NCAA Volleyball Semifinals: Where to Watch, What to Expect

The important stuff first:

The NCAA Volleyball Semifinals are tonight at the Sprint Center in Kansas City:

7pm ET: Texas vs Penn State

9pm ET: USC vs Cal

If you can't get to the Sprint Center, watch the matches LIVE on ESPN2 orESPN3.com.

Despite the crazy tournament bracket, the NCAA Volleyball Final Four does include four very fine teams, and this weekend's matches are set up for maximum drama.

In semifinal #1 at 7pm eastern, Texas takes on Penn State in a rematch of last year's final, where Penn State fought back from a two-set deficit to win what is considered the most exciting match in the tournament's history. In 2009, the Nittany Lions and the Longhorns were ranked #1 and #1 respecitvely, and it was a no-brainer that they'd duel it out in the final. This year, both teams have graduated key players (Destinee Hooker for Texas and Megan Hodge for Penn State, just for starters) and have needed the full length of the 2010 season to reform their team chemistry. Key in this match will be Penn State's considerable size (the front line players average 6 feet 3 inches in height) and Texas' balance across the positions.

Texas Key Players:

• Outside hitter Juliann Faucette
• Middle blocker Rachael Adams
• Outside hitter Amber Roberson

Penn State Key Players:

• Middle blocker Fatima Balza
• Middle blocker Arielle Wilson 
• 6-foot-5-inch Blair Brown

In semifinal #2, USC and Cal meet for the third time this season. Cal has only lost to two teams this season. USC is one of them, and Cal lost to them twice. USC's strong outside hitters are the biggest threat, but Cal's middle hitters are certainly capable of stepping up to the challenge. Keep in mind that Cal is the only team in the Final Four to have not lost one set in the tournament so far. 

Cal Key Players:

• Setter Carli Lloyd
• Middle Hitter Kat Brown
• Middle Hitter Shannon Hawari 
• Outside hitter Tarah Murrey

USC Key Players:

• Outside hitter Alex Jupiter
• PAC-10 Freshman of the Year Falyn Fonoimoana
• Setter Kendall Bateman

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