NCAA 2018 Volleyball Tournament: parenthesis, analysis, schedule and observation of the DI Championship

The NCAA Volleyball Selection Committee spoke. After three months of play, 64 teams are competing for the national championship, starting with the first round of the NCAA tournament on November 29th.

Stanford, Minnesota, Illinois and BYU took the top four places, meaning each team will host a regional team if it passes the first weekend.

Here is the complete schedule, game schedule and viewing information, followed by a region-by-region review of the 2018 NCAA Division 1 women's volleyball tournament category.

SUPPORT: NCAA DI 2018 Interactive Women's Volleyball Support | Printable support | Plot announced

NCAA Volleyball Tournament Schedule:

Below you'll find the top 16 seeds of the NCAA Division 1 Women's Volleyball Tournament, which will host the first two rounds at the campus sites. We will update information on how to watch these games when these details become available. All games will be available on WatchESPN.

1. Stanford
2. Minnesota
3. Illinois
4. BYU
5. Texas
6. Wisconsin
7. Nebraska
8. Penn State
9. Creighton
10. Kentucky
11. Southern California
12. Pittsburgh
13. UCF
14. Marquette
15. Oregon
16. State of Washington

Gaze by region on 2018 support

Starting with Stanford, number 1, the first thing that stands out is a potential clash with the Penn State, number 8, in the regional final. The Nittany Lions were the No. 1 seed last year, but their team is much younger this year, led by rookie forward Jonni Parker. Nevertheless, it will be difficult to play against the cardinal in Palo Alto. Loyola Marymount seemed not to be really in the tournament's conversation until her belated victory against BYU, then undefeated. All the return for the Lions.

MORE: info on the 2018 championship | Championship tickets

While playing in the Big East, Creighton has not attracted much attention this season, but Taryn Kloth is an All-American capable of carrying a team. For the best matches of the first weekend, it must be Tennessee's action against the state of Colorado and the winner of this event may be against the state of Washington. The Volunteers had an incredible season finishing second in the SEC with a freshman coach.

BYU ended up in the top four after all. In the run-up to the last weekend, many people around the sport speculated that BYU or Stanford would or would not get the # 1 seed. Once BYU lost in his last match of the year, 39 year, the question arose as to whether the Cougars would retain a place among the four seeds.

1st and 2nd rounds
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@StonyBrookVB
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– NCAA Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) November 26, 2018

But this region is one of the best from the top down. No. 5 Texas should never be taken for granted and No. 12 Pittsburgh has been one of the best stories of this season at 29-1. For the best clashes of the first weekend, look no further than Orlando. UCF, number 13, had a phenomenal year, winning the American Conference, but second place last year, Florida, could be a sleeper here as an unrated team.

The Golden Gophers No. 2 Minnesota could theoretically have the advantage of home ground throughout the tournament. There is no doubt that the Big Ten champions want to play a championship in Minneapolis.

MORE: A List of All NCAA Tournament Teams | 2018 Automatic Qualifications

The two teams most likely to thwart these opportunities are the reigning National Champion, No. 7 Nebraska and No. 10 Kentucky. These two teams could meet in the Big Ten regional semi-finals after the final of last season. For an unseeded sleeper, it must be Purdue, who has been in the top 15 teams most of the season.

Illinois has qualified for the national final as the third seed in 2011 and the Illini's fight deserve this seed very well this season. If the stand goes chalk, there could be a Big Ten vs. Regional Finals. Big Ten with No. 6 Wisconsin, who is also a championship caliber team.

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Southern California 11th was a bit surprising considering its losses to Arizona State and Utah late in the season. One of the most exciting players to watch in this region is Jordan Thompson, from Cincinnati, who leads the country with a staggering 6.28 kills per set.

You will want to watch as many activities as possible at the December 15 National Championship in Minneapolis. This tournament almost always ends up being one of the best of the year.

Championship history