Ahead of regionals, Michella Chester re-ranked the 16 teams still standing. Here are her top five before regional action tips off on Thursday:
1. Nebraska (No. 1 seed)
This one seems obvious. The Cornhuskers are the team to beat as the only undefeated squad in DI.
2. Kentucky (No. 1 seed)
With just two losses all season, it’d be hard to move the Wildcats any lower even though they were the only No. 1 seed to drop a set in the first two rounds.
3. Texas (No. 1 seed)
The Longhorns had one of the toughest second round matchups with No. 8 Penn State, but they posted an impressive sweep, holding the Nittany Lions to just nine points in the second set.
4. Pitt (No. 1 seed)
The Panthers swept Michigan in the second round, but maybe not as easily as they would’ve liked. Sets one and two were each just two-point wins, but with the reigning AVCA Player of the Year Olivia Babcock on their side, it’s hard to count out Pitt.
5. SMU (No. 2 seed)
The Mustangs are the first 2-seed to crack the re-rankings after setting an NCAA tournament record with a .618 hitting percentage in the first round. This team is hot right now heading into regionals.
👉 Click or tap here to find all 16 teams re-ranked
