The NCAA women’s volleyball scene is a wild west showdown this week, and Texas is the gunslinger who just took the lead. The Longhorns are visiting Texas State, and if you think they’re not going to flex their Big 12 muscles all over the Sun Belt, you’ve got another thing coming.
Texas and the Hype Train
Texas is living rent-free in the top three of the AVCA rankings, along with Wisconsin and Kentucky. These teams are the Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Kanye of college volleyball right now. Minnesota did a little do-si-do with Nebraska, climbing to fourth while Nebraska slid to fifth. Ohio State is making moves, up two spots to ninth, and Washington State also climbed two spots to 14th.
The AVCA rankings are the receipts for who’s dominating and who’s just pretending. But let’s talk about Florida State, crashing the party at No. 25, while Missouri got booted. Ouch. Hide your kids, hide your wife because the rankings are snatching wigs.
Who's Making Noise?
Over in the Missouri Valley, Bradley is making the rest of the league look like they just showed up to the wrong party. Meanwhile, Rice is rolling through Conference USA with more swagger than a Kanye walk-in on a red carpet. Samford got a scare in the Southern Conference, but they’re still hanging by a thread. And let's not forget NM State, who’s keeping the WAC on lockdown like it’s a Netflix password.
Why This Matters
The Big 12’s Texas and Texas State matchup is the volleyball equivalent of a Marvel crossover event. It's got playoff implications bigger than Lebron's legacy. Bowling Green remains unbeaten in the Mid-American East, flexing at Toledo, while Western Michigan faces off against Northern Illinois. The stakes are high, and the popcorn's ready.
Hawai'i, BYU, and UC Santa Barbara are holding it down for the AVCA men, with Hawai'i leading the pack. But let's throw UCLA some confetti for climbing to No. 6, because Ohio State just got the boot, replaced by Ball State.
Bottom line: Texas is on a revenge tour, and you better believe they’re coming for that No. 1 spot. If you’re not tuning in, you’re missing out on what could be the volleyball version of the Red Wedding. Game on.
Source: Volleyball Magazine
