The NCAA tourney is HERE — and the boys?
They’re not playing nice.
We’re talking absurd aces, freshman freaks, and legendary squads about to throw hands on the biggest stage. If you thought the regular season was wild, the 2025 postseason is shaping up to be a five-alarm volleyball riot.
You want dominance? ✅
Underdogs? ✅
Revenge arcs? ✅
And it all wraps in Columbus, Ohio on May 12, where one squad leaves with the crown and the others go home salty.
Let’s break down the madness.
📅 Tourney Timeline (Lock it in)
- 🏆 Conference Championships: Late April
- 📺 Selection Show: April 27
- 🎯 Quarterfinals: May 8
- ⚔️ Semifinals: May 10
- 👑 Championship: May 12 @ Covelli Center, Columbus, OH
🔝 Top Dogs (And What They Bring)
1. Long Beach State (26–2)
Kings of the Big West. No. 1 in every poll.
Moni Nikolov = certified cheat code.
These dudes don’t blink. They detonate.
2. UCLA (20–5)
Back-to-back champs. Stacked with All-Americans.
They want the threepeat — and they look cold-blooded.
3. Hawai‘i (24–5)
Big West hosts. Big crowd. Big energy.
Transfers + homecourt chaos = bad news for anyone else.
4. UC Irvine (20–6)
Peaking at the perfect moment.
Hilir Henno might serve a ball into low orbit.
5. USC (20–6)
Quiet assassins.
Top 5 in the AVCA and ESPN polls. They’re lurking in the shadows — and loving it.
😤 Squads With Scores to Settle
- Loyola Chicago (23–3): Been in the Top 10 all year. Real sleeper heat.
- BYU, Pepperdine, GCU: All bracket snipers.
- CSUN, UCSD, Stanford, Ohio State: Ranked, dangerous, and unpredictable.
- Ohio State: Home court heroes with a point to prove.
🧨 Players Who Could Burn the Building Down
- Moni Nikolov (LBSU): Freshman. Ace machine. Total chaos conductor.
- Hilir Henno (UC Irvine): Senior sniper. All gas, no brakes.
- Adrien Roure (Hawai‘i): Freshman with a cannon and zero fear.
- Clay Wieter (Hawai‘i): Transfer vet with big swing energy.
- Tread Rosenthal (Hawai‘i): Setter smoother than espresso.
- Luke Kraft (Maryville): Lowkey ace god. Fly under the radar at your own risk.
🔥 Storylines Worth a Docuseries
Long Beach: The Empire Strikes First
No. 1 all season. But can they finish the mission?
UCLA: Villain Mode Activated
Defending champs. Laser-focused. Emotionless killers with a third ring in sight.
Hawai‘i: Island Fortress
They’re hosting the Big West Tourney. The crowd’s unhinged. The team’s deep.
Don’t poke the wave.
Wildcard Chaos
UC Irvine. USC. Loyola. BYU. GCU.
All of them give off “we might ruin your month” energy.
Freshman Takeover
Moni. Roure. The kids aren’t waiting — they’re stealing thrones.
🏁 Final Serve
This bracket is stupid deep.
The vibes? Immaculate.
The plays? Gonna melt your group chat.
So turn on ESPN+, clear your calendar, and brace for the madness.
The 2025 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship isn’t coming to play.
It’s coming to claim souls.
📸 Photo by: Edvin Herrera, @EnriqueHPhotos
