MADISON – Wisconsin would be the top seed in its regional if the 2026 NCAA volleyball tournament started in mid-October rather than early December.
The NCAA selection committee released its in-season top 16 overall seeds on Oct. 18, and the Badgers were at No. 4.
Wisconsin’s current spot in the ranking – with the obvious caveat that a lot can change in the next six weeks – follows a 13-5 start to the 2026 season. UW is 7-1 in BIg Ten play, with the one loss coming to undefeated (and top-ranked) Nebraska.
The Badgers have a No. 6 ranking in the most recent AVCA coaches poll. Going into the Oct. 18 matches, the Badgers were No. 5 in RPI. UW has a 6-4 record against teams ranked No. 25 or higher in RPI and an 8-5 record against teams ranked at the time in the AVCA coaches poll.
Wisconsin is one of seven Big Ten teams to be included in the top 16. The others were Nebraska at No. 1, Oregon at No. 10, UCLA at No. 13, Penn State at No. 14, Washington at No. 15 and Purdue at No. 16.
Wisconsin has wins over four of the other teams in the selection committee’s top 16 – Florida at No. 5, Louisville at No. 7, Oregon at No. 10, Purdue at No. 16. UW also has losses over four of the other teams in the top 16 – Nebraska at No. 1, Pittsburgh at No. 2, Kentucky at No. 3 and Texas at No. 12.
NCAA selection committee's top 16 seeds on Oct. 18
- Nebraska
- Pittsburgh
- Kentucky
- Wisconsin
- Florida
- SMU
- Louisville
- TCU
- BYU
- Oregon
- Vanderbilt
- Texas
- UCLA
- Penn State
- Washington
- Purdue
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Where NCAA volleyball selection committee ranks Wisconsin in season