Temi Thomas-Ailara attacks for Wisconsin against Arizona/Zach Scuster photo
The 2023 NCAA Division I women’s volleyball season continues to offer a daily dose of surprises.
Third-ranked Florida stayed unbeaten, but the Gators had to go five to beat visiting Sacramento State.
Eighth-ranked BYU (8-0) won twice, but No. 23 Hawai’i lost at home to Liberty — who got 25 kills from Kamryn Bacus — in five, and No. 25 Auburn, enjoying its first week in the AVCA top 25, lost in four to Middle Tennessee.
There were plenty of other intriguing results, including Texas State. The Bobcats, coming off a huge victory over Houston, lost at home in five to Southeastern Louisiana on the day we featured Texas State setter Ryann Torres, this week’s Sun Belt Conference setter of the week who was injured in practice.
Eleftheria Baxa of Memphis hits against Washington’s Kierstyn Barton, left, and Elise Hani. Washington swept for its fifth win in a row/Stephen Burns photo
Other winners included No. 13 Washington State sweeping Towson, Wyoming beating Portland to get to 7-0, Texas A&M getting to 6-0 as Ifenna Cos-Okpalla had 14 blocks against Utah State, UCF over Florida State, and Florida A&M knocking off previously unbeaten South Alabama.
Friday’s schedule is overloaded again as the pre-conference season goes into the third weekend.
We are in Palo Alto for four ranked teams as No. 6 Oregon plays No. 10 Minnesota and No. 5 Stanford plays No. 15 Ohio State.
Also in the Pac-12, unbeaten Cal is at Texas State where the unbeaten Bears play Southeastern Louisiana and the home team. there’s a big battle when Washington State plays BYU, Colorado plays No. 22 Kansas, unbeaten Arizona State plays Boise State, Washington faces UNLV and UCLA plays Liberty which beat a ranked team for the first time ever with its win over Hawai’i.
The ACC slate includes No. 9 Pittsburgh playing No 24 Marquette, No. 11 Georgia Tech facing South Alabama and unbeaten Wake Forest playing Kennesaw State. The ACC’s Miami plays No. 1 Wisconsin and Clemson plays Florida. And unbeaten Virginia Tech plays Delaware State.
The Big 12 also shows No. 7 Texas playing FGCU, No. 14 Baylor playing Colorado State and No. 21 Houston playing No, 19 Kentucky.
The Big Ten also has No. 12 Penn State against Temple and No. 20 Purdue playing SMU.
In the SEC, No. 17 Arkansas plays Western Kentucky, No. 18 Tennessee plays Loyola Chicago and Auburn faces Charleston Southern. Texas A&M, off to a 6-0 start, plays Northern Iowa.
No. 16 Creighton of the Big East goes across town to play Omaha of The Summit League.
No. 23 Hawai’i of the Big West plays Pepperdine.
Of note, UT-Arlington is 6-0 and plays Central Arkansas and Tulsa, App State is 6-0 and plays USC Upstate, The Citadel is 6-0 and plays Queens and UNC Asheville, 6-0 Eastern Illinois plays Arkansas State, 5-0 Georgia Southern plays UTSA, 7-0 Western Michigan plays Mississippi State, and in New York City, 0-6 Manhattan plays at 0-4 Columbia.
Want to watch? We have the viewing links for any match that is being shown in our VolleyballMag.com TV & Streaming Listings.
Arizona’s Jordan Wilson hits against the monstrous Wisconsin block of Carter Booth and Anna Smre/Zach Schuster photo
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