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The 2011 NCAA Women’s National Champions are the UCLA Bruins! The #9 seeded UCLA Bruins upset #3 seed Illinois for the championship!

Illinois went further than they had ever gone in the NCAA tournament to reach the finals, while UCLA took down the #1 seed to move onto the final four to face Illinois in the championship. UCLA had not won a championship since 1991, this being the fourth championship in program history.

It had been quite an interesting road throughout this NCAA tournament, with many early upsets by teams taking down top seeds. Nebraska, the #2 seed, was upset by Kansas State in the second round. Northern Iowa, placed as the #6 seed, was taken out in the second round by Florida. Michigan knocked out Stanford, the #11 seed in the tournament, in the second round. Ohio State defeated #14 seeded Tennessee to move onto the third round. Lastly, UK took down #16 seeded Texas A&M in the second round. Cal, who had been ranked at #1 in the AVCA coaches’ poll during the season, was also knocked out early, dropping in the first round to UNC.

The first set went to UCLA, 25-23, with 6 kills by Kidder on the outside. There were already 9 set ties and 5 lead changes by the time the teams reached 20 all and UCLA, surprisingly, out blocked the taller Illinois team in the first set, five blocks to three.

The second set saw an early lead by UCLA. Illinois trying to fight back at 14-11, with an unfortunate missed serve, the fifth one of the game. Illinois finally tied up the set at 21 all before taking the lead for the first time in the set at 22-21. The set tied up again at 22 all, before Illinois took two more points for 24-22 and finally closing the set at 25-23, leaving the game at one set per team for the break.

Illinois managed to take the lead early into the second set, leading 8-5, before UCLA came back to within one point. UCLA finally tied up the set at 12 all thanks to several incredible blocks, forcing an Illinois timeout. The set was tied up several times as both teams battled at 18 all, then 19 all, with UCLA finally making it 21-19, forcing Illinois’ second timeout. Illinois came back to tie the set at 21 all, forcing a UCLA timeout. Illinois returned to the court with a kill for 22-21, but UCLA battled to tie the set at 24 all, then took 24-23 with a kill from the outside. An Illinois hitting error gave UCLA the third set at 26-24, leading the game two sets to Illinois’ one.

Point one of the third set went to UCLA thanks to a tip by the middle. UCLA continued to breakaway, leading 7-2, before Illinois took a timeout. Unable to get a run of points, an Illinois service error gave UCLA 13-6; it was Illinois’ tenth service error of the evening. Finally catching some momentum, a block moves Illinois to within five points of UCLA at 14-9. However UCLA responded with a tool off the block to get the ball. The Bruins only continued to spread the scoreboard to 18-10 before Illinois took their second timeout.  A UCLA kill made it 20-11, before Illinois managed a kill of their own for 12-22, and a block for 13-22. However another Illinois service error gave UCLA 23-13. Illinois managed two more points before UCLA got the ball back for set and game point at 24-15. An Illinois kill made it 16-24, before a UCLA kill finished the game at 25-16 with UCLA as the 2011 NCAA National Champions!

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