Washington started off with a 3-1 upset victory over No. 4 Maryland, while Saint Louis followed it up by taking down No. 14 Akron in a hard-fought match. Finally, No. 15 NC State punched its ticket to the Final Four with a win against No. 7 Georgetown.

As a result, the Hurricanes will go on the road to face Texas A&M and Alabama will travel for a rematch with Oklahoma as the two standout games of the first round. The first round is rounded out by another rematch between Tulane and Ole Miss, and James Madison taking on Oregon as the biggest underdog of this year's playoff.

The 64-team NCAA volleyball tournament began Thursday. Nebraska (30-0) is looking for its first title since 2017.

Fifteen of the top 16 seeds advanced over the first and second rounds of the NCAA women's volleyball tournament. Sweet 16 play begins Dec. 11.

The Bulldogs not only locked up a playoff berth, they locked up a first-round bye with a 28-7 win over No. 9 Alabama on Saturday in the SEC Championship Game. Georgia is the No. 3 seed and will get a pass to the quarterfinals and will start their College Football Playoff in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.

Lastly, watch out for Arizona. They’ve had lots of ups and downs as well in the Big 12, but they pulled out wins over BYU, TCU and Utah this season. Jordan Wilson, a senior, leads the team with over five kills per set, so watch out for the Wildcats facing South Dakota State in the First Round.

The College Football Playoff 12-team bracket was unveiled on Sunday, Dec. 7. Catch up here for the highlights, brackets and more.

Texas volleyball plays Florida A&M on Dec. 5, 2025, in Austin. Find play-by-play updates, TV info and more from the NCAA Tournament first-round match.