Dig This: The 2025 NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament
- Alyssa Klauminzer
- 37 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The bracket is set!
64 teams have the chance to compete for the 2025 NCAA women's volleyball title. This selection features the 31 conference champions and 33 teams selected by the NCAA D1 women's volleyball committee.
Here are the top teams to watch in the tournament.
The favorite this year is without a doubt Nebraska. The Cornhuskers just won their third straight Big Ten title and are on another level this year. They possess a perfect 30-0 record and were the only team to go undefeated in the regular season. Their success comes after the retirement of John Cook, their head coach for 25 years, who made the program as dominant as we know it is today. The Cornhuskers made it to the Final Four last season and are ready to claim their first NCAA title since 2017.
"It's 0-0 now. So everything we've done, the Big Ten season, it's over now, so [we have a] new record and clean slate. Every team is a brand new team, and it's a new journey from here on out, and we know that, so we're just going to go back into the gym and just stay locked in on what's ahead," said junior middle blocker Andi Jackson.
It's been an exciting season in the SEC. Texas and Kentucky rank second and third (based on the NCAA Women's Volleyball RPI), respectively, behind Nebraska. Texas won the NCAA title in 2023 and, after getting knocked out in the regional semifinals last year, they are back with a vengeance. They had a 23-3 record this season, and their only losses came to top-10 teams. Kentucky was one of those teams, and they finished the season with a 25-2 record, with their only losses coming to top-10 teams as well, including Nebraska. The Wildcats won their last title in 2020, and after a regional final elimination in last year's tournament, the SEC champions will look to make their way back to the top.
"The SEC is so strong right now. [Kentucky vs. Texas] was a Final Four matchup. I think we could very easily be back at this in [a few] weeks in the semi-finals," said Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott. "We started off the season strong, we had some points where we had struggles, we've made some adjustments, and I think the team has really bought in, and I think they're playing at a really high level right now. We've just got to play a little bit cleaner for periods of time. We've got some young players that are still learning the game, but for them to be in these situations, it's an awesome opportunity going into the NCAA tournament."
"[Coach Skinner] says that you've got to go through hard things to win hard things. So I think [the SEC Tournament] is just preparing us for the end. I mean, it's really, really hard to win three matches in three days, but I think it's only going to make us better in the end," said junior libero Molly Tuozzo.
The SEC Tournament was a must-watch event. It upped the stakes by rewarding the conference champion with their trophy through tournament play, rather than just their regular-season conference record, and got every team involved in the same venue, prepped the athletes for the NCAA Tournament, and gave viewers the opportunity to see a high level of play in a sport rising in popularity.
"You're starting to see the excitement of the game, you're starting to see explosiveness. It's the fastest-growing women's sport in the country right now [...] This is happening from these incredible women that are playing and the high level that they're playing," said Elliott. "We're really excited the SEC supports women the way they do."
Arizona State ranks fourth and finished the season with a 26-3 record. The Sun Devils won their second straight Big 12 title and have taken the conference by storm since joining last season. They have not made an appearance in the Final Four and will look to make program history.
“I think the biggest thing in the tournament is just to make sure that we highlight our strengths. We play the way that we want to play, we are who we are and it's not going to matter who's on the other side of the net if we can accomplish that," said graduate student middle blocker Colby Neal about the biggest key for the Sun Devils in the tournament.
The Pittsburgh Panthers, the ACC co-champions, are ready to continue their dominance. Pitt had a 26-4 record this season. They've made the Final Four the past four seasons, and will look to make their first final and win their first NCAA title.
"We are just trying to get better," said Pitt assistant coach Kamalani Akeo. "We are trying to serve tougher, we are trying to improve in our blocking [...], and we are trying to get our hitters, mainly out outsiders Marina Pezelj and Blair Bayless, to hit with a little more range. Those are the things we're focusing on that you can hopefully pick out of our game and that are probably going to help us win [in the first round of the tournament]."
Akeo also said their goals for the tournament are to play well defensively, be aggressive, and bring big energy.
Nebraska, Texas, Kentucky, and Pitt are all top seeds for the tournament.
Rounding out the rest of the top 10 teams are Big East champions Creighton, ACC co-champions Stanford, SMU, last year's runner-ups Louisville, and Texas A&M. Last year's champions, Penn State, are a younger team this year and rank #32.
Anything can happen in this year's tournament; it's time for rallies, upsets, and surprises! Who do you think will win the 2025 NCAA title?
Edited by: Kelly Cassette