Last Saturday marked the end of the regular NCAA volleyball season and the release of the NCAA tournament bracket. For the University of Wisconsin women’s volleyball team, who just defeated No. 1-ranked Nebraska in three sets, this tournament is their time to shine.
Since UW is one of the top four seeds, they will be hosting the first four rounds of the tournament — including the regionals. UW is seeded third in the tournament overall, behind Nebraska and Stanford and ahead of Pittsburgh. In the Badgers’ section, Oregon and Purdue are seeds two and three, respectively. Penn State is ranked fifth, while Kansas has the number four spot.
Their path to the finals
As a top seed, the first couple of tournament games should be a breeze. In game one, UW plays unranked Jackson State and in game two they will likely play section No. 8 University of Northern Iowa. While UNI does have a strong program — currently leading the country in assists per set — neither team is likely to put up much of a fight against the Badgers. The next opponent will likely be either Kansas or Penn State. No matter which team they face in the second round, once again it would be surprising if either team wins a single set.
For the final game during regionals, UW will probably face either Purdue or Oregon. Oregon who — as the number two seed — could be tough competition. The Ducks had a fairly impressive season with a 25–4 record, having just taken Stanford to five sets earlier this month. Despite their No. 3 ranking, Purdue might be the toughest opponent for us to face in the section finals. Having recently beat the Badgers, the Boilermakers have a mental advantage going into this matchup.
Most likely upsets
Penn State has a good chance of upsetting Kansas in the second round. The Nittany Lions have been on a hot streak recently, especially with their recent win against UW. Additionally, they took Purdue to five sets in a very close match — making them seemingly under-seeded.
In the third round, Oregon needs to watch out for an upset from Purdue. The Ducks faced a disappointing lack of top-ranked teams throughout the season, making it difficult to tell how they will perform when the chips are down. Purdue, on the other hand, is on an impressive winning streak entering tournament play.
Others to watch out for
The fifth and final Big Ten team in the bracket is Minnesota, who is in the lower left section. Minnesota has underperformed this season — to the point where they may not have even made it to the tournament at all. But, that means they can have moments of play that far surpass their ranking, something fans may see during this tournament in the form of an upset or two.
In the same section, another game to watch out for is Pittsburgh versus Louisville. The final top four spot in the tournament came down those two teams, with the higher ranking ultimately going to the Panthers. The two teams are highly likely to play each other for a spot in the semifinals in what is sure to be an exciting match — one which has the chance to prove, or disprove, their rankings.
In the bottom right section, the semifinal spot is likely to come down to Texas or Stanford, the one and two seeds in the section. This game will also determine who the Badgers would play for a spot in the championship. Stanford is a very good team, but they’ve had a few stumbles, including a loss to Arizona State. Given the cracks in Stanford’s armor and that Texas won the tournament last year, this game is going to be a close one.
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The Badgers’ outlook
UW has a tough section ahead, with Oregon likely being the sixth seed overall, they face the second-toughest section No. 2 seed. Additionally, UW has the most Big Ten-heavy quarter of the bracket with Penn State and Purdue, both of which have beaten them recently, though they were down one of their top players in right side Anna Smrek at the time.
Despite the challenges the section poses, the Badgers have the skills and ability to beat pretty much any team in the tournament. Though some of the matches may prove challenging, UW should come out on top of regionals fairly easily.
For the semis, they would play the winner of the lower right section, most likely to be Stanford or Texas. No matter which team wins their regionals, the semi final will be a tough match against a team they haven’t played before. Nevertheless, the semifinal is a competition they are well-equipped to win, with the best block in the country and the second-best hitting percentage.
Ultimately, who they play for the championship comes down to a match between Nebraska and the winner of the lower left section, which is likely to be either Pittsburgh or Louisville. That said, it doesn’t matter which of the two teams win the section, because the odds are heavily in favor of Nebraska beating either team.
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With a championship match almost-certainly against Nebraska, the final game of the tournament — while likely to be a fierce competition — is the Badgers to win. They have proven they can beat Nebraska recently, now all that’s left is for them to do it again.
The NCAA tournament takes place over three weeks starting Thursday, Nov. 30 and ending Sunday, Dec. 17. The first game in UW’s section is Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. at the UW Field House, followed by the Badgers’ first round game against Jackson State at 7:30 p.m.
