Re-ranking the 16 remaining DI women’s volleyball tournament teams before regionals

The 64-team field for the 2023 DI women’s volleyball tournament has been whittled down to 16 teams to set up the regional semifinals. With the first and second rounds done and dusted, let’s take a look at how NCAA Digital’s Michella Chester re-ranks the 16 teams that have made it this far.

1. Nebraska

Sweeping LIU and (8) Missouri, the Nebraska Cornhuskers remain the unquestioned frontrunners. For a team that has shown weakness in the serve this season, Bergen Reilly acing four times against Missouri — three in the first six plays of the match — was huge for the Huskers, as they out-scored Mizzou 75-54. Nebraska faces (5) Georgia Tech on Thursday in Lincoln.

🎥 Nebraska vs. Missouri highlights

2. Wisconsin

Similarly, another undisputed top team is the Badgers, who swept Jackson State and a scrappy Miami squad. They look to face (5) Penn State on Thursday, still with home-court advantage.

3. Pitt

Of the 1-seeds, Pitt has been tested the most thus far. And despite going down a set against (8) Southern California, the Pitt block guided the Panthers to a four-set victory in the second round. After both teams hit low .087 (Pitt) and .089 (USC) with 13 ties and five lead changes in the first frame, the Panthers gained composure when it counted in the final three sets behind Olivia Babcock’s 16 kills, 12 digs and six blocks to fend off the Trojans. Now tasked with defending its home court again, the 1-seed takes on (4) Washington State on Thursday afternoon.

4. Oregon 

Next is Oregon, who has shown no mercy in the tournament thus far with shutouts over Southeastern Louisiana and Hawai’i. Even though OH Mimi Colyer didn’t have her strongest outing against the Rainbow Wahine — she was held to .037 hitting and 7 kills, which is four below her season average of 12.88 — seniors Morgan Lewis and Gabby Gonzales stepped up to the plate. They’ve got (3) Purdue next on the docket.

5. Louisville

Louisville still makes the top 5, despite dropping the opening set to Wright State. It could be justified to put the Cardinals higher or lower, but they’ll be put to the test against a tough Creighton team on Thursday.

6. Stanford

The Cardinal just narrowly avoided being the first 1-seed to exit the tournament in last night’s bout with Houston. Almost a reverse sweep, Stanford sputtered down the stretch to drop…