Texas Volleyball: B2B National Champions

ICYMI: Texas Volleyball sweeps Nebraska to cap off the 2023 season with their 5th
national title, going back to back after winning last season in 2022. Delivering a season high of
12 aces, the Longhorns not only deliver a dominating performance on the court, but they
capture the media attention of a nation (NCAA).

The national championship game between Texas and Nebraska will go down in history,
breaking numerous records and setting a new standard for collegiate volleyball. The game set a
new attendance record for an indoor collegiate volleyball game at 19,727 people, with the
semifinal matches setting the prior record a few days before (NCAA). In addition, it was the first
time that a collegiate volleyball championship game was broadcast on ABC. This opened the
world of volleyball up to a whole new audience of sports lovers who have never seen how
intense and fun volleyball matches can be to watch. TV viewership was at an all-time high for
the sport, averaging 1.7 million viewers, which is up 115% from last year’s championship match
in 2022 which had 786,000 viewers (ESPN). In addition, the match hit a peak viewership of 2.1
million fans (ESPN).

Throughout the season, volleyball took the world of social media by storm. In the NCAA’s fall
sports social media campaign, volleyball saw the most growth and exposure out of all the other
sports in the campaign. The NCAA Volleyball social accounts all gained a surplus of new
followers, their Instagram account alone gaining over 60,000 new followers, with people starting
to fall in love with and pay more attention to this previously under-recognized sport (NCAA).
Getting the opportunity to attend this record-breaking national championship game was
a huge blessing. The atmosphere was unlike anything I have ever been a part of. The fans are
dedicated and truly love the sport for what it is, regardless of the attention it gets from the
outside world. Watching Texas and Nebraska, two teams with loads of history in volleyball
national championship games, play for a national title with their fan bases behind them along
with millions of new eyes brought in from ABC was an experience I will never forget. Not only
are the volleyball players incredibly talented, they are so humble and all-around amazing
people. Their work ethic and passion for the sport can be felt by everyone. Their confidence in
one another was inspiring to watch, as there was nothing that could get in their way when they
worked together.

Finishing the year at 28-4, the 2023 Texas Volleyball team fought to the finish to prove to
everyone that they had what it takes to go back to back. After some hard-fought losses at the
start of the season, they never let the outside noise bring them down. Instead, they focused on
themselves and the goal that they had set at the start of the year. In the end, it all paid off, as
they returned to Austin as 2023 National Champions.