Everyone thought they knew how the ncaa volleyball bracket 2024 would shake out.
Honestly? Most people were dead wrong. If you just looked at the RPI or the regular-season streaks, you probably had Pittsburgh or Nebraska penciled in for the trophy. It makes sense. Pitt was a machine. Nebraska is, well, Nebraska. But the 2024 tournament didn't care about your resume. It cared about who could survive a 66-point set without blinking.
The Chaos of the First Weekend
The tournament kicked off on December 5, and right away, things got weird. Most of the top seeds cruised, sure. No. 1 seeds like Pitt, Nebraska, Penn State, and Louisville took care of business in the early rounds. But look closer at the lower half of the bracket.
We saw massive shifts early. Missouri, a No. 7 seed, absolutely dismantled No. 2 SMU in the second round. Nobody saw that coming. SMU had been the only team to beat Pitt in the regular season, and suddenly they were out before the Sweet 16 even started. Then you had Georgia Tech pushing Wisconsin to the absolute brink in a hostile Fieldhouse environment.
Key First Round Shocks:
- No. 7 Missouri 3, No. 2 SMU 1 (The upset that broke a thousand brackets)
- No. 8 Oklahoma 3, UTEP 2 (A five-set marathon)
- No. 5 Dayton 3, No. 4 Baylor 2 (Dayton proved they belonged in the conversation)
It's sorta wild when you think about it. The ncaa volleyball bracket 2024 was designed to protect the giants, but the middle-tier teams were playing with zero fear.
When the Chalk Finally Held (Mostly)
By the time we hit the Regionals, the cream really did rise. For the first time since 2008, all four of the top overall seeds actually made it to the Final Four. That sounds boring, right? Like the bracket was "perfect."
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Wrong.
The path for Penn State was anything but easy. They had to navigate a bracket that included a surging Creighton and a Texas team that always seems to find another gear in December. Meanwhile, Louisville was playing under the massive pressure of being the host. Everyone in Kentucky expected them to be there on the final night.
The Final Four: A Conference War
The semifinals on December 19 were basically a conference dual meet. It was the ACC vs. the Big Ten.
- Match 1: No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. No. 1 Louisville (ACC vs. ACC)
- Match 2: No. 1 Penn State vs. No. 1 Nebraska (Big Ten vs. Big Ten)
Louisville took down the top-seeded Panthers in front of a raucous home crowd at the KFC Yum! Center. But the real drama? That was Penn State vs. Nebraska. Nebraska took a 2-0 lead. It looked over. The Huskers were dominant. Then, the Nittany Lions staged a reverse sweep for the ages, winning 3-2 and silencing the sea of red.
The Championship: History in Louisville
The final match on December 22 was historic before a single serve was even hit. Because Louisville's Dani Busboom Kelly and Penn State's Katie Schumacher-Cawley were the head coaches, it was guaranteed that a woman would win the Division I title as a head coach for the first time ever.
Penn State eventually took the match 3-1. Jess Mruzik was basically unstoppable, putting down 29 kills. If you watched that second set—the one that went to 34-32—you saw the highest level of volleyball played all year. Louisville held off ten set points. Ten!
Penn State's Road to the 8th Title:
- First Round: Defeated Delaware State (3-0)
- Second Round: Defeated North Carolina (3-1)
- Sweet 16: Defeated Marquette (3-0)
- Elite Eight: Defeated Creighton (3-1)
- Semifinal: Defeated Nebraska (3-2)
- National Championship: Defeated Louisville (3-1)
What We Learned from the 2024 Bracket
If you're looking back at the ncaa volleyball bracket 2024 to prep for next year, don't just chase the "hot" team. Experience matters. Penn State wasn't the favorite in August, but they had a veteran core that didn't panic when they were down 0-2 to Nebraska.
Also, watch the coaching. Katie Schumacher-Cawley taking over for a legend like Russ Rose and winning a title in her third year is a masterclass in program maintenance.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts:
- Value the Reverse Sweep: In the modern game, a 2-0 lead is the most dangerous lead in sports. Teams that can adjust their blocking schemes mid-match, like Penn State did, are the ones that survive.
- Home Court is a Double-Edged Sword: Louisville had the crowd, but they also had the weight of the city on them. Sometimes being the road warrior (like Penn State) allows for a "us against the world" mentality that's hard to beat.
- Conference Depth Matters: The fact that the Final Four was comprised entirely of the ACC and Big Ten tells you where the power lies. If a team isn't tested in a Power 4 conference during the regular season, they rarely survive the second weekend of the bracket.
Keep an eye on the transfer portal this spring. The way Jess Mruzik (a Michigan transfer) transformed Penn State's ceiling is the blueprint for how teams will try to rebuild their rosters for the 2025 run.