Women’s volleyball advances to Sweet 16

Toreros off to regional semifinals after winning first and second rounds 

Olivia Synek / Associate Editor / The USD Vista

The University of San Diego’s Volleyball team is currently ranked no. 3 in the NCAA tournament, with a current record of 29-1. The Division I volleyball championship began on Dec. 1 for the Toreros, meaning the Jenny Craig Pavilion (JCP) hosted the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) for the first round. Toreros showed school spirit and support as just under 2,700 people were in attendance.

The Toreros secured both the first and second sets, with scores of 25-21 and 25- 14. UNC came back and won the third set 25-21. The game was over after four sets; the Toreros came out hot for the fourth set, beating UNC 25-11.

Notable moments from the first round match include 17 kills by junior Layla Blackwell’s, a new career-high. Blackwell’s hitting percentage stood at .739, with the second highest hitting percentage standing at .367 by graduate student Breana Edwards. Edwards also followed Blackwell with 12 kills.

This game marked the 25th consecutive win for the Toreros, as they advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament and prepared to host Washington State on Dec. 2. 

The Toreros hosted the second championship game of 2022 not 24 hours after beating UNC. This game had a fan turnout similar to the previous match, as about 2,200 people were seated in the pavilion. 

The Toreros once again secured both the first and second sets, with scores of 25- 19 and 25-22. They were unable to win the match in three sets, as No. 24 Washington State won the set 25-21. The fourth and final set ended with a score of 25-15, sending the Toreros to the regional semifinals.

Notable moments from the second round match come from outside hitter Edwards. Edwards received the season-high number of kills, at 23. She also secured a hitting percentage of .447. Senior Grace Frohling followed behind with 17 kills, with a very similar percentage of .441.

The Toreros are now set to go head to head against No. 15 University of Kentucky at Palo Alto’s Maples Pavilion on Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. This game puts the Toreros in the NCAA Regional Semifinal, or the Sweet 16, a place they have not seen since 2018. It also officially marks the fifth time the Toreros have made an appearance. The match will be streaming on ESPNU.