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 news and notes.
FREE AGENCY: Florida has the first major signing from the transfer portal and a really big name is up for grabs.
German Isabel Martin, the 2022 Mountain West player of the year for UNLV and MWC co-player of the year this season, will play her graduate year for the Gators.
Martin, a 6-foot outside, played two years at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa before the product of Mauerstetten, Bavaria, transferred to UNLV. This season she shared MWC honors with Boise State’s Paige Bartsch after leading the Rebels in kills with 514 (4.32/set), hitting .294. She had a team-high 38 aces and was second in digs 244 (2.05/set).
Minnesota junior Taylor Landfair has entered the portal. The 6-5 outside from Plainfield, Illinois, is a three-time all-Big Ten player and was a VolleyballMag.com first-team All-American in 2022.
Landfair led Minnesota in kills this season with 361 (3.19/set) and aces (35).
AVCA POY: Wisconsin’s Sarah Franklin, who said when receiving the award that she will return for another season, is the AVCA national player of the year.
The 6-4 outside, who was the Big Ten player of the year, is the second Badger to win the award. Dana Rettke won in 2021.
Franklin led Wisconsin in kills with 486 (4.15/set) and had 21 aces.
VBM ALL-AMERICANS: The VolleyballMag.com All-American teams and national coach, player and freshman of the year will be announced Friday. Our panel of voters do not submit their selections until after the NCAA championship match. The AVCA concludes voting before the national semifinals and has other guidelines to consider. Our voters are only asked to include at least one setter and one libero on each of the four 14-player teams.
COACHING CAROUSEL: No team had it harder than Saint Peter’s last season as the New Jersey school in the NEC finished 0-30. The new coach is Fernando Colon, who is not from New Jersey but has been coaching there as well.
Colon has his work cut out for him. Saint Peters has won a total of 16 matches since going winless in 2011 and 2012.
From the Saint Peter’s news release:
The New Jersey native has built successful programs at both Bloomfield College (2021-22) and most recently at Ramapo College. This past season at Ramapo, Colon led the Roadrunners to a 25-2 campaign in his first year at the helm. The Roadrunners’ 25 wins was their best in program history. Ramapo won the NJAC Championship for the first time in program history and reached the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second time in school history.
TIES THAT BIND: Thanks to USA Volleyball for compiling a list of players on the four semifinalists — Nebraska, Texas, Wisconsin and Pittsburgh — who have been together in the national-team gym. It came up earlier in the week that, for example, Pitt’s Dan Fisher coached Nebraska’s Bergen Reilly. Many of the players have been USA youth teammates and know each other from high school and club.
From USA Volleyball:
Nebraska — Bekka Allick, Ally Batenhorst, Merritt Beason, Laney Choboy, Andi Jackson, Caroline Jurevicius, Lindsay Krause, Maggie Mendelson, Harper Murray, Kennedi Orr, Bergen Reilly and Lexi Rodriguez all played on medal-winning NTDP national teams.
Reilly also set for the U.S. Women’s National Team that competed at the 2022 NORCECA Final Six and won silver.
Assistant Coach Jordan Larson, a Nebraska alumna, is a three-time Olympic medalist with a gold from the 2020 Games in Tokyo. She is still competing with the Women’s National Team as it prepares for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Assistant Coach Jaylen Reyes was an assistant coach with the 2019 Women’s Collegiate National Team.
Pitt — Olivia Babcock, Blaire Bayless, Rachel Fairbanks, Bre Kelley, Emmy Klika and Torrey Stafford were all part of medal-winning NTDP national teams.
Head Coach Dan Fisher served as the head coach for NTDP medal-winning national teams. He has also coached the Collegiate National Team and the Women’s National Team that competed at the Pan American Cup.
Texas — Asjia O’Neal played with the U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2023 Volleyball Nations League.
Nya Bunton, Devin Kahahawai, Molly Phillips, Marianna Singletary, Ella Swindle and Jenna Wenaas were all part of medal-winning NTDP national teams.
Madison Skinner was part of the 2021 Women’s Collegiate National Team.
Head Coach Jerritt Elliott has coached NTDP national teams. Associate Head Coach Erik Sullivan is a two-time Olympian who has served as a team leader for the Men’s National Team. Associate Head Coach David Hunt has served as an assistant coach with the Women’s and Men’s National Teams as well as coaching NTDP national teams. Assistant Coach Cursty LaRoux played with the Women’s National Team and has helped coach NTDP national teams. Assistant to the Head Coach Jon Wong has worked with NTDP national teams and the Women’s Collegiate National Team.
Wisconsin — Carter Booth, CC Crawford, Saige Damrow, Devyn Robinson and Ella Wrobel were part of NTDP national teams. Sarah Franklin was on the 2022 Women’s Collegiate National Team.
Assistant Coach Annemarie Hickey worked with the Women’s Collegiate National Team.
NCAA volleyball notes: Free agency, AVCA POY, a hiring, USAV ties Volleyballmag.com.
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