The state of Kentucky has been strong this season in volleyball and will be well represented in theNCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship that begins next week with four instate teams participating.
More on the tournament:Dancing again: Kentucky, Louisville, WKU, Morehead volleyball teams are NCAA Tourney-bound
No. 2 seed Kentucky, No. 11 Louisville, Western Kentucky and Morehead State all won its respective conference championships and prepared for the tournament April 14-24 in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Cardinals, Wildcats and Lady Toppers have been ranked in the top-20 throughout the season. These three along with the Eagles take a combined record of 70-4 into the tournament.
Looking back:Kentucky, Louisville and Western Kentucky all have top-20 volleyball rankings
Here's what's riding for each team and what could be accomplished.
Could Kentucky reach its first Final Four?
The Wildcats have been one of the better teams in the country. Sporting a 19-1 record and a fourth straight SEC title, this program has become a regular in the tournament with 16 straight appearances.
This two seed is the highest in the program's history.
Under coach Craig Skinner, UK has an Elite Eight and six Sweet 16's, but they feel this team can go even bigger and win a national title.
"I think they've earned the opportunity to get in the tournament and see what we can do," Skinner said Sunday.
Can Louisville repeat postseason magic?
Dani Busboom Kelly's squad shocked the college volleyball world last season with the upset over No. 2 Texas to reach the first Elite Eight in program history.
Most of her players from that team are back this year and riding momentum from winning the ACC outright title.Louisville's Tori Dilferwas named Setter of the Year, sophom*ore middle blockerAmaya Tillmanwas voted Defensive Player of the Year, outside hitterAnna DeBeerwas selected Freshman of the Year and Busboom Kellywas named Coach of the Year.
Busboom Kelly feels this team is playing its best volleyball of the year and likes the draw.The team feels the experience of last year gives them confidence that they can beat anybody.
"I think that's something we're going to take with us into this tournament run," Busboom Kelly said."We're trying to become those storied programs that has a lot of history and typically make Sweet 16 and Elite Eight's. Knowing that we did it last year definitely gives us a confidence boost and also makes us really hungry to do it again and go further."
Western Kentucky has never reached a Sweet 16
There's just six teams that are going into the tournament undefeated. One of them is Western Kentucky.
With a 21-0 record and a sixth C-USA title in seven years, Travis Hudson's team barely missed out on one of those top-15 seeds.
This is WKU's 13th trip to the NCAA Tournament in Hudson's 26 years as coach, and they've made it to the second round four times. There's been two occasions where the team was in striking distance of the Sweet 16 and both of those came in five set heartbreakers, in 2017 against UK and last yearagainst U of L.
WKU has been a mid-major power for a long time that's consistently been in the top-25, but a first-round win over Jackson State and a second-round victory over No. 15 Washington State would get this program over the hump and claim its first Sweet 16.
To go even further, if both teams keep winning, it could even set up a Sweet 16 showdown with Kentucky.
"This is a group of kids that's really hungry," Hudson said. "They tasted that Sweet 16 two years ago in that five-set match against Louisville and knowing that we were playing at that level, blow-for-blow with Louisville, who was a team that went on to beat Texas in the next round, tells our kids that if we play at a high level that we can advance through this thing a little bit."
Morehead State seeks first NCAA Tournament victory
Jaime Gordon has his Eagles team back in the NCAA Tournament after capturing the OVC crown.
This isthe club's third overall NCAA Tournament appearanceand the ninth overall postseason appearance in program history.
The Eagles have yet to win a match in the NCAA Tournament, currently at0-2, with losses to Purdue in 2011 and Illinois in 2013.
Could the third time be the charm?
It all starts with Creighton on April 14.
Reach Dominique Yates. Twitter: @RealDYates. Email: dyates@couriejournal.com
