Players to watch at NCAA volleyball tournament's Sweet 16 - ESPN

The 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament is down to its final 16 teams. But countless pressing questions remain as the tournament makes its way to the final four in Kansas City. Can Nebraska, the No. 1 overall seed, finish undefeated and claim the program's sixth national title? Can Pitt advance to its fifth straight final four appearance? Will SEC champion Kentucky return to the final four for the first time since winning its first national championship in 2020? Is a young Texas team ready to cash in ahead of schedule?

Here are the 10 (OK, 11) players who will have a major say in answering those questions and more.

Olivia Babcock, Pitt: If the volleyball gods could issue a warning for the NCAA tournament's stretch run, it would read something like this: «Do not take your eyes off Olivia Babcock, or else...» Arguably the most dynamic player in the college game, the 6-foot-4 Babcock averages 5.9 points per set and 5.1 kills per set for a team that is looking to return to the final four for the fifth straight time. The ACC Player of the Year had more than 40 kills in two matches this season from her opposite hitter position. With springy legs and a powerful arm from the front row, back row and behind the service line, Babcock, the 2024 AVCA Player of the Year, is magic in motion. Look away at your own risk.

Ella Swindle, Texas: Surrounded by strangers at the start of the season, the Longhorns' junior setter holds the key to the powerful Texas attack. The 6-foot-3 Swindle led Texas to the national title in 2023 but then played a backup role a year ago when Texas fell to Creighton in the regional semifinals. This year, she has 898 assists — mostly to hitters she had never played with before the season. Texas' top three hitters