Nebraska over PSU - (3-0) 25-0, 25-0, 25-1
Volleytalkers everywhere celebrate as Penn State gets its just desserts for its undeserved seed. (Nobody celebrates more than San Diego, as the Toreros throw a December beach party.) After a shutout in the first set, Husker starters rest. Boender and Albrecht keep the pressure on in Set 2, while Tiani Reeves registers 25 kills in the 3rd. Penn State registers their first point of the match at 0-24 in the 3rd to avoid the whitewash.
Washington over Arizona (3-2) 15-25, 22-25, 26-24, 25-15, 15-10
With Arizona having played 13 top 25 opponents to the Huskies' 7, the Wildcats come out on fire but Washington eventually turns the tide. Huskies will meet the Huskers.
Nebraska over Washington (3-2) 25-20, 22-25, 25-18, 24-26, 15-8
During the postgame handshake, a brawl erupts between John Cook and Keegan Cook. John is angry over a line call at the end of Set 4. Keegan joins in, thinking he is upholding a great Husky tradition - fighting John Cook - left him by Jim McLaughlin.
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Creighton over Michigan- (3-2) 28-30, 30-28, 30-28, 28-30, 20-18
The Bluejays extend their 15-match Friday win streak and 22-match overall win streak. They become the first team to ever win three consecutive 5-set matches to open NCAA tournament play. They were already the first seeded team to reach the Sweet 16 after consecutive 5-set wins away from home since ...Michigan (2008).
Texas over BYU - (3-1) 26-24, 25-20, 18-25, 25-17
Horns lose a little focus in the 3rd but the crowd carries them to a wire-to-wire Set 4 win.
Creighton over Texas - (3-2) 20-25, 25-23, 25-23, 10-25, 16-14
Creighton does something teams from Nebraska other than Husker volleyball almost never do -- beats Texas. Stunning the crowd and the Longhorn players, who expected the Jays to be worn out from the contest with Michigan, the Jays somehow match up to Texas's mighty MB's and eke their way into the Final Four.
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Wisconsin over Ohio State (3-1) 25-18, 25-19, 22-25, 25-16.
Despite the best efforts of the awesome Taylor Sandbothe, Wisconsin cruises over the erratic Buckeyes. Rampageripster is disconsolate until he randomly runs into Bryn Kehoe at the hotel bar. He and his new wife share a table with Kehoe and, as Garth Brooks's "Unanswered Prayers" plays on the jukebox, he realizes his wife and not Kehoe is the true woman of his dreams. As he and his wife head upstairs, he forgets all about volleyball.
Stanford over FSU (3-2) 25-20, 22-25, 25-21, 20-25, 15-12
Bryn Kehoe draws up an outstanding game plan and heads to the hotel bar for a victory drink with her brother, a former Ohio State player.
Wisconsin over Stanford (3-0) 25-22, 25-22, 25-22
Inky accepts the National POY award before the match but is outplayed by Carlini, whose jersey is retired at intermission. "The Cardinal" players cite the cold weather and frozen hands as a factor in the defeat.
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UNC over UCLA (3-0) 25-16, 25-21, 25-20
The young Heels win a surprisingly easy one in the Battle of Baby Blues.
Minnesota over Missouri (3-1) 25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 25-18
The Gophers win the Battle of Golden Trim. Carly Kan announces she will turn pro in beach volleyball and goes on to team with Walsh in Tokyo.
Minnesota over UNC (3-0) 25-18, 25-17, 25-15
Tapp sisters post 10 solo blocks apiece as the Gophers roll.
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Creighton over Nebraska (3-2) 25-23, 15-25, 25-23, 15-25, 22-20
Creighton notches their first regular win over Nebraska after starting the series 0-15. Nebraska discovers that Creighton has learned to finish sets since their September match. Ticket brokers weep as they realize that they would've sold seats for thousands of dollars each had this Final Four match taken place a year earlier in Omaha. Rampageripster sells his tickets for $50 each and takes his wife to a fancy dinner since he has forgotten about volleyball. In the postgame press conference, Coach Booth accepts an offer to become Husker Coach-in-Waiting -- staying at Creighton in the interim.
Minnesota over Wisconsin (3-1) 22-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-22
Sweetest setter is SSS over Carlini. Carlini does not dispair, joins Team USA, and becomes Karch's starting setter.
Creighton over Minnesota (3-2) 10-25, 12-25, 36-34, 44-42, 100-98
The Bluejays win the first national championship in school history in any sport with an incredible 8-hour finale. Senior walk-on serving specialist Amanda Foje dishes out 2 aces at 98-all. Booth pulls the redshirt of freshman Jaclyn Taylor due to Lydia Dimke's exhaustion after compiling 200 assists. Her Gopher counterpart SSS is an ironwoman and needed no replacement. Fortunately the match is over by lunchtime since it started at 7:00 a.m. ET to accomdate ESPN. Husker-Coach-in-Waiting Booth announces her intention to repeat with Creighton in 2017, since the Bluejays started just one senior in the championship.