Never back down, never what?

The GIST: If everyone loves a scrappy underdog, then the nation’s most beloved college volleyball team right now is the No. 12 SMU Mustangs, who shot from mid-major stalwart to tricky trap team to bona fide natty threat — all in their first season as a Power conference program. An Elphaba-level glow-up.

• The Mustangs first caught some buzz by sweeping No. 2 Nebraska on September 3rd. Since then, SMU added three more ranked wins, most notably beating No. 1 Pitt — a team that had previously dropped one set all season — in Saturday’s five-set thriller.

The stars: The Mustangs’ attack is run with stunning precision by setter Celia Cullen and powered by opposite Naya Shime, who leads the team with 202 kills (and counting!). SMU is ranked top-20 nationally in hitting percentage, meaning they’re really good at keeping their spikes inbounds

• On defense, middle blockers Nnedi Okammor and Natalie Foster host the ’Stangs’ block party nearly every match. Didn’t know brick walls played volleyball.

What’s next: SMU has another opportunity to prove themselves when they host fellow ACC newbie No. 5 Stanford tonight at 7 p.m. ET on ACCN. The elite Cardinal have just two season losses, both to Top-5 opponents. But considering the Mustangs are the only Division I squad to take down the nation’s top two teams, who’s to say the visiting Card aren’t the real underdogs here?

The GIST: As mentioned, the AP dropped its preseason basketball polls on Monday and Tuesday, setting off two weeks of speculation before November’s regular-season tip-off. There are plenty of familiar faces, but a few notable absences, so let’s dig in.

The women: No surprise here — the aforementioned Gamecocks, who’ll seek their third championship in four years this season, captured the poll’s top spot. With four starters — including standout sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley — returning from last year’s undefeated squad, there’s no ceiling on this South Carolina roster.

• With realignment shifting power centers, the Big Ten has newbies leading the way in the Top 25: No. 3 USC, led by reigning Freshman of the Year JuJu Watkins and former Stanford standout KiKi Iriafen, and No. 5 UCLA, led by vets Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice.

• Notably absent from the list? The Caitlin Clark–less Iowa Hawkeyes and Cameron Brink–less Stanford Cardinal, two powerhouse programs that lost their superstars and head coaches in the offseason. Time will tell how these once-formidable squads adjust to their new normals.

The men: Despite a touch-and-go 2023–24 season in the cutthroat Big 12, capped by a second-round March Madness exit, Kansas fans’ hopes are up once again — the blue-blood Jayhawks earned a second straight No. 1 preseason ranking on Monday. The pressure’s on legendary HC Bill Self and All-American Hunter Dickinson to meet their sky-high expectations.

• New heavyweight No. 2 Alabama slotted in just above reigning back-to-back champs No. 3 UConn, who returns with HC Dan Hurley. After turning down a lucrative NBA gig to remain with the Huskies, Hurley clearly sees three-peat potential, even with just one starter returning.

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