No. 1 overall seed and undefeated Nebraska swept Long Island University on Friday night to advance to the second round of the NCAA volleyball tournament.
The Cornhuskers (31-0) hit .476 and got a combined 20 kills from middle blockers Andi Jackson and Rebekah Allick. They were joined in the second round by fellow top seeds Pittsburgh and Texas, which also advanced with sweeps.
Kentucky, the remaining top seed, is a step ahead of them all. The Wildcats advanced to the regional semifinals with a 3-1 win over eighth-seeded UCLA. Kentucky outside hitters Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson combined for 57 kills.
Saturday's second-round matches will be headlined by a showdown between Texas (24-3) and reigning national champion Penn State (19-12). The programs have combined for 12 NCAA national championships, including the last three. The match also features two AVCA player of the year semifinalists, Torrey Stafford of Texas and Kennedy Martin of Penn State. Stafford averages 4.67 kills per set for the Longhorns and Martin averages 5.42 for the Nittany Lions.
The final four will be held at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Dec. 18. The championship game is scheduled for Dec. 21 and will air on ABC.
First round
Thursday
No. 5 Colorado 3, American 0
No. 6 Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2
No. 8 UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2
No. 5 Miami 3, Tulsa 1
No. 4 Indiana 3, Toledo 0
North Carolina 3, No. 6 UTEP 1
No. 6 Northern Iowa 3, Utah 2
Utah State 3, No. 7 Tennessee 2
No. 1 Kentucky 3, Wofford 0
No. 3 Purdue 3, Wright State 0
No. 4 Kansas 3, High Point 0
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0
No. 3 Creighton 3, Northern Colorado 2
Cal Poly 3, No. 5 BYU 2
No. 2 Arizona State 3, Coppin State 0
No. 4 USC 3, Princeton 0
Friday
Marquette 3, No. 7 Western Kentucky 0
Michigan 3, No. 8 Xavier 0
No. 6 TCU 3, Stephen F. Austin 0
Florida 3, No. 7 Rice 0
No. 5 Iowa State 3, St. Thomas-Minnesota 2
Kansas State 3, No. 8 San Diego 2
No. 8 Penn State 3, vs. South Florida 1
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, UMBC 0
No. 2 Louisville 3, Loyola Chicago 0
No. 2 SMU 3, Central Arkansas 0
No. 3 Texas A&M 3, Campbell 0
Arizona 3, No. 7 South Dakota State 1
No. 1 Nebraska 3, Long Island University 0
No. 1 Texas 3, Florida A&M 0
No. 4 Minnesota 3, Fairfield 0
No. 2 Stanford (27-4) vs. Utah Valley (16-10), 10 p.m. ET
Second round
Friday
No. 3 Purdue 3, No. 6 Baylor 1
No. 4 Indiana 3, No. 5 Colorado 0
No. 1 Kentucky 3, No. 8 UCLA 1
No. 4 Kansas 3, No. 5 Miami 1
No. 3 Creighton 3, No. 6 UNI 1
No. 2 Arizona State 3, Utah State 1
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, North Carolina 0
No. 4 USC vs. Cal Poly, 10 p.m. ET
Saturday
No. 2 Louisville vs. Marquette, 6 p.m. ET
No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. Michigan, 7 p.m. ET
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Penn State, 7:30 p.m. ET
No. 1 Nebraska vs. Kansas State, 8 p.m. ET
No. 2 SMU vs. Florida, 8 p.m. ET
No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 6 TCU, 8 p.m. ET
No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Iowa State, 8 p.m. ET
No. 2 Stanford/Utah Valley vs. Arizona, 9 p.m. ET
Regional semifinals
Dec. 11-14
Teams TBD
National semifinals
Dec. 18
Match 1, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Match 2, 8:30 p.m. ET (approx.), ESPN
National championship
Dec. 21, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Tournament storylines
Indiana freshman defies death, makes NCAA volleyball tournament
Toxic shock syndrome nearly killed Charlotte Vinson. Now she's hoping to help Indiana advance at the NCAA tournament. Read more
Sleeper picks, must-watch players and more
Ahead of the tournament, our ESPN college volleyball experts give their take on five big questions. Read more
"Game On" explores UNC sophomore Jackie Taylor's challenges growing up in the shadow of her dad, former NFL player Sean Taylor, and the ways she honors him.
UNC's Jackie Taylor honors her late father, NFL legend Sean Taylor
Jackie Taylor wears No. 21 for North Carolina. When she leaps for a ball and slams it to the ground, NFL fans remember a man she never met. Read more
Learn how an innovative accessory created by a national-championship-winning coach helps keep hair of all types in place during competition.
How a bald coach solved volleyball's ponytail predicament
The NCAA volleyball tournament will feature dozens of stars wearing a hair-tie solution invented by none other than three-time champion Jerritt Elliott. Read more
