COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Freshman Anna Smrek recorded her 20th kill on match point and No. 4 Wisconsin beat top-seeded and previously unbeaten Louisville 25-23, 15-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-9 in the NCAA women’s volleyball semifinals. Wisconsin, playing in its third straight semifinal, advances to its fourth championship match on Saturday. The Badgers lost to Nebraska in 2000, Penn State in 2013 and Stanford in 2019. The size and experience of Wisconsin was too much for Louisville in its first semifinal appearance. Smrek, at 6-foot-9, posted a season-high in kills at a .741 clip — with just one error. Fellow big, and Wisconsin’s star senior, Dana Rettke added 14 kills with eight blocks and Grace Loberg had 13 kills.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Peach Bowl will go on without two of its biggest stars. Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker and Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett have both announced they are skipping the bowl game to focus on the NFL draft. Walker was part of a vital turnaround for the Spartans, who won 10 games after Walker transferred from Wake Forest. Pickett helped Pitt put together its best regular season in 40 years. Pickett won the ACC Player of the Year award and finished third in Heisman Trophy balloting.
UNDATED (AP) — Coronavirus concerns have forced the postponement of a number of college basketball games. They include this weekend’s showdown in Las Vegas between No. 15 Ohio State and No. 21 Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic. It’s unclear whether fourth-ranked UCLA’s game Saturday against North Carolina at the same tournament will also be impacted. No. 16 Seton Hall also had its game against Iona at Madison Square Square Garden on Saturday canceled. On the women’s side, No. 19 Kentucky’s nonconference game against Morgan State on Friday night has been postponed.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA Board of Governors has agreed to accept the recommendations for a new constitution to govern college sports. The revised document will be voted on by the association’s full membership in January. Revising the constitution is the first phase in transferring governing power in college sports from the NCAA to its three divisions. A new constitution would allow each division to create unique rules. That would set the stage for a restructuring of Division I, the highest level of college sports with 350 schools.
