One week later there is still a three-team tie at the top of the ACC standings, as Pittsburgh, Louisville and NC State all would have claim to a conference title right now. However, that should change up a bit as Louisville and NC State battle it out this week. Assuming that the winner of that and Pittsburgh win their matches, things would be narrowed down a two-way tie heading into the final week of the regular season.
Plenty of intrigue sits behind the top three in the conference as well, as the middle of the ACC features a handful of NCAA Tournament bubble teams looking to finish strong for their conference standing and a shot in the postseason.
More analysis after the ACC table:
ACC Volleyball Standings (As of November 14, 2017):
In a Fight to the Finish (Teams Tied for 1st):
Pittsburgh (14-2 Conference Record)
Following a tough swing against Miami (FL) and Florida State, Pittsburgh took down Duke and Wake Forest this week to keep humming at the top in the ACC. They’ve got an RPI of 26 now, so even not winning the ACC should be enough to make the NCAA Tournament, but they obviously have much higher sights than that.
The Panthers have the easiest opponents of the three teams tied atop the standings as all have losing conference records and are in the bottom half of the ACC. It does get a bit more challenging with all coming on the road though, but the expectation for a potential conference champion should be to win all of those matches. If they can do that, they’d be putting plenty of pressure on the others.
Remaining schedule:
- at Clemson (2-14)
- at Georgia Tech (7-9)
- at Virginia Tech (3-13)
- at Virginia (3-13)
Louisville (14-2 Conference Record)
The Cardinal had an easier week with the two Virginia schools coming to town as Louisville swept both to keep pace with Pittsburgh and NC State. Just like the Panthers, they should be good to go for the NCAA Tournament as they hold the highest RPI in the ACC at 25. But also similar to Pittsburgh is their higher goals with an ACC Championship in mind.
Things start off with a home meeting against NC State, where the loser takes a big step back in the conference. Even if Louisville wins that they aren’t in the clear though knowing that Pittsburgh is likely to win out. A rolling North Carolina comes to town before two road tests that includes one in Syracuse for their senior day. That said, if Louisville and Pittsburgh both win their remaining matches, the Cardinals have the head-to-head over the Panthers. That wouldn’t effect a split ACC crown, but it would give them the automatic bid and extra sentiment.
Remaining schedule:
- vs. (RV) NC State (14-2)
- vs. North Carolina (11-5)
- at Boston College (3-13)
- at Syracuse (9-7)
NC State (14-2 Conference Record)
NC State downed Clemson before they took down Georgia Tech on senior day this past week as now they ready up for the final push. While they should be in a good spot, they aren’t quite in Louisville and Pittsburgh’s terrain of looking like a lock for the NCAA Tournament. An RPI of 36 shows that they need a few wins down the stretch, but they should still be okay. However, you win the ACC Championship and you don’t even have to worry about that.
NC State’s path isn’t easy to taking that title though. Both Louisville and NC State have relatively tough schedules to close out ACC play and while the Cardinals combined opponents record is two matches better, all of the Wolf Pack’s come on the road. And sure enough they have to take down a team tied with them away from home before getting a tough Notre Dame squad and Duke – all teams with NCAA Tournament hopes. NC State has the tiebreaker from head-to-head over Pittsburgh too, so winning out would guarantee them that automatic bid.
Remaining schedule:
- at (RV) Louisville (14-2)
- at Notre Dame (9-7)
- at Duke (8-8)
- at Wake Forest (4-12)
Not Technically Out of It, But More to Play for:
Miami (FL) (11-5 Conference Record)
The Hurricanes aren’t mathematically eliminated because if they win out and Pittsburgh loses all but once, the loser of Louisville/NC State loses all but once and the winner of that game loses the rest, Miami would earn a split ACC title. With all of that unlikely though, Miami still has plenty to play for as they sit at 28 in the latest RPI and have a great shot at an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Although their final four matches are on the road, they come vs. bottom-half ACC opponents so they should be able to win at least three matches and push toward that postseason appearance.
Remaining schedule:
- at Virginia (3-13)
- at Virginia Tech (3-13)
- at Georgia Tech (7-9)
- at Clemson (2-14)
North Carolina (11-5 Conference Record)
The Tar Heels had an awful non-conference as they were figuring things out, but have found their footing in ACC play. However, it may be too little, too late as the poor pre-ACC showing has them at 55 in the latest RPI poll. Knowing that, they need some big wins down the stretch to boost their RPI which they get in Notre Dame (40) and Louisville (25). If they can win all four they have a solid shot for the postseason, while anything else keeps them on the bubble heading into selection day.
Remaining schedule:
- at Notre Dame (9-7)
- at (RV) Louisville (14-2)
- at Wake Forest (4-12)
- at Duke (8-8)
Bubbles Abound:
Notre Dame (9-7 Conference Record)
From a conference standing perspective, five teams sit within two matches of each other in the middle of the ACC standings. While finishing a spot or two higher is nice, at this point there are two teams in that middle pack who have legitimate shots at the NCAA Tournament and are on the bubble at the moment. The first of those is Notre Dame who has won three straight after losing three in a row to put their RPI at 40. Their final four matches will either make or break them, as three tough opponents and a bottom-tier road opponent gives Notre Dame both a challenging and opportunistic finish. Win three of four and you’re feeling pretty good about your postseason chances.
Remaining schedule:
- vs. North Carolina (11-5)
- vs. (RV) NC State (14-2)
- at Syracuse (9-7)
- at Boston College (3-13)
Florida State (8-8 Conference Record)
The Seminoles sit one spot higher than Notre Dame in the RPI at 39 even though they are one spot lower in the ACC standings. Their final four matches won’t boast anything that should dramatically raise Florida State’s RPI, so they should be on the bubble heading into selection Sunday regardless, but if they drop any of the four things might not go as they want come that day. Win all four and they would have a nice overall record and ACC finish after starting up-and-down.
Remaining schedule:
- at Virginia Tech (3-13)
- at Virginia (3-13)
- at Clemson (2-14)
- at Georgia Tech (7-9)
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