The 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament rolls on as the Sweet 16 begins with four matches in the Lexington and Pittsburgh regionals on Thursday.
Will the undefeated No. 1 overall seed Nebraska Cornhuskers move on to compete for their first championship since 2017? Will the Cal Poly Mustangs continue their magical Cinderella run? Or will another team rewrite history? These questions, and so many more, will be answered when the first game of the Round of 16 kicks off between Creighton and Arizona State.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year with the best volleyball of the season. Here’s a preview of the matchups including players to watch.
(Number before team name represent its tournament seed)
No. 3 Creighton (27-5) vs. No. 2 Arizona State (28-3)
Thursday, Dec. 11: 1 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Creighton starting lineup
Head coach: Brian Rosen
2 Abbey Hayes | OH 6-foot-1 – Freshman
5 Kiara Reinhardt | MB 6-3 – Senior
6 Jaya Johnson | RS/MB 6-2 – Sophomore
8 Ava Martin | OH 6-1 – Senior
10 Eloise Brandewie | MB 6-3 – Junior
17 Annalea Maeder | S 6-1 – Senior
24 Sydney Breissinger | DS 5-7 – Junior
Arizona State starting lineup
Head coach: J.J. Van Niel
3 Tatum Parrott | OH 6-0 – Senior
4 Ella Lewis | OH/L 5-11 – Freshman
5 Sydney Henry | S 5-11 – Senior
10 Noemie Glover | OPP 6-2 – Junior
11 Colby Neal | MB 6-4 – Graduate Student
15 Faith Frame | L 5-7 – Sophomore
22 Bailey Miller | OH 6-3 – Senior
Player to watch: Ava Martin, Creighton
The 2025 Big East Player of the Year finished top 10 in the conference in points per set (5.16), kills per set (4.52) and aces per set. Martin also ranks top 25 or better in the country in points per set, total points and total kills. She had a solid hitting percentage (.376) during her senior season, which helped her earn Big East Tournament MVP and be selected No. 2 overall by the Atlanta Vibe in the 2025 Major League Volleyball Draft.
Cal Poly (27-7) vs. No. 1 Kentucky (27-2)
Thursday, Dec. 11: 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Cal Poly starting lineup
Head coach: Caroline Walters
1 Emma Frederick | OH 5-10 – Junior
2 Chloe Leluge | MB 6-3 – Sophomore
6 Maren O’Farrell | L 5-8 – Freshman
13 Kendall Beshear | OH 5-10 – Sophomore
14 Emme Bullis | S 5-11 – Redshirt Senior
15 Charlotte Kelly |MB 6-3 – Freshman
20 Annabelle Thalken | OH 6-3 – Redshirt Senior
21 Elif Hurriyet | L/DS 5-6 – Sophomore
Kentucky starting lineup
Head coach: Craig Skinner
6 Kassie O’Brien | S 6-1 – Freshman
7 Eva Hudson | OH 6-1 – Senior
10 Kennedy Washington | MB 6-0 – Sophomore
11 Molly Berezowitz | DS 5-5 – Junior
12 Molly Tuozzo | L 5-7 – Junior
15 Lizzie Carr | MB 6-6 – Redshirt Junior
17 Brooklyn DeLeye | OH 6-2 – Junior
Player to watch: Eva Hudson/Brooklyn DeLeye, Kentucky
Hudson and DeLeye are one of the most dynamic duos in the country, if not the most dangerous in college volleyball. Hudson brings the explosiveness and DeLeye brings scoring and domination. Hudson, who transferred from Purdue, won the 2025 SEC Player of the Year, averaging 4.6 kills per set and tallying 482 total kills. Not to be left out, DeLeye had 495 kills while averaging 4.7 kills a set.
No. 4 Minnesota (24-9) vs. No. 1 Pitt (28-4)
Thursday, Dec. 11: 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Minnesota starting lineup
Head Coach: Keegan Cook
1 Stella Swenson | S 6-1 – Redshirt Freshman
5 McKenna Garr | L/DS 5-7 – Freshman
7 Carly Gilk | OPP 6-2 – Freshman
15 Jordan Taylor | MB 6-5 – Freshman
20 Lourdes Myers | MB 6-3 – Graduate Student
22 Julia Hanson | OH 6-1 – Senior
33 Kelly Kinney | OH 6-2 – Freshman
Pitt Panthers starting lineup
Head coach: Dan Fisher
3 Emery Dupes | L/DS 5-6 – Redshirt Senior
5 Olivia Babcock | RS 6-4 – Junior
8 Blaire Bayless | OH 6-2 – Junior
10 Marina Pezelj | OH 6-1 – Freshman
13 Mallorie Meyer | L/DS 5-7 – Sophomore
17 Brook Mosher | S 6-0 – Redshirt Senior
20 Abbey Emch | MB 6-4 – Freshman
21 Bre Kelley | MB 6-4 – Redshirt Senior
Player to watch: Olivia Babcock, Pitt
Perhaps no one can quickly (and rather casually) rack up a 30-kill game faster than Babcock, the ACC Player of the Year. She’s a rare combination of speed, power and skill that for which few opponents have an answer. The 2024 AVCA Player of the Year had a whopping 545 kills on a .323 hitting percentage, along with 235 digs and 110 total blocks during Pittsburgh’s 2025 season, as the team pushes for a fifth straight appearance in the NCAA tournament semifinals.
No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 2 SMU
Friday, Dec. 11: 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Purdue starting lineup
Head coach: Dave Shondell
3 Ryan McAleer | L 5-6 – Sophomore
4 Kenna Wollard | OH 6-1 – Junior
5 Taylor Anderson | S 6-1 – Junior
9 Dior Charles | MB 6-1 – Junior
12 Lindsey Miller | MB 6-4 – Graduate Student
13 Akasha Anderson | OH 6-3 – Senior
14 Grace Heaney | OPP/RS 6-2 – Redshirt Sophomore
SMU starting lineup
Head coach: Sam Erger
1 Malaya Jones | OPP 6-0 – Graduate Student
5 Casey Batenhorst | S 6-1 – Senior
9 Averi Carlson | S 5-11 – Senior
14 Jordyn Schilling | L 5-11 – Senior
20 Maggie Croft | MB 5-10 – Freshman
21 Favor Anyanwu | MB 6-2 – Sophomore
42 Jadyn Livings | OH 6-1 – Sophomore
Player to watch: Averi Carlson, SMU
Carlson is the 2025 ACC Volleyball Setter of the Year and for good reason. She’s elite in every sense of the word. Her 1,268 total assists ranked third in the country, and her average of 11.22 assists per set ranks second nationally. Carlson, the No. 7 pick in the 2025 MLV Draft, also tallied 243 digs, 47 kills and 26 service aces this season.
No. 4 Indiana (25-7) vs. No. 1 Texas (25-3)
Friday, Dec. 12: 12 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Indiana starting lineup
Head coach: Steve Aird
1 Madi Sell | MB 6-3 – Senior
3 Candela Alonso-Corcelles | OH 6-2 – Freshman
5 Audrey Jackson | OH/DS 5-11 – Freshman
7 Hannah Lefridge | DS 5-10 – Freshman
10 Teodora Krickovic | S 6-2 – Freshman
13 Avry Tatum | OPP 6-2 – Senior
23 Victoria Gray | MB 6-2 – Freshman
24 Jaidyn Jager | OH 6-1 – Freshman
Texas starting lineup
Head coach: Jerritt Elliott
1 Ella Swindle | S 6-3 – Junior
2 Emma Halter | L 5-5 – Senior
4 Torrey Stafford | OH 6-2 – Junior
5 Ayden Ames | MB 6-4 – Sophomore
23 Cari Spears | OH 6-3 – Freshman
32 Ramsey Gary | DS 5-7 – Junior
55 Nya Bunton | MB 6-3 – Redshirt Sophomore
Player to watch: Torrey Stafford, Texas
Don’t blink. Stafford is sneaky good and unsuspecting. She currently leads the Longhorns with 488 total kills, including 4.74 kills per set and is hitting .359 on the season. Stafford also leads Texas with 32 aces.
No. 3 Wisconsin (26-4) vs. No. 2 Stanford (29-4)
Friday, Dec. 12: 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Wisconsin starting lineup
Head coach: Kelly Sheffield
1 Una Vajagic | OH 6-0 – Redshirt Sophomore
7 Kristen Simon | L 5-8 – Freshman
15 Mimi Colyer | OH 6-3 – Senior
17 Alicia Andrew | MB 6-3 – Redshirt Senior
24 Charlie Fuerbringer | S 5-11 – Sophomore
32 Grace Egan | RS 6-1 – Redshirt Sophomore
52 Carter Booth | MB 6-7 – Senior
Stanford starting lineup
Head coach: Kevin Hambly
5 Jordyn Harvey | OPP 6-1 – Junior
6 Koko Kirsch | DS 5-9 – Redshirt Sophomore
7 Julia Blyashov | OH 6-3 – Redshirt Sophomore
9 Spencer Etzler | L 5-7 – Freshman
13 Elia Rubin | OH 6-1 – Senior
22 Erika Sayer | MB 6-2 – Freshman
30 Taylor Yu | S 6-0 – Sophomore
Player to watch: Mimi Colyer, Wisconsin
Colyer is highly explosive and a power hitter. She’s also precise in her decision-making, and that makes her a walking nightmare on a court. The Oregon transfer averages 5.32 kills per set, which is good for third in the nation.
No. 3 Texas A&M (25-4) vs. No. 2 Louisville (26-6)
Friday, Dec. 12: 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Texas A&M Aggies starting lineup
Head coach: Jamie Morrison
1 Ifenna Cos-Okpalla | MB 6-2 – Senior
2 Addi Applegate | L/DS 5-5 – Freshman
9 Logan Lednicky | OPP 6-3 – Senior
12 Ava Underwood | L/DS 5-7 – Senior
16 Maddie Waak | S 5-10 – Senior
37 Kyndal Stowers | OH 5-11 – Sophomore
Louisville starting lineup
Head coach: Dan Meske
3 Kamden Schrand | L 5-7 – Junior
7 Chloe Chicoine | OH 5-10 – Junior
8 Nayelis Cabello | S 6-0 – Sophomore
11 Hannah Sherman | MB 6-3 – Redshirt Junior
13 Cara Cresse | MB 6-6 – Redshirt Senior
21 Payton Petersen | OH 6-0 – Sophomore
24 Kalyssa Blackshear | OPP 6-5 – Freshman
Player to watch: Chloe Chicoine, Louisville
At 5-foot-10, Chicoine is undersized for an outside hitter, but for what she lacks in size, she makes up for it with some insanely good verticality and hitting power. Chicoine’s touch, quickness and speed are assets on the court. The junior is second on the team in digs and leads the Cardinals with 387 total kills.
No. 4 Kansas (24-10) vs. No. 1 Nebraska (32-0)
Friday, Dec. 12: 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Kansas starting lineup
Head coach: Matt Ulmer
4 Rhian Swanson | PIN 6-2 – Senior
5 Selena Leban | PIN 6-0 – Freshman
7 Katie Dalton | S/PIN 6-1 – Senior
9 Jovana Zelenovic | PIN 6-7 – Freshman
10 Reese Ptacek | MB 6-3 – Sophomore
22 Ryan White | L/DS 5-9 – Senior
24 Aisha Aiono | MB 6-3 – Junior
Nebraska starting lineup
Head coach: Dani Busboom Kelly
2 Bergen Reilly | S 6-1 – Junior
5 Rebekah Allick | MB 6-4 – Senior
6 Laney Choboy | L 5-3 – Junior
9 Virginia Adriano | OPP 6-5 – Freshman
11 Teraya Sigler | OH 6-3 – Freshman
15 Andi Jackson | MB 6-3 – Junior
27 Harper Murray | OH 6-2 – Junior
Player to watch: Andi Jackson, Nebraska
Jackson is one of the most electric players in college volleyball. She can seemingly do it all. Pick a spot on the court, Jackson can hit forwards, backwards, or any way that she decides. The 6-foot-3 currently leads the country in hitting percentage with an astounding .483.
