Women's College Volleyball Bracketology: 2025 NCAA tournament predictions, bubble watch

2 weeks ago 3

Charlie CremeOct 16, 2025, 11:45 AM ET
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Welcome to the archetypal installment of Women's College Volleyball Bracketology.

Now that league play has astir reached the midway constituent of the play and the RPI and KPI rankings are out, it's clip to look astatine what the cardinal elements of the bracket mightiness look similar erstwhile the tract of 64 is revealed connected Nov. 30 (6 p.m. ET, ESPN). There are 31 automatic bids with 33 at-large teams chosen by the NCAA volleyball committee. Volleyball seeds the apical 8 teams successful each region, and the apical 4 teams successful each portion service arsenic first- and second-round hosts. The remainder of the bracket is filled retired to equilibrium it competitively and geographically. The highest remaining seeds besides big regionals, and the 2025 Final Four is successful Kansas City, Missouri, connected Dec. 18, with the finals connected Dec. 21.

Bracket watch

With 10 top-50 RPI wins and an unblemished 16-0-mark, Nebraska is the wide No. 1 wide seed. The Cornhuskers haven't mislaid a acceptable since Sept. 16. Texas is the nation's lone different unbeaten and is No. 2 overall. The ACC duo of Pitt and Louisville capable retired the apical line. Their clash astatine the L&N Federal Credit Union Arena connected Sunday (1 p.m. ET, ESPN) is the archetypal of 2 matches betwixt the Panthers and Cardinals. With Kentucky looming connected the 2-seed line, Pitt and Louisville's lucifer connected Sunday (as good arsenic their rematch connected Nov. 26) volition spell a agelong mode toward deciding the No. 1 seeds. Louisville besides has to navigate a location gathering with SMU connected Friday nighttime earlier facing the Panthers and Olivia Babcock, the frontrunner to support her crown arsenic the AVCA Player of the Year.

Full seedings

No. 1 seeds: Nebraska, Texas, Pitt, Louisville

No. 2 seeds: Kentucky, SMU, Arizona State, Stanford

No. 3 seeds: Indiana, Miami, Purdue, Minnesota

No. 4 seeds: Creighton, Wisconsin, TCU, Texas A&M

No. 5 seeds: BYU, Illinois, Penn State, UCLA

No. 6 seeds: Kansas State, Cincinnati, Marquette, Baylor

No. 7 seeds: Tennessee, Kansas, USC, UTEP

No. 8 seeds: Michigan State, Michigan, Colorado, North Carolina

No. 9 seeds: South Dakota State, Iowa State, Xavier, Florida

No. 10 seeds: West Virginia, Mississippi State, Western Kentucky, San Diego

No. 11 seeds: Tulsa, Iowa, UCF, Dayton

No. 12 seeds: Ball State, Colgate, Towson, Coastal Carolina

No. 13 seeds: Stephen F. Austin, UC Davis, Utah Tech, Fairfield

No. 14 seeds: Wright State, Jacksonville, ETSU, Cornell

No. 15 seeds: San Diego State, Weber State, Little Rock, Coppin State

No. 16 seeds: UMBC, USC Upstate, St. Francis, Prairie View A&M

Bubble watch

Georgia Tech has the sixth-rated schedule, a triumph implicit Purdue and a No. 35 RPI. The contented with the Yellow Jackets is their sub-.500 wide grounds (7-8). They request to drawstring immoderate wins together, and they person that accidental with Wake Forest, NC State and Cal coming up connected the schedule. Auburn could determination into the tract with an upset of either Kentucky oregon Tennessee this week, and a UCF vs. Arizona clash connected Friday nighttime could person important bubble ramifications. Oregon's adjacent 3 matches are against NCAA tournament-bound teams (Minnesota, Wisconsin, UCLA). The Ducks postseason destiny volition apt beryllium decided successful the adjacent 9 days.

First Four Out: Auburn, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Villanova

Next Four Out: Oregon, Utah, Washington, Arizona