Gas(so) her up

The GIST: Is tonight the most exciting night in college volleyball…ever? With three regional rivalry matchups between Top-25 teams plus a showdown between two of the sport’s most prestigious programs, NCAA women’s volleyball is officially in its “must-see TV” era — even ESPN is serving up a double-feature tonight.

No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions (8-0) vs. No. 1 Pitt Panthers (6-0), 7 p.m. ET (ACCN): Like Anna Sawai at the Emmys, the Panthers are flawless: They’ve swept all six of their opponents this season. But Penn State’s on a four-sweep streak of their own, and with two Top-10 wins already under their belt, the Nittany Lions are Pitt’s toughest challenge yet. Which big cat can stay undefeated?

No. 4 Louisville Cardinals (7-1) vs. No. 11 Kentucky Wildcats (6-3), 7 p.m. ET (ESPN): All three of Kentucky’s losses were to Top-10 teams, which means they’re battle-hardened and hungry for a big upset against red-hot rival Louisville. The Wildcats’ game plan? Limit dominant Cardinals outside hitter (OH) Charitie Luper as much as possible.

No. 2 Stanford Cardinal (7-0) vs. No. 5 Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-1), 8 p.m. ET (BTN): Two of the sport’s most stacked rosters make this matchup a true clash of titans. Stanford’s feeling good as hell coming off Sunday’s win over No. 8 Texas, but the Cornhuskers boast one of the country’s most balanced attacks — and one of the toughest home stadiums for visitors.

No. 8 Texas Longhorns (3-3) vs. No. 20 Baylor Bears (7-2), 9 p.m. ET (ESPN): Speaking of Texas, the reigning national champs haven’t been as dominant as expected this season, giving Baylor a chance to snag an upset. All eyes will be on Longhorn OH Madisen Skinner as these former conference rivals duke it out in a Texas-sized tussle.

The GIST: After months of harassment, a 40-year-old Oregon man was charged with stalking UConn women’s basketball superstar Paige Bueckers on Monday, marking yet another instance of women athletes facing unwanted and often scary attention from “fans.”

The details: In February, Robert Parmalee — a man with a long criminal history — began sending Bueckers messages and making disturbing social media posts about her. He later sent rambling emails to UConn administrators, who alerted university police.

• Parmalee was arrested on August 27th by Connecticut State Police about 35 miles from UConn’s campus, telling officers he was going to see Bueckers. Officials detained him in Hartford, CT, until charging him with felony stalking (and other misdemeanors) on Monday.

Zooming out: Bueckers isn’t just any hooper — she’s arguably the most famous current college basketball player…women’s or men’s. She’s also projected to be the 2025 WNBA Draft’s No. 1 pick, not to mention an NIL dynamo and a cultural icon.

• But Bueckers is not the only athlete dealing with unwanted attention and threats: Women in sports are distressingly vulnerable to harassment, something WNBAers like Angel Reese and Chennedy Carter have also recently faced.

• This case once again highlights the urgent need for leagues and institutions to proactively safeguard players by seeking legal consequences for perpetrators when online activity turns into IRL harassment. Again and again: Protect women athletes.

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