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What stands between Texas volleyball and its 17th Final Four

by: Josh Florey1 hour ago

Texas breezed through its first two matches of the NCAA Tournament, sweeping their first round opponent Florida A&M with scores of 25-11, 25-8, and 25-14, before dominating the reigning national champions, Penn State, with scores of 25-16, 25-9, and 25-19. 

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Across the country, the top teams took care of business for the most part, with 12th-seeded Cal Poly being the only non-top-four-seeded team to make the Sweet 16.

Here’s what’s on tap for Texas in the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend.

Sweet 16 Matchup: Indiana

After sweeps over Colorado and Toledo, the Hoosiers are 25-7. They’ve struggled against some of the top teams, like Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin, and even Minnesota, but have beaten some decent opponents such as USC. 

Indiana is led by captain Avry Tatum, Candela Alonso-Corcelles, and setter Teodora Krickovic, all of whom earned first-team All-Big Ten honors according to Indiana’s official site. 

This is the first tournament the Hoosiers have made since 2010, so the experience of Texas should give them an advantage.

With the way the Horns are playing right now, and the deep talent across the roster, they should be able to take care of Indiana and advance to the Elite Eight. The match starts at 11 a.m. on ESPN.

Elite Eight: Stanford/Wisconsin 

If the Horns get through Indiana, they will play the winner of the Cardinal/Badgers match. Both of these teams pose challenges for Texas. Stanford already showed how well they match up with Texas in their five-set battle at Moody Center earlier in the season. Stanford had three All-ACC first teamers: Elia Rubin, Lizzy Andrew, and Spencer Etzler. They also had four All-ACC second teamers Jordyn Harvey, Julia Blyashov, Logan Parks, and Erika Sayer. 

Texas got by Wisconsin early as well, but the Badgers have been able to go toe to toe with top teams, and would have to beat another top team to even play Texas. They have three All-Big Ten first teamers: Mimi Colyer, Carter Booth, and Charlie Fuerbringer. They’ve beaten teams like Indiana, Minnesota, and Purdue. 

Stanford is probably the tougher matchup of the two, but neither team is an easy out regardless. 

Texas also has home court advantage in these games, giving them the slight edge they may need to make the Final Four.

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