The University of Utah volleyball team will open its NCAA Tournament run on Thursday evening as the No. 14 seed, but it will not know who its opponent is until late Wednesday night.
The Utes (13-4), appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the 17th time under longtime coach Beth Launiere, will face the winner of Wednesday’s first-round match between Long Island University and Pitt. Whichever team Utah faces Thursday in the second round, that match is slated for 8:30 p.m. and will be shown on ESPN3.
A win on Thursday will send Utah to the round of 16 for the third time in four seasons.
NCAA VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
At Omaha, Neb.
Utah vs. Pitt or Long Island
When • Thursday, 8:30 p.m. MT
Stream • ESPN3
The Utes are paced by senior outside hitter Dani Drews, who was named Pacific South Region Player of the Year by the AVCA, as well as Pac-12 Player of the Year. Drews is the first Ute volleyball player to earn the conference’s highest individual honor.
The entirety of this unprecedented 48-team springtime NCAA Tournament will take place at CHI Health Center Omaha and its adjoining convention center. Omaha was already scheduled to host the 2020 Final Four before the women’s volleyball season was postponed from last fall to this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Josh Newman began covering the University of Utah for The Tribune in 2019. A Long Island, N.Y. native, he covered Rutgers University and Monmouth University for the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey for 15 years. Basketball remains his first love, a cold IPA coming in a close second.