NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament Selection Show Info and Open Thread

The NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament selection show kicks off at 8 PM Jayhawk time (9 PM Eastern) on ESPNU.

About the Tournament

Only 16 teams will be seeded. 32 teams will earn automatic berths; the remaining 32 are at-large selections by a committee. The First and Second rounds will occur from Dec 1-3 at 16 non-predetermined campus sites. At each campus site, four teams will compete in the single-elimination tournament.

Regionals (the Sweet 16) will also be held on campus at non-predetermined sites from Dec 9-10. The Regional winners will advance to the Final Four in Columbus, OH, and play on Dec 15 with the title game on Dec 17.

What to expect for Kansas

Prior to the final match of the season @ Baylor, which Kansas won 3-2, the Jayhawks were ranked #4 in the AVCA Top-25 Poll with an RPI of #6. Kansas has a good shot at a top-4 seed and the opportunity to host all the way to the Final Four.

That win against Baylor was actually huge for the Jayhawks. A Baylor win probably puts the Bears safely into the field of 64; they were playing to extend their season, and Kansas held off a fierce rally in a hostile environment. KU getting the victory Saturday preserves their chances for a top-4 seed.

Expect Nebraska to grab the #1 overall seed. Nebraska (#1 AVCA, #3 RPI) rolled through the regular season despite a tough Big 10. (The Big 10 had 10 teams in the RPI Top-50.) Minnesota (2/4), Wisconsin (3/1), and Texas (5/2), are the other primary contenders for a top-4 seed; I would be surprised to see any other schools get seeded ahead of Kansas.

As for the Big 12 as a whole, Iowa State (RV, 30) looks to be safely in the field. K-State (NR, 19) may sweat the bracket reveal for a bit, but I think they’ll make it as well. TCU (NR, 25) and Baylor (NR, 41) are likely on the outside looking in; each can make a case, but there are also easy arguments against. All in all, six of the nine Big 12 teams that play volleyball have a shot at making the field.

Update

Kansas received the #5 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Should seeds hold, they’ll face #12 Michigan in the Sweet 16 and #4 Texas - at Texas- for the right to get to the Final Four in Columbus, OH.

KU’s first round opponent is Samford, who finished fourth in the Southern Conference but won their conference tournament. The other two teams coming to Lawrence are Creighton and Northern Iowa.

Out of the Big 12, K-State somehow got a national seed, getting picked #14. Other Big 12 invitees were Baylor and Iowa State.