Its' almost December here in Madison, and that means tournament time for the Wisconsin volleyball team. Though the Badgers stand a good chance at making it to their first championship since 2000, here is a brief look at the stiff competition.
Madison, Wis., Regional
Seeds: No. 2 Nebraska, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 10 California, No. 15 Dayton
Notables: Duke, Michigan State, Iowa State
No. 7 (8) Wisconsin, hosting the first four rounds is poised to take a deep run in the playoffs this season, but it won't be easy. The Madison regional is stacked with talent, including Big 12 co-champ and defending NCAA champion Nebraska.
The No. 2 Huskers should have no troubles with their first round taking on Summit League champs South Dakota State. A second round matchup against the Shockers of Wichita State might be a test for Nebraska if the two teams weren't playing in Lincoln.
No. 10 (7) California will bring the infamous west-coast offense to Madison if it can get past a feisty No. 22 Duke team in the second round in Durham, N.C.
No. 15 Dayton, champs of the Atlantic 10, also touts a one-loss record this season and may meet an unpredictable Michigan State squad at home in the second round.
University Park, Pa., Regional
Seeds: No. 3 Penn State, No. 6 Washington, No. 11 Hawaii, No. 14 Colorado State
Notables: Michigan, Louisville, BYU
No. 3 (1) Penn State has perhaps the easiest track to the Final Four in Sacramento, Calif. The Nittany Lions host the first four rounds, and probably won't see a decent opponent until the regional championship.
No. 6 Washington against No.11 (9) Hawaii should be an incredible sweet sixteen game. The Huskies beat No. 5 USC, won at No. 1 (4) Stanford and have two sweeps over No. 8 (12) UCLA. The Wahine are entering their 26th NCAA tournament and are looking for their first championship since 1987.
Two former Wisconsin opponents were also sent to Penn State's regional. Michigan, which pushed the Badgers to a five-game thriller in Madison earlier this year, hosts Miami (OH). Brigham Young, which defeated the Badgers in the Molson Invitational in August, will play Mississippi in Seattle.
Stanford, Calif., Regional
Seeds: No. 1 Stanford, No. 8 UCLA, No. 9 Kansas State, No. 16 Cal Poly
Notables: Minnesota, Purdue, Ohio, Clemson
After finishing third in the Big Ten, Minnesota drew a tough sub-regional with the likes of Sacramento State and No. 1 (4) Stanford. The Gophers need to play perfectly if they want to make it out of this regional.
UCLA and No. 16 (17) Cal Poly are Sweet Sixteen regulars, and this year should prove no different.
Purdue could face the Mustangs of Cal Poly in the second round if it manages to defeat No. 19 Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. The Wildcats are 10-1 at home this season.
Gainesville, Fla., Regional
Seeds: No. 4 Texas, No. 5 USC, No. 12 St. John's, No. 13 Florida
Notables: UNLV, Oklahoma, Long Beach State
Texas earned the No. 4 seed as it handed Nebraska its only loss of the season. The Longhorns are ready for the Final Four after last year's disappointing Elite Eight loss to Stanford after defeating Wisconsin in the Sweet Sixteen.
Fortunately for the Badgers, they wouldn't meet the Longhorns' Destinee Hooker until the championship.
No. 13 (10) Florida secured the Southeastern Conference championship and is undefeated in the O'Connel Center in Gainesville, Fla. - a site the Gators will not have to leave until the Final Four.
While Lipscomb, South Dakota State, Tennessee State, Tulsa and UNLV all play nationally ranked teams in the first round, Cleveland State and Delaware stand a good chance against their first tournament opponents. The Vikings will take on Albany in the tournament pillow fight, and the Fightin' Blue Hens will battle Ivy League champ Princeton in the first round.
