With the women’s volleyball season just around the corner, NCAA Digital’s Michella Chester and BTN’s Emily Ehman collaborated in a preseason Instagram Live to discuss all things related to the upcoming season.
One of the topics the two discussed was which four teams could potentially reach the semifinals of the NCAA national tournament in late December.
Here are their picks for the teams they think will face Louisville in less than four months.
Chester and Ehman’s first choice – Texas
Even before the semifinals began, Chester and Ehman agreed that the Longhorns could achieve a third consecutive victory.
After two consecutive championship titles, Texas entered the history books with its third consecutive title – the first since Penn State’s quadruple title win in 2010. It would be the second in DI women’s volleyball history – and the fourth collegiate national title for Madi Skinner, the 2023 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Ehman’s biggest problem for the Longhorns was at center after losing Asjia O’Neal, but Texas has stepped up its game by signing freshman Ayden Ames, the 2023 Texas Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year, and bringing in more help on the right side in Reagan Rutherford from Kentucky.
Chester mentioned how excited she was when Baylor’s Averi Carlson was paired with Ella Swindle as setter and Nebraska’s Whitney Lauenstein joined the team.
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Chester and Ehman’s second choice – Nebraska
Another point where there is no doubt is Nebraska. Chester and Ehman agreed that Texas and Nebraska are “in a league of their own.”
The Huskers were a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament but fell short and were swept by Texas in the national championship. That should be enough motivation for Nebraska to get over the hump this season.
Nebraska was one of the youngest teams in the country last year — and had no seniors on the roster. This time around, the Huskers are returning almost their entire core, and Chester jokingly argued that with new additions Taylor Landfair from Minnesota and Leyla Blackwell from San Diego, they have too many offensive options.
Ehman reiterated his claim, adding that Nebraska’s all-around talent will make the team elite, especially with the return of outside hitter Lindsay Krause, whose 2023 season ended prematurely due to an ankle injury in October.
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Chester and Ehman’s third choice – Wisconsin
Chester and Ehman were unable to compete against Wisconsin and thus fell into the Texas-Nebraska category, where they were able to distance themselves from the rest.
The Badgers return most of their core players from 2023, including Sarah Franklin, who was named the 2023 AVCA National Player of the Year.
The Badgers’ biggest offseason question was that of setter, with no returning setters on the 2024 roster. However, Ehman assured that the position was in good hands after the program added freshman Charlie Fuerbringer, the top-ranked high school setter nationally by PrepVolleyball.
While the freshman may need some time to adjust, Ehman doesn’t think she will face many setbacks given the players around her and how good she is playing. Chester compared this to Bergen Reilly’s role at Nebraska last year, as she was able to fit in perfectly with the elite talent around her.
Wisconsin was already knocking on the door of defending its national title last year, but lost to Texas in the semifinals.
Chester’s fourth choice – Florida
Chester had a hard time betting against Pitt here, but she felt there was a lot of excitement in Florida.
The Gators looked like an elite team last year, finishing in the top five before a domino effect of injuries, including the loss of 2022 AVCA Southeast Freshman of the Year setter Alexis Stucky. Due to the slew of injuries, Florida struggled to find its rhythm as the season progressed.
Fast forward to 2024: With the return of Stucky and Co., the Gators have the chance to prove that they are a strong group again.
The ambition they have could be enough to take the Gators to their first semifinal since 2017.
Ehman’s fourth pick – Louisville
The Cardinals have been in the conversation for years about making the semifinals, and with the semifinals coming to their city this year, Ehman believes it could give them the edge to knock off another top team.
Louisville returns its entire roster aside from Aiko Jones, including top names like Anna DeBeer, Elena Scott, Elle Glock, Phekran Kong and more.
The combination of talent and location makes Louisville an exciting team.
