Life is pain, Highness

The GIST: The Rivalry Series is over, but there’s so much more women’s hockey to come. As we patiently wait for the Olympic arena to be built Team Canada and Team USA Olympic roster drops, here are our early-season PWHL superlatives as the league resumes play. Puck yeah.

☀️ Little Miss Sunshine – Toronto Sceptres forward Emma Maltais: Maltais was a bright spot in Canada’s dismal Rivalry Series performance, holding her own on the first line alongside vets like Marie-Philip Poulin in the final game of the showdown.

• Boasting two assists in PWHL play but still in search of her first goal of the season, keep an eye on the budding star when Toronto takes on the Montreal Victoire in tonight’s sold-out 6:30 p.m. ET game in Halifax, the first stop on this season’s 11-location Takeover Tour.

⬆️ The ultimate overachiever – Boston Fleet: Four games into the season and Boston are still undefeated, thanks in no small part to goaltender Aerin Frankel. The American tendy is on a tear, saving 98% of shots sent her way and posting two shutouts so far this season. Can the Fleet keep it smooth sailing vs. the NY Sirens tonight at 7 p.m. ET?

😤 Least likely to back down – Ottawa Charge forward Brianne Jenner: Not only is Jenner tied atop the league in points, but she also notched the lone Canadian goal in the final Rivalry Series game. After last night’s 2–1 loss to the Vancouver Goldeneyes, Jenner and Ottawa are right back in action tonight at 10 p.m. ET against the Seattle Torrent. Never back down, never what?

The GIST: The NCAA women’s volleyball national semifinals are set for tomorrow on ESPN in the U.S. and TSN+ in Canada, and they couldn’t come at a better time: Volleyball is having a moment from youth leagues to the pros, but the college game is doing especially well with, ahem, spiking viewership and attendance.

• Sunday’s quarter-final round was truly bananas, so you’ll want to buckle up ahead of tomorrow’s semis — here’s what to expect.

🐆 No. 1 seed Pitt Panthers (30-4) vs. ❤️ No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies (27-4) at 6:30 p.m. ET: The Aggies handed runaway favorite No. 1 Nebraska their first loss of the season (and first home loss in over three years) in a wildly close match on Sunday…but do they have enough in the tank to down another No. 1 seed, this one led by reigning Player of the Year Olivia Babcock?

🦡 No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers (28-4) vs. 🐱 No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats (29-2) at 9 p.m. ET: Speaking of Player of the Year candidates, this matchup features two finalists: Wisconsin outside hitter Mimi Coyler and Kentucky outside hitter Eva Hudson. The Badgers pulled off an upset of their own on Sunday, stunning No. 1 Texas, but the Wildcats are looking fierce with just one dropped set in four postseason matches. Game on.

🤫 Want in on a little holiday secret? Gift givers who get the job done are shopping on Amazon Prime. That’s because Prime has:

🚀 Fast and free delivery,

💸 Exclusive member savings to ace your shopping list and your holiday budget,

🎁 And gifts that land on your doorstep like magic.

On Prime, holiday miracles happen with ease. Pour another cup of cocoa, employ the perfect holiday helper, and take all the credit. Your secret’s always safe with us.

🚨 Plot twist: You don't need to know NFL football to win at NFL football. Our Pick'em Challenge rewards gut feelings and guesses just as much as game knowledge.

• Casual fan? Stats aficionado? Just here for the snacks? Whatever drives your NFL football fandom, this challenge is for you.

• The rules are simple: Pick which team will win each of this week’s matchups while you sip your daily latte, then boom — you could walk away with the glory, just like Chigee, last week’s champ, who scored $200 of merch from The GIST.

☝️ Oh, there’s one more thing: Picks lock tomorrow at 8:15 p.m. ET, right before the LA Rams and Seattle Seahawks game. Your coffee break called: It wants to be iconic.