Nebraska, Kentucky, Texas and Pitt earned top seeds Sunday and the path to play at home until the national semifinals in the NCAA volleyball tournament on Dec. 18 in Kansas City, Mo.
The Huskers completed a 30-0 regular season Friday and Saturday with sweeps against Ohio State and defending national champion Penn State. Nebraska lost just one set in 20 Big Ten matches and just seven sets in a regular season that included 12 wins against ranked teams.
Nebraska coach Dani Busboom Kelly, in the first season in charge at her alma mater, is seeking a fourth trip to the Final Four in five seasons. She led Louisville to the national championship matches in 2022 and 2024 after winning titles as a player in 2006 and as an assistant coach in 2015 — both at Nebraska.
Busboom Kelly and Nebraska would face Louisville, the No. 8 overall seed, in a regional final on Dec. 13 or 14 in Lincoln if the seeds hold. The Huskers are also seeking a fourth appearance in the Final Four in five seasons. Their most recent of five national championships came in 2017.
Kentucky (25-2) took Nebraska to five sets on Aug. 31 and won the SEC regular-season and tournament titles, pulling a dramatic reverse sweep against Texas last week to take the postseason crown.
The Longhorns (23-2) won national titles in 2022 and 2023. Pitt (26-4) has advanced for four consecutive national semifinals but seeks its first appearance in a title match. As the top seed a year ago, it was upset by Louisville.
The Panthers feature the 2024 AVCA national player of the year, junior opposite hitter Olivia Babcock, a 2028 U.S. Olympic hopeful who is one of 14 semifinalists for player of the year in 2025. Four finalists will be named on Dec. 15, with the award presented Dec. 19 in Kansas City. The national championship match at T-Mobile Arena is set for Dec. 21, to be televised on ABC.
Other player-of-the-year semifinalists on the top-seeded teams include setter Bergen Reilly, outside hitter Harper Murray and middle blocker Andi Jackson of Nebraska, outside hitters Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson of Kentucky and outside hitter Torrey Stafford of Texas.
Penn State (18-12) returns to the field for the 45th consecutive season. It could face Texas this week in the second round. The Nittany Lions have won eight national titles, second only to Stanford’s nine. The Cardinal (27-4) are seeded second in the Texas quadrant of the 64-team bracket.