One or two matches remain for everyone in the 2017 Big 12 regular season for this final week of action before selection Sunday. While Texas continues to stay in strong positioning – and have even won a share of the conference – Baylor still has an outside shot at making things interesting this week.
After the top two, Kansas and Iowa State come in behind them and both have shots of getting seeded by the NCAA Tournament committee in a few days. Even with four potential hosts, it looks as if those will be the only teams who make it into NCAA Tournament as no one else behind them emerged.
More analysis after the Big 12 table:
Big 12 Volleyball Standings (As of November 21, 2017):
| Team | Record | Pct | Home | Away | Neutral | Streak | Record | Pct | Home | Away | Neutral | Streak |
| Texas | 14-0 | 1.000 | 7-0 | 7-0 | 0-0 | W14 | 22-2 | .917 | 9-1 | 10-1 | 3-0 | W16 |
| Baylor | 13-2 | .867 | 6-1 | 7-1 | 0-0 | W7 | 23-5 | .821 | 12-2 | 8-2 | 3-1 | W7 |
| Kansas | 11-4 | .733 | 5-2 | 6-2 | 0-0 | W1 | 22-6 | .786 | 8-3 | 9-3 | 5-0 | W1 |
| Iowa State | 10-5 | .667 | 5-2 | 5-3 | 0-0 | W2 | 20-6 | .769 | 9-3 | 8-3 | 3-0 | W2 |
| West Virginia | 4-10 | .286 | 4-4 | 0-6 | 0-0 | L1 | 16-12 | .571 | 7-5 | 3-7 | 6-0 | L1 |
| Oklahoma | 4-10 | .286 | 2-5 | 2-5 | 0-0 | L2 | 7-20 | .259 | 3-7 | 2-9 | 2-4 | L2 |
| Texas Tech | 4-11 | .267 | 3-5 | 1-6 | 0-0 | L1 | 15-13 | .536 | 7-5 | 4-8 | 4-0 | L1 |
| TCU | 3-12 | .200 | 2-6 | 1-6 | 0-0 | L2 | 11-16 | .407 | 7-7 | 2-8 | 2-1 | L2 |
| Kansas State | 3-12 | .200 | 2-5 | 1-7 | 0-0 | W1 | 10-18 | .357 | 3-8 | 2-9 | 5-1 | W1 |
Got a taste, but not the whole thing: Texas (14-0 Conference Record)
The Longhorns earned at least a share of the Big 12 this past week with a win over Kansas, as now they are just one win away from clinching the conference outright. They do have a rival standing in front of them next in Oklahoma, but at just 4-10 in Big 12 action, it’s tough to see the Longhorns dropping that one. However, if they were upset by the Sooners, that would make the regular season finale with Baylor for all the marbles – either a Big 12 outright title for Texas or a conference split with Baylor.
Beyond the Big 12 perspective, Texas is in a tight race for a top four seed with Stanford, Penn State, Nebraska, Kentucky and Florida. They need to win both matches this week to maximize that opportunity as they would love the opportunity to host until the Final Four once again.
Remaining schedule:
- vs. Oklahoma (4-10)
- at #9 Baylor (13-2)
Hanging by a thread: Baylor (13-2 Conference Record)
Baylor is not hanging by a thread by any means in an overall regard, as they’ve been soaring up the rankings of late. However, from a Big 12 title race perspective, they are hanging by a thread as they need Texas to lose to Oklahoma and then down the Longhorns themselves.
At the very least, even if Texas defeats Oklahoma, if Baylor can beat Texas it would add even more to their strong finish. They also look like a team that could host in the first two rounds with an RPI of 14, as a win over Texas would likely secure that opportunity.
Remaining schedule:
- vs. #4 Texas (14-0)
Much more to play for:
Kansas (11-4 Conference Record)
Surprisingly, Kansas isn’t in the Big 12 title race heading into the final week of the season. However, they still have plenty of opportunities ahead in the postseason. How they get set up for that postseason will partially depend on their regular season finale, as a loss to West Virginia could put them on the bubble for hosting in the first two rounds. With an RPI of 12, if they take care of business at home, they should be set though.
Remaining schedule:
- vs. West Virginia (4-10)
Iowa State (10-5 Conference Record)
The Cyclones also rank in the top 16 of the RPI as they came in at 15 on Monday. That means if they can down Texas Tech on senior day this week, although their conference finish may not be affected, it could allow them to host in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. There are a lot of midwest teams in that discussion too, as it would be huge to host as opposed to being shipped off somewhere like Nebraska, Wichita State, Creighton, etc.
Remaining schedule:
- vs. Texas Tech (4-11)
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