VB Struggles, Then Shines In Sweep Of High Point

High Point had won its first-ever NCAA match the day before; on Thursday, they had just run off 6 of 7 points to earn six set points against the 7-seed Boilers. At best, this looked to be a repeat of the 2017 matchup, and at worst … well, I didn’t want to think about that just yet. Hopefully, the Good Gals would fight off at least one set point and get a little momentum heading into set two.

Eight points later, it was 26-24 Purdue - from that 18-24 deficit, they outscored the Panthers 58-37 in a sweep that was totally understandable prior to the match and almost unthinkable late in the first. The Boilers opened leads of 22-12 and 19-12 in the second and third sets, respectively, and at that point, we could start thinking about Oregon, even while the team was still taking care of business.

Turning point

Obvious! Going from 18-24 to 26-24. High Point played well the rest of the way, but never really threatened.

Leaders

Purdue

Kills: Caitlyn Newton 18 (.314), Grace Cleveland 10 (.207)
Assists: Hayley Bush 40
Aces: Newton 3 (even), Marissa Hornung 1 (even)
Blocks: Taylor Trammell 3.5, Cleveland 3.0
Digs: Jena Otec 17, Bush 10

High Point

Kills: Annie Sullivan 9 (.214)
Assists: Mackenzi Thornburg 16
Aces: Maria Miggins 1
Blocks: Gabrielle Idlebird 2.5 (1 solo), Kaley Rammelsberg 1.5 (1 solo)
Digs: Abby Bottomley 18

Other results

Wisconsin beat Weber State 3-0
Minnesota beat Georgia Tech 3-0
Nebraska beat Texas State 3-0
Ohio State beat Missouri 3-0
Penn State beat North Carolina A&T 3-0

Six sweeps for the conference - a fine performance. (I picked four of them, hedged on the Minnesota match but leaned toward 3-0, and thought Missouri would push OSU to four.)

Regional semis

7 Purdue vs 10 Oregon, 8:30 PM Sunday, ESPNU

Notre Dame gave the Ducks fits at times, but Oregon managed a 3-0 sweep of their own. Pac-12 teams are always dangerous, but that conference is having something of an off year (Washington and Oregon are the only remaining teams), and Purdue is on a roll after a big comeback. Boilers in 4. (Result: BOILERS IN 4)

1 Wisconsin vs 16 BYU, 8:00 PM Saturday, ESPN3

One of those Pac-12 teams to lose this week was UCLA, who fell 3-0 to the 16-seed Cougars. Since they can’t play on Sundays, the NCAA moved the match to Saturday. Kelly Sheffield’s team won’t miss a beat - Badgers in 3. (Result: Badgers in 3)

3 Minnesota vs Pittsburgh, 1:00 PM Sunday, ESPN3

The Panthers demolished 14-seed Utah, another Pac-12 team, in yet another 3-0 sweep; their “reward” is a Big Tenteen team on a roll, as they all seem to be right now. There’s an argument that Pitt should perhaps have been one of the lower seeds instead of the Utes, but the Gophers will render that moot: Minnesota in 4. (Result: Panthers in 5)

5 Nebraska vs 12 Baylor, 2:30 PM Sunday, ESPNU

Baylor is down a bit after last season’s great run; they narrowly avoided an upset by Pepperdine, falling behind 1-2 then winning the last two sets 27-25 and 15-10. Nebraska has places to be and the Bears are in the way - Huskers in 3. (Result: Huskers in 3)

9 Ohio State vs 8 Florida, 7:30 PM Sunday, ESPN2

Neither team was tested Thursday, as the Gators swept first-time winners Morehead State. This one should be a good match, as the top of the SEC can hang with just about anyone. I’m going to stick with the seed lines: Gators in five. (Result: Gators in 4)

13 Penn State vs 4 Texas, 5:00 PM Sunday, ESPNU

The Longhorns dispatched Wright State in three, but have a much tougher test in the Nittany Lions … however, Penn State isn’t as formidable as they’ve been in the past. Still, any Russ Rose team is one to be wary of, and I think PSU will show why. Penn State in five. (Result: Longhorns in 4)

2 Kentucky vs Western Kentucky, 10:00 PM Sunday, ESPN2

The Hilltoppers bounced Washington State in five sets; does the committee know this bracket doesn’t have to be regional? This could easily have been a 64-team matchup in the Lexington Regional. It’s a rough break for Western Kentucky, although honestly any unseeded team would have a rough draw in the Sweet 16. Wildcats in three. (Result: Wildcats in 3)

6 Washington vs 11 Louisville, 3:30 PM Sunday, ESPN3

The best team in the Pac-12 struggled mightily against Dayton, needing five sets to advance. Louisville also dropped a set to San Diego, but got their ship righted more quickly and won 3-1. I would normally be reluctant to go with a struggling high seed, but the ACC isn’t a power conference in VB yet, and Louisville hasn’t been tested enough to capitalize on the Huskies’ vulnerability. Washington in four. (Result: Huskies in 5)

Regional finals

Pittsburgh vs 6 Washington, noon Monday, ESPN2

4 Texas vs 5 Nebraska, 2:30 PM Monday or 45 minutes after the first match ends, ESPN2

1 Wisconsin vs 8 Florida, 6:30 PM Monday, ESPNU

2 Kentucky vs 7 Purdue, 9:00 PM Monday or 45 minutes after the first match ends, ESPNU

Yep, better get some sleep Sunday night. If the Boilers do advance, they have the late match on Monday, and if it is Kentucky, it’ll be a really good one. (Well, if it’s Western Kentucky, it’ll be either a great match because the Hilltoppers are rolling, or a quick one because WKU used all their mana against UK and are completely drained.)

Late-night picks

Washington in five over Pitt. The Panthers are strong, but the Huskies had their scare Sunday and will keep an unseeded team out of the Final Four. (Result: Huskies in 5)

Texas in four over Nebraska. The Longhorns are better than I thought, and with Stivrins not 100%, the Huskers are probably just a little shy of what they need to reach yet another Final Four. (Result: Longhorns in 4)

Wisconsin in four over Florida. Can’t pick straight sets at this point, but Stanford was doing it last season. The Badgers may well be that good, but I think the Gators will slow them down just enough to earn an extra set. (Result: Badgers in 5)

Kentucky in five over Purdue. The Good Gals are going to get really close, and I’d love to say that this will be the season that pushes them over the hump … but I think it’ll be fall 2021 that does that. UK is really, really good, and I think it’ll be just enough for the Wildcats to make their first Final Four. (Result: Wildcats in 3)

Feature image from Purdue’s win over Indiana to retain the Monon Spike, courtesy of Purdue Sports. We do like to mention that trophy around here.