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The Final Four of the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship continues on Thursday, December 13 as the No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini and No. 7 Nebraska Cornhuskers face off in the second national semifinal at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The two programs have faced off twice this season, with the Fighting Illini and Cornhuskers winning one match apiece.
According to NCAA.com, controlling the service line will be a key to victory.
As stated above, passing is so crucial at this stage of the game. Nebraska and Illinois are two of the best serving teams in the country, both within the top 20 for aces per set. Whichever team can control the service line more could swing the game in its direction.
The Fighting Illini entered the tournament as the reigning national champions, so coming through with a win over the Cornhuskers would allow Illinois to keep their hopes of a repeat alive. In order to do so, Illinois All-American Ali Bastianelli, a quality blocker and hitter, knows the Fighting Illini need to bring their best.
“I think we have to bring our best against Nebraska,” Bastianelli said. “I mean, they’re a very good team, playing very good volleyball right now. So are we. It should be a battle.”
The winner of Thursday’s match will face the winner of Stanford vs. BYU in the night on Saturday, December 15 for the national championship at 8:00 p.m. ET.
All of the information you need to catch Thursday night’s match can be seen below.
Illinois vs. Nebraska: Final Four Viewing Information
Event: NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament Final Four: Illinois vs. Nebraska
Date: Thursday, December 13
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Venue: Target Center
Main Card Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN
How To Live stream Illinois vs. Nebraska Online
Your best bet for watching Illinois vs. Nebraska via a live stream is WatchESPN. You will need your log-in and password information for your cable or satellite provider and you’re good to go.
If you don’t have access to a cable or satellite log-in, you can watch the game through Sling TV. Sling TV is a service that allows subscribers to watch live and on-demand TV channels on TVs, computer or mobile device for a monthly fee. It’s just like a cable or satellite TV service, except it’s delivered over the internet. The service’s Orange package includes ESPN and costs $20 a month, but you can sign up for a free seven-day trial. If you cancel your subscription within the week, you will not be charged. Once signed up, simply download the app for your computer to start watching.
You can also live stream Illinois vs. Nebraska online through DIRECTV NOW. DIRECTV also offers a free seven-day trial, so you will receive a full week free before your paid membership begins. If you cancel your subscription within the seven day period, you will not be charged. DIRECTV NOW is available on Desktop, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast.
Watch Illinois vs. Nebraska On Phone, Tablet Or Mobile
If you can’t watch today’s national semifinal on your TV or computer, the Worldwide Leader has you covered with the WatchESPN app. As long as you have a cable or satellite provider, you can download the app for free in the App Store, the Google Play store, the Amazon App store or the Windows Store.
You can also watch the game on the Sling app. Sign up for a free Sling trial and download their app from the App store or Google Play store. There is also a Sling app for Apple TV, Xbox One, Roku, Chromecast, and Amazon Fire TV.
DIRECTV has a DIRECTV NOW app on App Store and Google Play store where you can watch Illinois vs. Nebraska for free, using your seven-day trial. You must cancel it before the trial period ends.