The No.1 Texas Longhorn Volleyball team (27-2, 16-0 Big 12) will take the court tonight to face No.12-seed Wisconsin (27-9, 12-8 Big Ten) in the Semifinals round of the 2013 NCAA Championship tournament. A win in this round would put Texas in the final game against either No.2 Penn State or No. 3 Washington with a chance to bring home a second straight national title.
The game will take place at KeyArena in Seattle on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 6:30 pm CT. It will be televised on ESPN2.
“We’re excited. We’ve been to eight straight Elite Eights and five out of the last six Final Fours,” Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott said. “Every time I go, I make sure to cherish it, because you never know when you’ll get back. WE’re on an amazing run as a program. It’s not something we take for granted.”
Going into the match, Texas has won 23-consecutive matches, a record that dates back to September 14th. The Longhorns have also won 10-straight postseason matches, a school record. Texas will face the Wisconsin Badgers for the sixth time, leading the series all-time 4-1.
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This will be the ninth time that the Longhorns have appeared in the NCAA semifinals and the fifth time in the last sixth seasons. They own a 4-4 mark in semifinal matches.
The Longhorns are fresh off a regional final win over No. 9 Nebraska on the road in Lincoln, Nebraska. Texas swept the Cornhuskers (25-19, 25-22, 25-23) to advance in the tournament, handing Nebraska its first sweep at home in 24 years. Senior Bailey Webster and junior Haley Eckerman led Texas with a combined 26 kills with only three errors through all three sets. Eckerman finished with a double-double with 14 kills and 15 digs.
“Playing Nebraska in front of 8,000 fans, we had a huge test in front of us,” Elliott said. “Our team played with a chip on their shoulder. I hadn’t seen them that focus going into a match all season long. They had a little bit of edge and a little bit of angry. Their composure in that environment and what they were able to do was remarkable.”
Webster turned in 12 kills while hitting .500 against Nebraska and was named the NCAA Lincoln Regional Most Outstanding Player for her efforts. Through both games of the regional, Webster hit a team-high .410. Webster and Eckerman, along with senior Hannah Allison and junior Khat Bell, were named to the All-Tournament Team following the game against Nebraska.
“I think it was a really important match,” Webster said about defeating Nebraska. “For us to pull through and play as a team where everyone played their own part, it definitely helps us going into the next match.”
Wisconsin advanced to the Final Four following a 3-1 victory over Purdue in the regional final this past weekend. This is the second time in program history that the Badgers have advanced to the semifinal round of the tournament. Against Purdue, Wisconsin finished with 66 kills and a .244 hitting clip through four sets. The Badgers are 33-16 in NCAA tournament matches.
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