, 8.5 inches, and has been capable of dunk a volleyball since she was a junior in highschool.
Babcock, the unimaginable proper aspect for top-ranked Pittsburgh — earlier this week named the ACC participant of the 12 months — was not only a volleyball participant rising up in Los Angeles. No, the 6-foot-4 sophomore was a well-rounded athlete till she went solely with volleyball at 16.
She performed water polo from the seventh by the ninth grades. The previous goalie mentioned, “I used to be an excellent swimmer. I discovered to swim in like the primary grade, and my faculty had one meet yearly and I’d at all times take part in that. It was enjoyable.”
Babcock mentioned she and her twin sister, Natalie, competed in just a few swim meets in highschool, too.
“I beloved water polo,” Babcock mentioned. “Perhaps not within the second, however I look again and I’m grateful for it. I notice that I did prefer it however I suppose it was too time-consuming. I really feel like I complained rather a lot about it once I did it, however now that I’m not doing it I believe I took it without any consideration. It’s actually enjoyable to observe, too.”
Babcock did gymnastics and dance, performed basketball and soccer, and competed in observe. Extremely, Babcock first performed membership volleyball when she was 15, beginning throughout COVID.
“That first 12 months I nonetheless did soccer, however after that first 12 months of membership volleyball that soccer wasn’t for me anymore and I needed to give attention to volleyball. And I dedicated right here after my first season in membership volleyball.”
She was additionally a goalie in soccer, noting with fun, “I’m not a runner and I don’t like contact.”
