Can Pittsburgh Panthers Prevail Over Nebraska Huskers as They Enter 3rd Straight National Semis?

The Pittsburgh Panthers have fought their way to the national semifinals after squaring against several tough opponents. This is the third consecutive top-four appearance for the Panthers in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship. But now, they face the toughest challenge of their journey so far, as they come face to face with the Nebraska Huskers.

The Nebraska Huskers are the number one seeds of the tournament and have only been bested once throughout the tournament. While Nebraska will look forward to ending its six-year title drought, will Pittsburgh be able to win its first NCAA Volleyball Championship?

The strategic victory lineups of Pittsburgh and Nebraska

While the Pittsburgh Panthers haven’t won a single NCAA championship so far, the Wisconsin Badgers had the same status in 2021. Speaking in terms of offense, both squads will be using six-rotation opposites. Merritt Beason of the Nebraska Huskers and Olivia Babcock of Pittsburgh will attack heavily from the front and back rows for their teams.

The Nebraska Huskers and Pittsburgh are also great at ball movement and will be utilizing their freshmen to pass the ball around. While Harper Murray will execute this job for Nebraska, Pitt has Torrey Stafford for it. Although both teams have equalizers in these departments, Pittsburgh is more dominant while it is serving.

It’s impossible to ignore Babcock’s devastating spin serves that have yielded nine aces in 42 serves in her last three matches. Moreover, Cat Flood’s prolific point-scoring serves have raked in 28 points from 53 serves for the Panthers. 

Flood’s pinpoint accuracy also granted Pittsburgh a much-needed five-point run in their fifth set against Louisville in the quarterfinals. While the Panthers have their claws sharpened, the Nebraska Huskers also have several aces up their sleeves.

The impenetrable fortress of the Nebraska Huskers

The Nebraska Huskers have proven to be a scorer’s nightmare, as the stats show that they are the toughest teams to score against. The Nebraska defense, spearheaded by Lexi Rodriguez and Laney Choboy, will be difficult to breach, regardless of how well you serve or pass the ball. 

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Over the past three games versus Nebraska, no team has managed a hitting percentage better than 0.222 percent in any single set. Moreover, the Nebraska Huskers have also reduced the attacking efficiency of two teams below zero in playoff matches. Will the Pittsburgh Panthers be able to convert their fifth ACC championship into an NCAA title? Or will they be crushed by Nebraska’s defense and return home with yet another top-four defeat?

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