Fall is my favorite time of the year – it’s the start of a brand-new school year, sweater weather is sweet and cozy, and most importantly, it is volleyball season! In the world of collegiate women's volleyball, the anticipation is palpable as the 2023 Women’s NCAA D1 Volleyball Season officially begins, and I have my hot take on who will be in the Final Four. Below are my rankings for the teams this season:

1. Nebraska Cornhuskers
2. Wisconsin Badgers
3. Florida Gators
4. Louisville Cardinals

I made these predictions based off digitally analyzing and visualizing the official team stats and data as of 10/01/23 – read more to find out more about the why behind my rankings!

Young but Bloodthirsty Nebraska

As of October 1st, 2023, Nebraska is undefeated – they are at an impressive 13-0. What's truly astonishing is that their starting lineup boasts four true freshmen: Harper Murray (OH), Andi Jackson (MB), Laney Choboy (L/DS), and Bergen Reilly (S).

These freshmen are no joke: Murray, with a cannon for an arm, was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 and was the 2023 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year; Reilly and Jackson were both players for the USA National Team throughout high school, Choboy was the No. 1 libero/defensive player recruit for the class of 2023. All of these players were on the top 10 of PrepVolleyball’s Class of 2023 Rankings.

This might be Nebraska’s youngest team yet – there are no seniors with junior team captains in Florida transfer student Merritt Beason (OH/OPP) and Big 10 Defensive Player 2021 Lexi Rodriguez (L/DS).

This young team beat Stanford in 4 sets, Minnesota in 3, and many other top ranked components in 3 or 4 sets. With regards to hitting percentage, Nebraska is the leader with a 0.302 team average.

But what’s truly impressive about this team isn’t even the hitting percentages or insane defense – it’s the depth. When Lindsay Krause was out for a bit due to a knee injury and Laney Choboy suffered a concussion, this team still never lost. In fact, Krause’s replacement Ally Batenhorst came in and helped the team increase their blocks per set.

Most importantly, this team has insane chemistry. Rarely will you see a group of freshmen so composed and confident. Nobody on this team is afraid to take a swing, and this is essential to why the team’s overall hitting percentage is so crazy high.

This class of 2027 has really amped up the game for the Cornhuskers and I’m excited to see what is to come both this year and the following! It’s crazy to think what they can do in the future with such impressive talent right now.

2021 Redeeming Champs - Wisconsin:

Like Nebraska, Wisconsin is also undefeated so far.

But unlike Nebraska, Wisconsin’s lineup includes many veterans – grad students Izzy Ashburn, Joslyn Boyer, Sydney Reed, Temi Thomas-Ailara and seniors Gabby McCaa, Caroline Crawford, Devyn Robinson, Sarah Franklin, and MJ Hammill. This large group of seniors means more experienced players and strong leadership from experienced setters MJ Hammill and Izzy Ashburn. Many of these players were key players in the 2021 D1 Championship win against Nebraska. Interestingly, this is one the few teams in NCAA D1 who run a 6-2 rotation.

What makes the Badgers so lethal?

Middles. Wisconsin keeps offensive powerhouses in Carter Booth, Anna Smrek, Devyn Robinson, and Caroline Crawford, who all hit above 0.250. In fact, Carter Booth, Anna Smrek, Devyn Robinson all hit above 0.350!

Wisconsin also leads in digs per set, averaging 14.0.

Now, you may be wondering why I ranked Nebraska higher than Wisconsin.

First of all, Nebraska’s OVERALL hitting percentage is higher than Wisconsin. Also, Nebraska is the leader in Kills Per Set, Assists Per Set, and Blocks Per Set (3 out of the 5 statistics are led by the Cornhuskers).

Florida - Rise of the Underdogs

The last time Florida was in the Final Four was in 2018. But under the strong coaching of Mary Wise (completed 32 years at Florida, 36th Year as Division I Head Coach), this team has risen to the top this 2023 season.

The Gators are putting up a hell of fight so far (as of 09/27/23), winning three 5-set games against South Florida, Sacramento State, Florida State, Auburn, and Georgia. But the Gators have also beaten impressive opponents, beating Stanford 3-0 (not even Nebraska could beat the Stanford Cardinals in 3 straight sets). And the Gators came very close to beating Wisconsin, who has never lost a game yet (5th game with Wisconsin was lost 15-13!).

Florida finds strengths in freshman Kennedy Martin (OH), who is a full 6 rotation player, and veterans AC Fitzpatrick (OH), Sofia Victoria (OH), Nnedi Okammor (MB), and Kennedy Muff (S), and Elli McKissock (L).

There are several notable shoutouts on this team as well - senior libero Elli McKissock has collected 167 digs this season, Kennedy Martin has earned SEC Player of the Week and AVCA National Player of the Week this season, and SC Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022.

What I love about this Florida team is its resilience – the team recently lost their starting setter Alexis Stucky due to an injury. Unfortunately, she will be out for the rest of the season. But they haven’t given up – grad student Kennedy Muff has stepped into the role of setter for the Gators, and the team has continued their ascent to the top.

Personally, I would love to see Florida win its first Championship title. But with unexpected injuries and tough opponents on the road to the Sweet 16, there are a lot of contenders vying for the top. With a mix of talented freshmen and seasoned veterans, Florida is a rising star.

A Second Chance for Louisville

The Louisville Cardinals want redemption – and this starts with their solid passing, setting, serving, and hitting. Their serving in particular is the best out of these 4 teams with 1.8 aces per set.

In the 2022 NCAA D1 Volleyball Final Championships, the Cardinals lost to the Texas Longhorns in 3 straight sets, ending their perfect record. But this team has many players who want are hungry to be back in the Final Four including Anna DeBeer (team captain), Aiko Jones, Elena Scott, and Cara Cresse. This team also added Charitie Luper from UCLA, who has been effective in the Middle Blocker position.

The Cards have an impressive 12-1 record, having never lost in Conference yet. The only team they lost to was Stanford, and that was in a tight 5 set game lost 12-15.

After losing Claire Chaussee (last season’s team captain and 6 rotation outside hitter), RaquelLazaro (grad transfer student setter), and Amaya Tillman (senior starring middle blocker andoppo), Louisville has a lot of rebuilding to do. But I think that the Cardinals have a chance foradvancing far into the championships – possibly even winning the whole thing. Despite losingkey players, the team has great stats and great players – including Scott who has tallied over 200digs (leading defensive player), DeBeer hitting 0.279 from the outside, and offensive leader CaraCresse hitting 0.462 (the highest individual hitting percentage of all four teams).

Watch and find out...

While these rankings are based on data as of October 1, 2023, college sports are known for their unpredictability. Injuries, unexpected twists, and fierce competition can change the course of a season. As we embark on this exciting journey, one thing is certain - watching these teams in action will be a thrill, and the quest for the NCAA D1 Volleyball Championship is sure to deliver unforgettable moments.

Personally, I am rooting for the Cornhuskers or the Gators to go home with the win – I’m a huge fan of teams and players that aren’t afraid hack away at the ball.

Stay tuned for what promises to be a thrilling season of Women's NCAA D1 Volleyball!

Sources:

Louisville: https://gocards.com/sports/womens-volleyball

Nebraska: https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball

Florida: https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-volleyball

Wisconsin: https://uwbadgers.com/sports/womens-volleyball