As demonstrated by today’s previously mentioned Nebraskan holiday, this week’s all about bumps, sets, and aces.

Hollywood’s still on strike, but the court queens are already bringing the drama this year: Ten Top 25 squads (including four in the Top 10) fell to at least one unranked or lower-ranked team in the season’s first three days.

Heavy offseason transfer portal activity means this volleyball season will be less predictable than Scooter Braun’s future.

Only 185 NCAA teams compete in the winter season: 27 in DI, 35 in DII, and 123 in DIII. DI and DII share a championship, while DIII schools have their own postseason tourney.

Although the basics are the same — don’t let the ball on the ground, don’t touch the net, etc. — beach volleyball’s format is a significant shakeup from that of its indoor cousin.

The world’s most intense game of “the floor is lava” is also one of the NCAA’s top sports, boasting 1057 women’s teams nationwide, including 344 in Division I (DI). Volleyball’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years — the 2022 championship saw record viewership and the 2023 edition will appear on network TV for the first time.

Volleyball’s jam-packed seasons came to a dramatic end as two Southern California powerhouses took some serious hardware back home to LA.

Two national champions will be crowned this weekend: the beach queens and the kings of the court.

With just three days until spring’s first national champs are crowned, sit back, relax, and catch up on the court(room) drama while these dudes snag some serious air.

Five of the eight beach volleyball conferences, including the CUSA and OVC, will dig into their tourneys this week, delivering some early sand and sun before final exams.

Men’s volleyball’s unconventional conferences are all hosting their tourneys this week, with champs to crown and automatic natty bids to bestow on Saturday.

Spring break is still weeks away, but the NCAA is bringing the sand and sun early with this weekend’s beach volleyball season start.