6 dark horse teams in the 2023 NCAA women's volleyball tournament

Excitement is ramping up for the DI women's volleyball tournament, which begins Thursday, Nov. 30. According to NCAA Digital's Michella Chester, these six unseeded teams are equipped with what it could take to post early upsets in this year's championship.

Georgia

First match: Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. ET | at (5) Arizona State

The 19-11 Bulldogs have seen some strong conference competition this year, posting a 10-8 SEC record and placing sixth in the conference. Big wins over Georgia Tech and Arkansas have boosted UGA, which also boasts SEC Player of the Year Sophie Fischer. The 6-5 senior is the highest-scoring middle blocker in the nation — ranking 11th among all positions — registering 5.31 points per set.

Dawgs dropped the❗️on the regular season |

— Georgia Volleyball (@UGAVolleyball)

Minnesota

First match: Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. ET | at (6) Utah State

Minnesota Athletics

The Minnesota Gophers have scrapped their way through a 16-12 season, led by reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Taylor Landfair and 2022 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention Kylie Murr. Landfair has taken care of business in the front court with a team-high 342 kills this season, while Murr has dug up 439 balls this season in the backcourt. First-year head coach Keegan Cook previously led Washington to the NCAA semifinals in 2020-21. Already battle-tested in the Big Ten, this team has the potential to do some damage in this year's tournament.

UCSB

First match: Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. | at (8) Houston

UC Santa Barbara Athletics

UC Santa Barbara has shown poise this season, at 27-4, beating Hawai'i twice in Big West play. A five-set loss to Long Beach State cut the Gauchos out of the conference tournament, but they're set to put up a fight against 8-seeded Houston on Friday.

Hawai'i

First match: Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. ET | at (7) Iowa State

Hawaii Athletics

The Rainbow Wahine completed a Big West tournament sweep for their fourth-consecutive conference title and an auto bid to this year's NCAA tournament. Hawai'i posted two wins over Southern California and a sweep over Florida State this year behind Amber Igiede's massive block. The senior has averaged 1.09 B/S this season and killed 417 — the best in her career — on a .401 clip. With a strong 11-3 record when playing away from home, Hawai'i will be an exciting team to watch in the Wisconsin regional.

TCU

First match: Dec. 1 at 5:30 p.m. ET | at (6) Florida State

The Horned Frogs are definitely a sleeper pick here. They had a losing conference record, but a really strong strength of schedule this year, playing seven ranked teams — including 1-seed Wisconsin. Junior hitter Melanie Parra has posted 10 double-doubles, including 34-kill performances against Florida State and Texas Tech. Speaking of FSU, the 6-seeded Seminoles are TCU's first opponent in this year's tournament, and their previous meeting in September saw a four-set TCU win. If the Horned Frogs can pull off a similar feat on Saturday, they have the potential to make it far in tournament play.

This feeling never gets old 🤩 |

— TCU Volleyball (@TCUvolleyball)

Baylor

First match: Nov. 30 at 4:30 p.m. | at (7) James Madison

Baylor has also seen its fair share of adversity in Big 12 play, finishing 16-12 and earning a spot in an eighth-straight NCAA tournament. Baylor's hitters have been off the charts; freshman outside Kyndal Stowers has notched 3.84 K/S, while All-Big 12 First Team selection Elise McGhee has killed 381 and aced 28 this season. We'll see how this squad fares against James Madison on Thursday.

Care to dance?💃

🆚7 JMU
📍Lexington, Ky.
📆Nov. 30🐻🏐

— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall)