NCAA volleyball: WMU thumps Auburn as No. 7 seeds lose; no major upsets as tourney begins

Western Michigan not only knocked out Auburn, it opened play Thursday by sweeping the Tigers right out of the NCAA Tournament.

There were no other significant upsets among the 16 first-round matches, although Yale took a set off Penn State, Wright State took one off Louisville and Texas A&M did the same at Texas. Three of the four regional No. 7 seeds, including Auburn, lost.

There were no five-setters in NCAA Division I women’s volleyball, either, not in the NCAA nor in the NIVC’s nine matches.

Here’s what’s on tap Friday, a day in which again no matches are being played in the morning or early afternoon. All matches can be seen on ESPN+, which requires a subscription. The Texas-SMU can also be seen on this final year of the…