Don’t be surprised if these teams make a run in the 2024 NCAA women’s volleyball championship
With the bracket set for the 2024 NCAA women’s volleyball championship, the field looks set to produce a thrilling tournament this December.
Although the majority of the focus will be on the top seeded teams like Pitt, Nebraska, Penn State and Louisville and their potential route to the Final Four or a national title, there are a few teams that could make some noise and go on a thrilling tournament run without the high ranking — and maybe provide some scares to the favorites.
Here are four dark horses to look out for in this year’s tournament.
Florida Gators
Mary Wise’s program has a history of winning.
Since she took over the Gators in 1991, her teams have won 25 SEC regular season titles and made the NCAA tournament every year, including reaching the championship game in 2003 and 2017.
Although the Gators had a down year by their lofty standards, they have the type of talent that can make a noise in the tournament, starting with Kennedy Martin. The 6-foot-6 sophomore outside hitter/opposite has tallied 5.50 kills per set, the second best mark in the NCAA. Whether she has been set by sophomore setter Alexis Stucky or freshman Taylor Parks, Martin has been able to take over matches for Florida this season.
Heading to the Lawrence regional, the Gators have the No. 7 seed in their side of the bracket and they’ll take on NC State in the opening round. If they win, they’ll take on the Kansas Jayhawks, which could be a decent matchup for the Gators and provide a chance for another deep run.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Coming from a lower ranked conference, it’s not often that those kinds of teams can handle the step up in competition of the postseason. Not so for the Warriors.
Hawaii, who won their fifth-straight Big West Championship this season, is a program that has made it to the NCAA tournament many times and boasts some impressive performances out-of-conference as well.
That includes a 3-2 victory over No. 2 seeded SMU in August and taking a set off Texas and Baylor — two other tournament teams.
The ‘Bows are led by junior outside hitter Caylen Alexander, who averaged 5.15 kills per set, the third best mark in the country. Senior setter Kate Lang has led the offense to be balanced outside of Alexander, averaging 10.55 assists per set, while senior libero Tayli Ikenaga won the conference’s Libero of the Year honors to help the Wahine get to its 31st straight tournament appearance.
The ‘Bows will face a tough No. 5 seed TCU team, but with the team in the Eugene regional — much less travel than it could have been — and its tournament pedigree, Hawaii could be a team that could pull off an upset.
Dayton Flyers
Although they’re coming off a surprise defeat in the A-10 Championship, don’t count the Dayton Flyers out.
Led by 5-foot-8 outside hitter Lexie Almodovar, who has 4.91 kills per set — seventh most in the NCAA — and a .322 hitting percentage, the Flyers lost only twice on the season. Despite missing out on the conference title, Dayton earned a No. 5 seed in the dance and has the firepower to make a deep run.
Along with Almodovar, junior middle blocker/opposite Liana Sarkissian and outside hitter Brooke Smith also posted over 2 kills per set and they’re one of the top serving teams in the country with 1.88 aces per set as a squad.
Strong serving is always important in the dance. In the Waco regional, they’ll have a first round date with the South Carolina Gamecocks before a potential clash against the No. 4 Baylor Bears.
USC Trojans
In their first year facing the gauntlet of a Big Ten schedule, the Trojans were able to make a statement with their blocking ability.
USC is the seventh best blocking team in the NCAA with 2.86 blocks per set and the Trojans’ battle-tested season should help them be ready for the dance.
On offense, USC is led by former Nebraska Cornhusker Ally Batenhorst, who was named to the All-Big Ten First Team for her exploits. Batenhorst averaged 3.87 kills per set for the Trojans while adding 2.11 digs per set and 0.78 blocks per set as she was a part of all-six rotations.
The Trojans face a tough draw, heading to the Austin regional with the No. 3 seed Texas Longhorns who are two-time defending national champions. However, USC’s block and the star power of Batenhorst could help the Women of Troy make some noise deep in the postseason.
