Sports
Women’s College Volleyball Bracketology: Top seedings, bracket watch and more
With conference tournaments concluding this week and the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 wrapping their regular seasons this weekend, résumés will all be finalized by Saturday and all the drama gets solved on the Selection Show on Sunday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The 31 automatic bids will already know their NCAA tournament fate, just not their status. The other 33 spots will be filled with at-large teams. Volleyball seeds the top eight seeds in each region and the top-four in each region serve as first- and second-round hosts. The rest of the bracket is filled out to balance it competitively and geographically. The highest-remaining seeds also host the regionals, and the 2025 Final Four is in Kansas City, Missouri, on Dec. 18 with the finals on Dec. 21.
Bracket watch
Two of those No. 1 seeds should be Texas and Kentucky. After their epic five-set SEC tournament championship game, won by the Wildcats, it’s hard to imagine they aren’t among the top four teams in the country. Barring something stunning this weekend, Nebraska will be the No. 1 overall team. The fourth No. 1 seed is now the biggest question mark. Arizona State slots in there now by virtue of its No. 3 Rating Percentage Index (RPI) ranking, ninth ranked strength of schedule (SOS) and 6-3 record against the top 25 in the RPI.
However, an argument could be made that the quality of Pittsburgh’s top 25 wins is better and that would supersede the Panthers lower RPI and SOS than the Sun Devils. Pittsburgh may be able to strengthen that argument with wins over Louisville and Georgia Tech. Convincing wins in those two matches and expect the Panthers to elevate to that final No. 1 spot. A Louisville sweep of Pittsburgh and Stanford and the Cardinals will stake a claim to a No. 1 seed.
Top seedings
No. 1 seeds: Nebraska, Kentucky, Texas, Arizona State
No. 2 seeds: Pittsburgh, SMU, Texas A&M, Creighton
No. 3 seeds: Louisville, Stanford, Wisconsin, Purdue
No. 4 seeds: Indiana, Minnesota, Miami, USC
No. 5 seeds: BYU, Kansas, Iowa State, TCU
No. 6 seeds: Tennessee, Baylor, Colorado, Kansas State
No. 7 seeds: Penn State, Florida, Northern Iowa, Marquette
No. 8 seeds: Michigan, Western Kentucky, North Carolina, UTEP
Rest of the field (alphabetical): American, Arkansas State, Campbell, UC Davis, UCLA, Central Arkansas, Cincinnati, Coppin State, Eastern Illinois, Fairfield, Florida A&M, Georgia Tech, High Point, Long Island, Loyola-Chicago, Maryland-Baltimore County, Northern Colorado, Princeton, Rice, St. Thomas, San Diego, South Dakota State, South Florida, Stephen F. Austin, Toledo, Tulsa, Utah State, Utah Valley, Villanova, Wofford, Wright State, Xavier
(The rest of the field teams wouldn’t be seeded)
Bubble watch
Upsets in conference tournament games this week dealt a blow to some bubble teams. The Summit League now has two teams in the field with St. Thomas beating South Dakota State and earning the automatic bid, stealing a spot for a bubble team with the Jackrabbits staying in the field as an at-large bid. Tulsa did the same in the American. That made the second round SEC tournament losses by bubble teams Auburn, Georgia, Missouri and Oklahoma even harder to overcome. None of those teams are likely to make the NCAA tournament now.
Coming off a bad week, Michigan State can still play its way back into the field with wins over USC and UCLA. Oregon’s remaining schedule — Rutgers and Maryland — doesn’t offer as much résumé help. The Ducks will have a tougher time getting into the field now. Georgia Tech solidifies a spot with an upset of either Stanford or Pittsburgh or even playing competitively in both.
Last Four In: South Dakota State, Georgia Tech, Villanova, South Florida
First Four Out: Oregon, Michigan State, Dayton, Arizona
Next Four Out: Missouri, James Madison, Auburn, Pepperdine
Conference breakdown
Big 12: 8
Big Ten: 8
ACC: 7
SEC: 5
Big East: 4
American: 3
CUSA: 2
Summit: 2
ISLAMABAD: Eight Pakistani officials have been appointed to key committees of the International Tennis Federation and the Asian Tennis Federation for the 2026–2027 term, marking a significant achievement for Pakistan’s tennis community.
The appointments are being viewed as a recognition of Pakistan’s growing role in the development and governance of tennis at both regional and international levels.
Representation in ITF Committees
Pakistan’s top tennis player and President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, has been selected as a member of the ITF Athlete Commission.
Other Pakistani officials appointed to ITF committees include:
Sara Mansoor – ITF Coaches Commission
Syed Muhammad Ali Murtaza – ITF Juniors Committee
Pakistani Officials in ATF Committees
Several Pakistani representatives have also been appointed to committees of the Asian Tennis Federation:
Salim Saifullah Khan – Finance Committee, Development Advisory Group, Legal, Constitution & Ethics Committee
Ziauddin Tufail – Junior and Coaches Development Committee
Rashid Malik – Marketing and Sponsorship Committee
Shehzad Akhtar Alvi – Tournament Officiating Committee
Sara Mansoor – ATF Advantage All Committee
Muhammad Khalid Rehmani – Senior, Wheelchair and Beach Tennis Committee
Recognition for Pakistan Tennis
Speaking on the occasion, Salim Saifullah Khan said the appointments demonstrate the trust of international tennis bodies in Pakistani officials to contribute to the global development of the sport.
PTF President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi also described the development as a proud moment for Pakistan, saying it will strengthen the country’s role in international tennis and open new opportunities for the sport’s growth in the region.
PTF Secretary General Ziauddin Tufail congratulated the appointed officials and expressed confidence that they would represent Pakistan effectively at the international level.
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Aaron Judge wasted no time clubbing his first World Baseball Classic homer.
Judge, the Team USA captain, hit a first-inning two-run home run, while Brice Turang had three hits and four RBI to lead Team USA to a whopping win over Brazil in its World Baseball Classic opener Friday night.
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Cal Raleigh #29, Byron Buxton #25, and Roman Anthony #3 of the United States celebrate after scoring from an RBI double hit by Brice Turang #13 of the United States in the fifth inning against Brazil during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game between the United States and Brazil at Daikin Park on March 6, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
There was one out and one on in the first when Judge, the first player to commit to the team last April, connected off Bo Takahashi at Houston’s Daikin Park.
Lucas Ramirez homered twice for Brazil with his father, 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez, in attendance. He cut the lead to 2-1 with his leadoff homer, and his solo shot in the eighth got Brazil within 8-5.
Aaron Judge #99 of the United States celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against Brazil during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game between the United States and Brazil at Daikin Park on March 6, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
At 20 years, 49 days, he became the youngest player in WBC history with a multi-homer game.
Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch in the fifth to push the Americans’ lead to 4-1. Turang cleared the bases with his double to left field two pitches later to make it 7-1.
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Brice Turang #13 of Team USA hits a three-run double in the fifth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game presented by Capital One between Team USA and Team Brazil at Daikin Park on Friday, March 6, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Brazil is in the WBC for just the second time and first since 2013. The team fell to 0-4 all-time in the tournament after losing to Japan, Cuba and China in 2013.
Another highlight for Brazil came when 17-year-old high school senior Joseph Contreras got Judge to ground into a bases-loaded double play to end the second inning. Contreras, the youngest player in the WBC this year, is the son of pitcher José Contreras, who played 11 MLB seasons.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Luis Díaz scored one goal and made another as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-1 on Friday to extend its lead at the top of the Bundesliga to 14 points over second-place Borussia Dortmund.
With Harry Kane injured, Nicolas Jackson started in the centre-forward position for Bayern, one of seven changes to the side that beat Dortmund in Der Klassiker last weekend.
But it was Colombian Díaz who started the rampage.
He opened the scoring after 33 minutes with a crashing volley and then turned provider 12 minutes later when his clever pass set up Konrad Laimer to make it 2-0.
Bayern’s task was made easier when Rocco Reitz was sent off for rugby tackling Jackson 10 minutes into the second half.
Stefan Matzke – sampics/Getty Images
Jamal Musiala dispatched the resulting penalty to score his first goal of the season and Jackson celebrated his return to the side by adding a fourth 11 minutes from time.
Wael Mohya, 17, grabbed a consolation goal for Gladbach in the dying moments, becoming the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer.
The only disconcerting note for reigning champion Bayern was the withdrawal at halftime of Manuel Neuer. The Germany goalkeeper had returned after missing two games through injury. The extent of his complaint was not immediately apparent.
Gladbach remains in 12th place with 25 points, only three clear of the relegation zone.
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