The 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament intensifies when the Sweet 16 opens on Thursday. The four-day affair will see 16 teams whittled down to eight by Friday evening and four teams by the end of Sunday’s matches.
On Thursday, the No. 1 seed Pittsburgh Panthers will continue their quest to reach a fifth straight Final Four, and the No. 1 seed Kentucky Wildcats continue their pursuit of the program’s first championship since 2020. This year’s Cinderella story, the Cal Poly Mustangs, seeks to continue their NCAA tournament hot streak after upsetting No. 5 BYU and No. 4 USC in back-to-back five-set thrillers to advance to their seventh Sweet 16 appearance.
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On Friday, with reigning champion Penn State being ousted in the earlier rounds, all eyes turn to the No. 1 seed Nebraska Huskers, led by standout middle blockers Andi Jackson and Rebekah Allick and outside hitter Harper Murray. The undefeated Huskers (32-0) have only dropped seven sets the entire season and have their eyes on a sixth program championship. The No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns also have their eyes on another title. Texas, which is making its 22nd-straight NCAA tournament appearance, is pushing for its third championship in four years and its fifth overall.
Here’s everything you need to know about Day 1 of the Sweet 16 at the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament:
When is the NCAA women’s volleyball Sweet 16?
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Date: Dec. 11 and 13 or Dec. 12 and 14
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Time: Four matches each day, beginning at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday and noon ET on Friday. Match-by-match times below.
NCAA volleyball Sweet 16 schedule: Times, TV
All times Eastern
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Thursday, December 11
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No. 2 Arizona State vs. No. 3 Creighton, 1 p.m. | ESPN2
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No. 1 Kentucky vs. Cal Poly, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
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No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
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No. 2 SMU vs. No. 3 Purdue, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Friday, December 12
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No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Indiana, 12 p.m. | ESPN
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No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 2 Stanford, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
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No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Louisville, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
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No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 4 Kansas, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2
When is the NCAA volleyball Final Four in 2025?
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Dates: Thursday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 21
The two semifinal matches in the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament’s Final Four will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18, and will be broadcast on ESPN. The national championship game is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 21, on ABC.
NCAA volleyball tournament champions
Penn State is the reigning NCAA volleyball champion, defeating Louisville in four sets in the 2024 national title game. It was the Nittany Lions’ eighth volleyball championship since 1999.
Here’s a look at the past 10 NCAA volleyball champions:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA volleyball Sweet 16 bracket live: Thursday’s best performances
