Pitt lands high seed in NCAA volleyball tourney
The Pittsburgh Panthers are the No. 1 total seed within the NCAA ladies’s volleyball event and can look to deliver the ACC its first nationwide championship within the sport.
Pitt, 29-1 total and 19-1 within the ACC, has made the ultimate 4 the previous three years in a row, dropping within the semifinals every time. The Panthers are joined as No. 1 seeds by Large Ten co-champions Nebraska and Penn State and fellow ACC faculty Louisville.
The Huskers are the second total seed and the Nittany Lions third; each completed 29-2 total and 19-1 within the Large Ten. Penn State has received seven NCAA titles — the final was in 2014 — and Nebraska 5. The Huskers, who most lately received the title in 2017, have been runners-up to Texas final yr.
The Cardinals, the fourth total seed, are hoping to make the ultimate 4 of their hometown. The occasion is Dec. 19-22 on the KFC Yum! Heart in downtown Louisville. The Cardinals have been to the ultimate 4 twice beforehand: in 2021 and 2022, after they misplaced the ultimate to Texas.
The 4 No. 1 seeds might host all their matches till the ultimate 4, because the regionals will likely be held on the courts of the highest 4 surviving seeds into the Candy 16. Thus, Louisville wouldn’t have to go away town to win a nationwide championship.
All NCAA event matches by way of the nationwide semifinals will likely be televised by ESPN networks and ESPN+. The nationwide championship match will likely be on ABC for the second yr in a row, at 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 22.
Right here is how the highest 4 seeds in every area break down:
Pitt area: Pitt’s solely loss this season was to new ACC member SMU, and people groups might meet up within the regional closing. The Mustangs are the No. 2 seed, whereas the No. 3 seed is Kentucky and No. 4 is Oregon.
Pitt and Louisville are on the identical facet of the bracket and will face off within the nationwide semifinals. Pitt beat Louisville in each regular-season conferences in ACC play.
Louisville area: Whereas no faculty has received the NCAA volleyball title whereas within the ACC, the league does now have essentially the most profitable program within the sport as a member. 9-time nationwide champion Stanford is in its first yr within the ACC after the demise of the Pac-12.
The Bracket 🏐🏆
➡️ https://t.co/u3PneZDiSM
#NCAAWVB pic.twitter.com/MmJI0ZNmJi— NCAA Girls’s Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 1, 2024
Louisville, 25-5, and Stanford, 25-4, have been each 17-3 within the ACC for second place behind Pitt and have been in a battle for the final NCAA No. 1 seed. The Cardinals and Cardinal cut up their regular-season conferences with every profitable at dwelling. Stanford received the latest of these matches, Saturday at Maples Pavilion. Nonetheless, that wasn’t sufficient to tilt the choice committee towards Stanford, as Louisville received the sting primarily based partly on power of schedule.
Stanford received the No. 2 seed and will meet Louisville for the third time this season within the regional closing. The No. 3 seed is Kansas and No. 4 is Purdue.
Nebraska area: The opposite high seeds listed here are No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 3 Arizona State and No. 4 Baylor. Nebraska and Wisconsin, who might meet within the regional closing, performed twice in Large Ten season, with each matches going to the Huskers in sweeps.
There’s little separating Nebraska and Penn State, who’re on the identical facet of the bracket and will meet within the nationwide semifinals. They performed simply as soon as in Large Ten play this season; the Nittany Lions received 3-1 Friday at Penn State. That was Nebraska’s solely Large Ten loss.
Penn State area: The Nittany Lions’ solely Large Ten loss was at Wisconsin. The No. 2 seed on this area is Creighton, and No. 4 is Utah.
However essentially the most harmful staff to Penn State on this area could possibly be No. 3 seed Texas, a four-time nationwide champion that received the previous two NCAA titles. The Longhorns, of their first yr within the SEC, are 18-6 total and 13-3 in league play.
