Friday’s Conference Championships Are Going to Be Must-Watch — Here’s What’s On the Line
Thursday was unhinged across the board. Friday is going to be better. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s coming tomorrow as conference championships reach their final day.
🏖️ MPSF | Huntington Beach — Big Ten Network | 8 a.m. PT
Yes, UCLA is still alive — and the Bruins have a score to settle.
Texas knocked off the top-ranked Bruins 3-1 Thursday, with Brecht Piersma and Katie Hashman delivering the clinching blow on court one in a three-set battle against Sally Perez and Maggie Boyd. It was a gut punch for a UCLA program that came in as the national favorites. But in double-elimination, one loss doesn’t end your season; it just makes the road harder.
UCLA now drops into the elimination bracket and will need to win out to reach the final, starting Friday morning. Meanwhile, Stanford survived a scare of their own, trailing USC 0-2 before winning the final three courts to escape with a 3-2 win, and the Cardinal advance directly to the semifinals as the No. 1 seed. Texas faces USC in the other semifinal, with the winners meeting in the championship at 10:15 a.m. PT.
A potential Stanford-UCLA final, with the Bruins fighting their way up from the losers’ bracket, would be one of the best storylines in college beach volleyball this season. Don’t sleep on it.
🏜️ Big 12 | Tucson — ESPN+ | 9 a.m. MT
Florida State rolled through pool play without breaking a sweat and enters Friday as the team to beat. The Seminoles went 2-0, beating both Boise State and South Carolina 4-1, and their unbeaten court one pair of Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig hasn’t lost all season. TCU and Arizona State wrapped up their Pool B battle late Thursday, and whoever came out on top gets a tough road through the bracket to find FSU. The championship dual is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
🌊 WCC | Santa Monica — ESPN+ | 1:30 p.m. PT (Championship)
LMU enters Friday looking to win their seventh straight WCC title, a streak that is genuinely one of the most dominant runs in college beach volleyball. The Lions have not dropped a match point in conference tournament play since 2024. Pepperdine is the No. 2 seed and the most likely team to challenge them, but the Waves have to get there first. The championship is set for 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
🏐 ASUN | Huntsville — ESPN+ | 9 a.m. CT
Stetson and North Florida are the last two undefeated teams standing, but the elimination bracket still has life in it. Semifinals at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. CT, championship at 1:30 p.m. CT, all at John Hunt Park.
Friday is going to be a full day of beach volleyball across four time zones. Clear your schedule, load up ESPN+ and the Big Ten Network, and enjoy every minute of it.