The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Committee provided fans, players, and coaches a sneak peek at which teams might receive the top seeds in next month's NCAA tournament when it released a top 10 ranking on Wednesday.
The list was constructed using the same criteria the committee will use to seed and select the NCAA tournament field later this month. According to the NCAA, that criteria is strength of schedule, Rating Percentage Index, head-to-head competition, results versus common opponents, significant wins and losses, and locations of contests.
The ranking was as follows:
1. Nebraska (22-1)
2. Minnesota (19-4)
3. Wisconsin (20-3)
4. Texas (18-3)
5. San Diego (21-3)
6. Kansas (22-2)
7. Stanford (16-6)
8. North Carolina (21-3)
9. Florida (22-2)
10. Washington (20-4)
Teams in the Big Ten Conference secured the top three spots, while the Big 12's Texas and Kansas both made the top 10. Stanford and Washington represented the Pac-12, while the SEC, ACC, and WCC had Florida, North Carolina, and San Diego, respectively, cracking the elite list.
Keep in mind, since there are still a few weeks of play left in the regular season, this ranking does not have any official bearing on the tournament bracket and only included results posted before Sunday, November 6.
"We still have a lot of volleyball that will be played in the next few weeks and things may change, but this ranking allowed us to have discussions with input from our Regional Advisory Committee members that are like those that we will have during selection weekend," Lisa Peterson, chair of the committee and deputy athletic director/SWA at the University of Oregon, said. "The parity in women's volleyball is noteworthy and will make those selections challenging. The committee looks forward to the opportunity to re-evaluate the teams as the season progresses."
The NCAA tournament bracket will be announced at 9 PM ET on November 27.
The list was constructed using the same criteria the committee will use to seed and select the NCAA tournament field later this month. According to the NCAA, that criteria is strength of schedule, Rating Percentage Index, head-to-head competition, results versus common opponents, significant wins and losses, and locations of contests.
The ranking was as follows:
1. Nebraska (22-1)
2. Minnesota (19-4)
3. Wisconsin (20-3)
4. Texas (18-3)
5. San Diego (21-3)
6. Kansas (22-2)
7. Stanford (16-6)
8. North Carolina (21-3)
9. Florida (22-2)
10. Washington (20-4)
Teams in the Big Ten Conference secured the top three spots, while the Big 12's Texas and Kansas both made the top 10. Stanford and Washington represented the Pac-12, while the SEC, ACC, and WCC had Florida, North Carolina, and San Diego, respectively, cracking the elite list.
Keep in mind, since there are still a few weeks of play left in the regular season, this ranking does not have any official bearing on the tournament bracket and only included results posted before Sunday, November 6.
"We still have a lot of volleyball that will be played in the next few weeks and things may change, but this ranking allowed us to have discussions with input from our Regional Advisory Committee members that are like those that we will have during selection weekend," Lisa Peterson, chair of the committee and deputy athletic director/SWA at the University of Oregon, said. "The parity in women's volleyball is noteworthy and will make those selections challenging. The committee looks forward to the opportunity to re-evaluate the teams as the season progresses."
The NCAA tournament bracket will be announced at 9 PM ET on November 27.