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The 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament is down to the Sweet 16 after two rounds of sweeps and intense five-set thrillers. By Friday evening, the field will be cut in half to eight teams.
No. 1 overall seed Nebraska cruised through the opening two rounds with back-to-back sweeps behind dominant performances by Andi Jackson and Harper Murray, who combined for 37 kills against Long Island University and Kansas State. The Huskers (32-0) remain undefeated and have dropped seven sets all year, with the last coming nearly a month earlier on Nov. 14 against UCLA.
The three other No. 1 seeds in the tournament — Kentucky, Texas and Pittsburgh — all advanced to the Sweet 16. The Wildcats will face a red-hot Cal Poly team that upset No. 5 BYU and No. 4 USC in consecutive five-set thrillers to advance to their seventh Sweet 16 appearance in program history.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Round of 16 at the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament:
NCAA VOLLEYBALL WINNERS, LOSERS: Top seeds advance, Penn State out
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The 2025 NCAA women’s volleyball Final Four will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s the third time since 2010 that the venue has hosted the volleyball national championship.
When is NCAA women’s volleyball Sweet 16?
- Date: Dec. 11 and 13 or Dec. 12 and 14
- Time: Four matches each day, beginning at 1 p.m. ET Thursday and noon ET Friday. Match-by-match times below.
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How to watch NCAA volleyball tournament
The 2025 NCAA women’s volleyball tournament will air across the ESPN and ABC family of networks. Games can be streamed ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
NCAA volleyball Sweet 16 schedule: Times, TV
All times Eastern
Thursday, Dec. 11
- No. 2 Arizona State vs. No. 3 Creighton, 1 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 1 Kentucky vs. Cal Poly, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 2 SMU vs. No. 3 Purdue, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Friday, Dec. 12
- No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Indiana, 12 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 2 Stanford, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Louisville, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 4 Kansas, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2
NCAA volleyball second-round results
Lexington bracket
- No. 1 Kentucky 3, No. 8 UCLA 1 (30-28, 25-16, 28-30, 25-17)
- No. 3 Creighton 3, No. 6 Northern Iowa 1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21)
- No. 2 Arizona State 3, Utah State 1 (25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15)
- Cal Poly 3, No. 4 USC 2 (25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 15-7)
Austin bracket
- No. 4 Indiana 3, No. 5 Colorado 0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-23)
- No. 3 Wisconsin 3, North Carolina 0 (25-14, 25-21, 27-25)
- No. 1 Texas 1, No. 8 Penn State 0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-19)
- No. 2 Stanford 3, Arizona 1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20)
Pittsburgh bracket
- No. 3 Purdue 3, No. 6 Baylor 1 (25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20)
- No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, Michigan 0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-18)
- No. 2 SMU 3, Florida 0 (25-11, 25-21, 26-24)
- No. 4 Minnesota 3, No. 5 Iowa State 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-14)
Lincoln bracket
- No. 4 Kansas 3, No. 5 Miami 1 (25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 27-25)
- No. 2 Louisville 3, Marquette 2 (21-25, 25-11, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12)
- No. 1 Nebraska 3, Kansas State 0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-16)
- No. 3 Texas A&M 3, No. 6 TCU 1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 29-27)
NCAA volleyball first-round results
Lexington bracket
- No. 1 Kentucky 3, Wofford 0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-12)
- No. 8 UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2 (24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10)
- Cal Poly 3, No. 5 BYU 2 (25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10)
- No. 4 USC 3, Princeton 0, (25-19, 25-12, 25-13)
- No. 3 Creighton 3, Northern Colorado 2 (12-25, 25-23,25-23,17-25, 8-15)
- No. 6 Northern Iowa 3, Utah 2 (15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10)
- Utah State 3, No. 7 Tennessee 2 (25-19, 25-15, 19-25, 25-18, 15-11)
- No. 2 Arizona State 3, Coppin State 0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-12)
Austin bracket
- No. 1 Texas 3, Florida A&M 0 (25-11, 25- 8, 25-14)
- No. 8 Penn State 3, South Florida 1 (25-23, 12-25, 25-21, 25-19)
- No. 5 Colorado 3, American 0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-16)
- No. 4 Indiana 3, Toledo 0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-17)
- No. 3 Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0 (25-11, 25-6, 25-19)
- North Carolina 3, No. 6 UTEP 1 (24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21)
- Arizona 3, No. 7 South Dakota State 1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-15, 25-15)
- No. 2 Stanford 3, Utah Valley 1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-14)
Pittsburgh bracket
- No. 1 Pitt 3, UMBC 0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-13)
- Michigan 3, No. 8 Xavier 0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-23)
- No. 5 Iowa State 3, St. Thomas-Minnesota 2 (21-25, 25-13, 25-16, 21-25, 15-8)
- No. 4 Minnesota 3, Fairfield 0 (25-12, 25-7, 25-13)
- No. 3 Purdue 3, Wright State 0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-19)
- No. 6 Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2 (23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10)
- Florida 3, No. 7 Rice 0 (27-25, 25-23, 25-19)
- No. 2 SMU 3, Central Arkansas 0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-13)
Lincoln bracket
- No. 1 Nebraska 3, Long Island 0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-17)
- Kansas State 3, San Diego 2 (21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12)
- No. 5 Miami 3, Tulsa 1 (25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20)
- No. 4 Kansas 3, High Point 0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-18)
- No. 3 Texas A&M 3, Campbell 0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-13)
- No. 6 TCU 3, Stephen F. Austin 0 (25-8, 26-24, 25-20)
- Marquette 3, Western Kentucky 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-16)
- No. 2 Louisville 3, Loyola (Illinois) 0 (25-17, 25-9, 25-12)
When is the NCAA volleyball Final Four in 2025?
- Dates: Thursday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 21
The two semifinal matches in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18 and will be broadcast on ESPN. The national championship game is Sunday, Dec. 21 on ABC.
NCAA volleyball tournament champions
Penn State is the reigning NCAA volleyball champion, having defeated Louisville in four sets last year in the national title game. It was the Nittany Lions’ eighth volleyball championship since 1999.
Here’s a look at the past 10 NCAA volleyball champions:
- 2024: Penn State
- 2023: Texas
- 2022: Texas
- 2021: Wisconsin
- 2020: Kentucky
- 2019: Stanford
- 2018: Stanford
- 2017: Nebraska
- 2016: Stanford
- 2015: Nebraska
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