Women's Volleyball Pac-12 Conference

Stanford earns No. 4 national seed to highlight Pac-12 women's volleyball's six 2022 NCAA Tournament teams

2022 NCAA Women's Volleyball Bracket

SAN FRANCISCO - Six Pac-12 women's volleyball teams earned bids to the 2022 NCAA Division I Womens Volleyball Championship, as the 64-team field was announced by the NCAA Division I Womens Volleyball committee on Sunday night.

Pac-12 champion Stanford, the No. 1 seed in its region and the No. 4 overall national seed, and league runner-up and No. 3 seed Oregon will each host first and second round matches on Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3. Joining Stanford and Oregon in the field are Washington State, USC, Washington and Colorado, with the Cougars seeded No. 7, the Trojans seeded No. 6 and the Huskies seeded No. 8 in their respective portions of the bracket.

New to the seeding process this year, instead of seeding just the top 16 teams, the committee seeded the top 32 teams on a national basis across eight seed lines. The top 16 seeds will host a regional and the top four national seeds will host a super if given the opportunity.

It is the 28th time in the 41-season history of the championship tournament that the Pac-12 has sent at least six of its teams to the postseason, including the 22nd time in the past 23 seasons.

The six participants will now look to add to the Conference's success in NCAA postseason play:

  • Pac-12 institutions have won 17 of the 41 all-time NCAA championships in womens volleyball, four more than the next closest conference (Big Ten), and four of the past 11.
  • Pac-12 teams have compiled a 497-267 (.651) record in NCAA play. Toss out the 48 postseason matches between Conference teams and the leagues NCAA Tournament record against non-conference opponents stands at 442-213 (.672).
  • Seven different Pac-12 programs have made NCAA semifinal appearances since 2001 and 14 of the past 21 championship matches have included at least one Pac-12 program.
  • A Pac-12 team has been one of the final four teams in all but five years of the NCAA Tournament (1993, 1998, 2009, 2015, 2021) and at least one Pac-12 team has played in 27 of the 41 NCAA title matches all-time, the most of any league.

Friday, Dec. 2 - 7 p.m. PT - Pepperdine (19-10) at No. 1 Stanford (24-4)

The red hot Cardinal earned the top seed in its region and will take its 18-match winning streak into the postseason, hosting first and second round matches this weekend in Palo Alto. Stanford is making its 41st all-time NCAA tournament appearance and fifth under head coach Kevin Hambly. The nine-time national champions are looking for their first title since winning back-to-back in 2018 and 2019 and seeking its 24th Final Four trip and 18th appearance in the national title match. Stanford opens NCAA play Friday, Dec. 2 against Pepperdine, who finished fourth in the WCC and earned an at-large bid.

Friday, Dec. 2 - 7 p.m. PT - LMU (18-9) at No. 3 Oregon (23-5)

Oregon earns one of the top 16 seeds overall and the No. 3 seed in its region after setting a program record with 17 conference wins and finishing as the league runner-up for the second time in the last three seasons. The Ducks, who are riding a 13-match winning streak of their own, will compete in the tournament for the 19th time in program history, the 12th time in the past 13 seasons and the fifth time under head coach Matt Ulmer. Oregon is a perfect 12-0 at Matthew Knight Arena this season and will look to keep that sheet clean hosting LMU in a first-round match on Friday, Dec. 2.

Thursday, Dec. 1 - 5 p.m. PT - UNLV (26-4) vs. Washington State (22-9) - San Diego, Calif.

One of just 15 teams to qualify for the past seven NCAA Tournaments, Washington State is making its 17th all-time postseason appearance. The Cougars finished Conference play in third place - their highest finish since 2002 - and won 14 Pac-12 matches in 2022, a best under head coach Jen Greeny. The seven consecutive appearances in 12 seasons with Greeny at the helm is also a program record. Washington State, seeded seventh in its region, will take on Mountain West Regular Season Champions UNLV at the home of No. 2 seed San Diego on Thursday, Dec. 1.

Friday, Dec. 2 - 2 p.m. PT - High Point (23-9) vs. USC (21-10) - Columbus, Ohio

USC is making a return to the postseason after a two-year absence and will appear in its 38th NCAA tournament all-time. The Trojans fourth-place Pac-12 finish was their highest since finishing third in 2018 while their 13 conference wins are tied for the most since 2015. USC is seeded No. 6 in the Texas quarter of the bracket and will face Big South Champion High Point on Friday, Dec. 2 in Columbus, Ohio.

Friday, Dec. 2 - 2:30 p.m. PT - TCU (16-10) vs. Washington (20-10) - Madison, Wisc.

The Huskies will be making their 21st-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, which is the fifth-longest active streak in the NCAA and the longest in the Pac-12. Washington, which won it all in 2005, is seeded No. 8 in Wisconsin quarter of the bracket and will begin postseason play Friday, Dec. 2 against Big 12 member TCU at the home of the defending national champion Badgers in Madison.

Thursday, Dec. 1 - 3:30 p.m. PT - Colorado (20-10) vs. No. 5 Rice (26-3) - Waco, Texas

Colorado earns its first NCAA tournament bid since 2018 and will make its 21st appearance in program history. The Buffs 12 league wins and fifth-place finish in 2022 are both tied for their best since joining the Pac-12 in 2011. Colorado heads into postseason play having won seven of its last 10, which included its first ever weekend sweep over the LA schools and its third win over USC all-time. The Buffs will battle Conference USA Champion and fifth-seeded Rice in Waco, Texas on Thursday, Dec. 1.