Perusic, Gottardi steal the show at our inaugural 2023 Beach Pro Tour Player Awards
The 2023 Beach Pro Tour season was a long and winding and wonderful and wacky one. New hierarchies were established — hello, Ana Patricia and Duda — and old ones broken down, or at least put into question. Who, for example, is the best men’s...
State by state: Top 2023 HS volleyball players from around the nation
VolleyballMag.com presents its 2023 Players of the Year for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Thanks to the more than 150 coaches nationwide surveyed for these recognitions, and to the great players considered for these honors in each of the states and D.C. Look...
Women’s pro report: VakifBank loses Club Worlds, but 31 kills for Jordan Thompson
Jordan Thompson was fantastic for VakifBank in the Club World Championship/Volleyball World photo This is our weekly update on USA women playing professional volleyball around the world. Most of the players are former NCAA standouts. We’ll have a report next week, but Japan and Türkiye are...
NORCECA bronze pushes Benesh, Partain up to No. 7 in Olympic rankings
The podium at the NORCECA Continental Championships/NORCECA photo The Olympic race for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games officially began in February in Doha, Qatar, with the Volleyball World Elite16. The final event is yet to be determined, but the qualification period will conclude on June 9,...
Winning NCAA title “like an out-of-body experience” for Asjia O’Neal
Asjia O’Neal celebrates winning the NCAA title/@AndyWenstrand By Joey Johnston for VolleyballMag.com TAMPA — On match point, as she prepared for the potentially clinching serve, Texas middle blocker Asjia O’Neal said she had one thought. “I said to myself, ‘I’m going to get an ace and we’re going...
NCAA volleyball championship stunner! Texas sweeps Nebraska
All eyes are on Nebraska’s Laney Choboy as she goes all out against Texas @AndyWenstrand TAMPA — No one expected a sweep. Most figured No. 1 Nebraska would win. And then Texas simply served Nebraska into oblivion. The seventh-seeded Longhorns destroyed Nebraska 25-22, 25-14, 25-11 Sunday in the NCAA...
Nebraska vs. Texas NCAA volleyball final: What you need to know
TAMPA — You may have forgotten, but in the AVCA preseason top 25 that came out last August, Texas was No. 1. Yes, those same Longhorns who then went and lost their first match, in four, at Long Beach State on a day when superstar middle...
NCAA volleyball notes: Free agency, AVCA POY, a hiring, USAV ties
TAMPA — This, of course, is the big day, the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship title match between top-seeded Nebraska and seventh-seeded Texas. We’ll have more on that in a later post Sunday in advance of the 3 p.m. Eastern first serve on ABC. First, some NCAA...
All-time highs: More great TV, crowd numbers for NCAA volleyball semifinals
The NCAA semifinals drew a record crowd in Tampa and great TV ratings/@AndyWenstrand To say that the hits just keep on coming for women’s college volleyball in 2023 has gotten to be an understatement. The national semifinal matches of the NCAA tournament that aired Thursday night on...
Thriving Texas plays Nebraska for NCAA title in “an iconic matchup”
Jenna Wenaas of Texas hits against Wisconsin’s Anna Smrek and CC Crawford/@AndyWenstrand By Joey Johnston for VolleyballMag.com TAMPA — Normally, there’s tremendous pressure on a defending national champion. Nerves can be frayed. Expectations must be managed. But the Texas Longhorns are loose, smiling and eager. Who saw it coming? Following...
Skinner, O’Neal spark Texas past Wisconsin and into national title match
Madisen Skinner of Texas fires a shot down the line past Wisconsin’s Anna Smrek/@AndyWenstrand TAMPA — Madisen Skinner hit and served Wisconsin out of Amalie Arena and Texas into the national title match. The junior outside hitter was spectacular Thursday on the biggest stage, the NCAA Division...
Youth is served as freshmen continue to sparkle for top-ranked Nebraska
Nebraska’s Bergen Reilly, left, and Bekka Allick block Pitt’s Valeria Vazquez Gomez/@Andy Wenstrand By Joey Johnson for VolleyballMag.com TAMPA — When the season began, top-ranked Nebraska featured five freshmen, most of whom were expected to play key roles. “I feel like that (being doubted) is understandable with five...
33-1 Nebraska dismantles Pitt, awaits Wisconsin-Texas winner
Harper Murray, who led Nebraska with 13 kills, unloads against Pitt/@AndyWenstrand TAMPA — All that remained was the waiting, to see if we will have a rematch of the 2021 five-set epic NCAA championship match between Wisconsin and Nebraska. Top-seeded Nebraska did its part, completely overpowering No....
NCAA volleyball: More TV news; AVCA honors Cook; big tourney set
Temi Thomas-Ailara attacks as Wisconsin teammates CC Crawford, left, and Devyn Robinson block during practice for the Wisconsin Badgers practice Wednesday/@AndyWenstrand As we wait for the start of the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship national semifinals, notes, notes, notes … We have a TV update from...
Showtime! Nebraska vs. Pittsburgh, Wisconsin vs. Texas
Asjia O’Neal leads Texas into its match with Wisconsin/Matt Smith photo TAMPA — Showtime! The NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship national semifinals are Thursday. Here’s what you need to know: The matchups, time and TV Pittsburgh vs. Nebraska, 7 p.m. Eastern, ESPN Texas vs. Wisconsin, 30 minutes after the first...
Mick Haley and USC announce “mutually agreeable” settlement
Mick Haley talks to USC setter Reni Meyer-Whalley during a 2017 time out/Ed Chan, VBshots.com TAMPA — Mick Haley, the 2000 USA Olympic coach who won 10 national titles as a college volleyball coach, has settled his lawsuit with USC, the school that fired him in...
Texas faces tall task when it battles the tallest in Wisconsin
Madisen Skinner beats the block during Texas practice/@AndyWenstrand By Joey Johnston for VolleyballMag.com TAMPA — The Texas Longhorns have battled expectations, a 5-3 start to the season and staring their demise squarely in the face while overcoming a match point in the region semifinals. For the defending national...
Compliments from Cook as Huskers prepare for semis battle with Pitt
Nebraska coach John Cook addresses his team during Wednesday’s practice/@AndyWenstrand By Joey Johnston for VolleyballMag.com TAMPA — Nebraska’s Big Red contingent has landed at the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship. Saying the Huskers travel well is like saying the Gulf of Mexico sunsets are sort of pretty. The...
NCAA volleyball: AVCA All-Americans; “heavyweight foursome;” Sioux Falls connection
Wisconsin’s Anna Smrek juggles tennis balls at Wednesday’s practice/@AndyWenstrand TAMPA, Florida — The Wednesday before the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship is always busy. Not only do all four teams — top-seeded Nebraska, No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 4 Pittsburgh and No. 7 Texas — practice and...
Nathan Michaels, the “knee whisperer” of the beach volleyball world
HERMOSA BEACH, CALIFORNIA — In the spring of 2021, Nathan Michaels was in need of an experiment. A physical trainer who had worked full-time for Equinox until gyms were shut down during the pandemic, Michaels was taking clients of all shapes and sizes, ages and abilities,...