TAMPA, Fla. — You need confidence to be a Division I starter as a freshman for one of the best programs in your sport. So it's no surprise that Nebraska freshman outside hitter Harper Murray didn't hesitate when she was asked how the Huskers would respond to being swept by Texas in Sunday's NCAA women's volleyball final.
“I think we're going to win three national championships in the next three years,” Murray said.
The Huskers, who failed to win the program's sixth title on Sunday, have no seniors. After finishing this season 33-2, it won't be a surprise to see them start next season in the #1 spot.
“We've had an incredible year, one of the best seasons we've ever had at Nebraska,” said coach John Cook, whose 2023 team had four freshmen in key roles. “So this game won't define that or what we've accomplished this year. But we hope it motivates us for a great run and to come back here in 2024.”
That being said, you can expect Texas to compete for the title next season as well, along with some of the usual top teams. That includes last year's runner-up Louisville, which will host the national semifinals and finals in December 2024, and the Cardinals' ACC rival Pitt. The Panthers made their third consecutive appearance in the Final Four this year.
Wisconsin, the only team besides Texas to beat Nebraska this season, will return national player of the year Sarah Franklin for her fifth season. Franklin underwent surgery in June due to blood clots in her shoulder, then she returned to action at the start of this season and led Wisconsin to Tampa. The Badgers lost to Texas in the national semifinals and will be eager to chase their program's second NCAA title next fall.
Stanford loses Pac-12 player of the year Kendall Kipp, but the Cardinal always reloads. To that end, with 2023 in the books, let's reflect on the season and look toward the future of volleyball.
Goodbye Big 12, hello SEC
The SEC did not have a women's volleyball champion until the COVID-delayed 2020 NCAA Tournament, played in April 2021 and won by Kentucky. The team the Wildcats beat in that final? Texas, which will join the SEC next season along with Oklahoma.
After Sunday's championship game in Tampa, Texas' Jerritt Elliott mentioned he has SEC coaches meetings to attend in January as he immerses himself in a new conference. The Longhorns have been in the Big 12 since 1996, with Elliott as coach since 2001.
A powerhouse like Texas can only help strengthen the SEC. And Elliott believes the league's growth in volleyball has been notable even before the four-time NCAA champion Longhorns joined.
“Right now, my goal is to influence the SEC to really promote this sport,” Elliott said. “Obviously, SEC women's basketball is having a lot of success. We need women's basketball to be good. We need women's volleyball to be good. We want to join hands with [basketball] “To let people know how great women's sports are.”
Pac-12 Breakup
Women's college volleyball first flourished as a West Coast sport. Seven programs in the current Pac-12 have reached the national semifinals at least once, and four of them won the NCAA championship. Leading the way is Stanford, which has a record nine NCAA titles.
The ACC has never won a national volleyball championship. We'll see how the addition of Stanford and Cal next season impacts the league. Louisville and Pitt have changed the profile of the ACC in recent seasons, but Stanford's success is on a completely different level.
Meanwhile, former national champions USC, UCLA and Washington, plus final-four participant Oregon, join an already loaded Big Ten. Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State become part of the Big 12, which will be very different without the gigantic presence that Texas has had in that league.
Progress on repetition?
The national semifinals and finals weren't greatly delayed by lengthy challenge reviews, but there were some almost unbearably long reviews throughout the rest of the NCAA tournament. In the regional semifinal between Texas and Tennessee, reviews helped the five-set match last more than three hours.
The speed of the game and the difficulty of clearly seeing things like touch decisions have made repetition a critical part of the sport. The big key to making repetition better and more convenient lies in the system used, which in turn depends on how much money is spent on it.
Elliott said he is excited about the volleyball challenge system the SEC will use next season, which involves more cameras and camera angles.
“There's surely some urgency behind this,” Elliott said. “Because it's so hard to see 1707136132and it's really unfair to the referees and announcers, because they're sitting there for two to five minutes trying to figure out what the best camera angle is.”
Launch of the professional league
The most successful professional volleyball leagues are located in other countries, but we are about to see a new US-based league try to make it happen.
The Professional Volleyball Federation begins play on January 24 in seven cities and lasts 16 weeks, with the championship weekend running from May 16 to 19. The teams are Atlanta Vibe, Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise, Omaha Supernovas, Orlando Valkyries, San Diego Mojo and Vegas Thrill.
Texas center Asjia O'Neal was the first player selected by Columbus in the recent college draft.
“Honestly, I think it's very exciting that we have these opportunities to play here in the United States,” O'Neal said. “Last summer, playing with the national team, I was able to see how other countries love volleyball and how they do everything they can for it. I really hope that is the level we can reach here.”
