Nebraska and Texas advanced Thursday night in Tampa, Fla., with victories in the semifinal round of the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament. The Huskers and defending-champion Longhorns will meet for the national title Sunday.
Nebraska, 33-1 and seeded No. 1 overall in the tournament, routed fellow top seed Pittsburgh, 25-20, 25-23, 25-17, in the early match Thursday. Freshman outside hitter Harper Murray contributed a match-high 13 kills, and Bekka Allick recorded 10 blocks. The Panthers did not lead after a block by Andi Jackson evened the score at 4-4 in the first set.
Texas, 27-4, the No. 2 seed from its region, toppled Wisconsin 25-22, 20-25, 25-13, 25-16, a stunning result. The Badgers came to Tampa as a favorite alongside Nebraska. But Texas, after winning at top-seeded Stanford on Saturday in a regional final, leaned on All-America outside hitter Madisen Skinner, who recorded 18 kills and six service aces.
The crowd for the semifinal matches at Amalie Arena was announced at 19,598 — the largest for an indoor volleyball match in NCAA history. Nebraska set the record for a women’s sporting event with a crowd of 92,003 for an Aug. 30 volleyball match at its football stadium, an event that helped ignite a surge in excitement and interest around the sport.
The…
