Overview
- Overall No. 1 Nebraska advanced with two sweeps and will face No. 4 Kansas in the round of 16 on Friday.
- Cal Poly followed an upset of No. 5 BYU with a five-set win over No. 4 USC to reach its first Round of 16 in 18 years and will meet No. 1 Kentucky on Thursday.
- Defending champion Penn State was swept by No. 1 Texas, with Longhorns hitters Torrey Stafford and Cari Spears combining for 30 kills.
- The Sweet 16 runs Dec. 11–14 with four matches each day on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and ESPN+, ahead of the Final Four at Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center on Dec. 18 and the championship on Dec. 21.
- The opening rounds delivered 25 sweeps and 10 five-setters, highlighted by standout performances such as Nebraska middle blocker Andi Jackson’s efficient two-match surge.