Team Tampa Bay's Take by Joey Johnston - Title Time in Tampa Bay!

By Joey Johnston

The Road to Tampa Bay has led to beachfront property, a palatial estate, a glittering and gleaming sight to behold.

When the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship is staged this week at downtown Tampa’s Amalie Arena, it will feature one of the most power-packed, star-studded quartets in the event’s 43-season history.

* The Nebraska Cornhuskers (32-1), the prohibitive favorites, have held the No. 1 spot over the second half of the season.

* The Pittsburgh Panthers (29-4), making their third straight appearance in a national semifinal.

* The Wisconsin Badgers (30-3), the Big Ten Conference powerhouse program and the only team to defeat Nebraska this season.

* The Texas Longhorns (26-4), who battled to Tampa after being one point away from elimination in the region semifinals.

Only once (2008) in the rally-scoring era (since 2001) have the top four national seeds advanced to the final weekend. Nebraska, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin were each No. 1 seeds in their regions. Texas was a No. 2 regional seed (and No. 7 overall) — but that’s hardly a letdown. The Longhorns are the defending national champions.

The final four teams travel to Tampa on Tuesday and will hold public practices on Wednesday at Amalie Arena.

The NCAA Fan Zone, on the Amalie Arena Plaza, will operate on Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. Beginning at 5 p.m., the teams will have red-carpet arrivals at the arena.

Then it’s the National Semifinals on ESPN.

Nebraska vs. Pittsburgh.

Wisconsin vs. Texas.

After an extra off day for the first time, the national championship game will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. to accommodate the network coverage of ABC-TV, another exposure milestone in college volleyball’s historic season of exponential growth.

The event, hosted by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and the University of South Florida, has set a goal of breaking the all-time attendance record for an NCAA volleyball championship game (18,755 in 2021 for the Wisconsin-Nebraska match at Columbus, Ohio).

Throughout the entire season — from the season-kickoff Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational through the run-up to Sunday’s championship match — the TBSC has lived by two mantras.

Setting The Standard — In keeping with the TBSC’s standard goal, the mission is to stage the most successful NCAA Volleyball Championship ever while setting the attendance record.

Growing The Game — Every event and every initiative will look to expose volleyball to a wider audience while continuing the game’s upward trajectory. (Learn more at growthegametb.com)

To maximize the event’s impact, Tampa Bay’s Local Organizing Group assembled a regional volleyball marketing committee — its slogan is “ALL-IN’’ — and it includes constituents from colleges, high schools, clubs, sports facilities, USA Volleyball, AAU Volleyball, the Pro Volleyball Federation and the Professional Association of Volleyball Officials.

“Volleyball is truly a spectacle — and it’s great for families and fans of all ages,’’ TBSC executive director Rob Higgins said. “We’ve had a truly spectacular and historic season for college volleyball. As we get ready to welcome these final four teams to our hometown, we are ready for a great finish.’’

The region finals were held on Saturday. Here’s how the final four teams advanced to Tampa:

Nebraska def. Arkansas 3-1 (26-24, 25-14, 21-25, 25-23).

Pittsburgh def. Louisville 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-19, 15-7).

Wisconsin def. Oregon 3-1 (25-22, 25-22, 25-27, 25-18).

Texas def. Stanford 3-1 (25-16, 15-25, 25-19, 25-22).