# 1997 NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament

The 1997 NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament began with 56 teams and ended on December 20, 1997, when Stanford defeated Penn State 3 games to 2 in the NCAA championship match.
Stanford won their second straight title and 4th in 6 years. After winning the first two games 15-10, 15-6, Penn State forced a fifth game as the Nittany Lions won the next two 15-2, 17-15. In the decisive fifth game, Stanford jumped out to the 12-8 lead before Kristin Folkl recorded the final three kills for the 15-9 win. Stanford finished the year 33-2, with their only two losses coming from Penn State in the early season.
The 1997 NCAA tournament was the first, and would be the last, year with 56 tournament teams, as it was expanded from 48 teams (1993-1996). In 1998, the tournament would be expanded to its present-day 64 tournament teams.

## Play-in games

| November 21 | November 21 | November 21 |
| | Morgan State (MEAC, 24-9) | 3 |
| | Grambling State (SWAC, ?) | 0 |
| November 23 | November 23 | November 23 |
| | Lehigh (Patriot, 17-12) | 3 |
| | Wagner (Northeast, 10-19) | 1 |

## Records

East Regional :
| School | Conference | Berth Type | Record |
| BYU | WAC | Automatic | 27-5 |
| Fairfield | MAAC | Automatic | 25-9 |
| Hofstra | America East | Automatic | 23-13 |
| Maryland | ACC | At-large | 26-1 |
| Miami (OH) | Mid-American | At-large | 23-7 |
| Michigan | Big Ten | At-large | 20-11 |
| Minnesota | Big Ten | At-large | 22-9 |
| Northern Illinois | Mid-American | Automatic | 26-3 |
| Ohio State | Big Ten | At-large | 22-10 |
| Penn State | Big Ten | Auto (shared) | 30-1 |
| Princeton | Ivy League | Automatic | 22-5 |
| Temple | Atlantic 10 | Automatic | 29-4 |
| Texas A&M | Big 12 | At-large | 24-7 |
| Villanova | Big East | At-large | 20-8 |
Central Regional :
| School | Conference | Berth Type | Record |
| American | CAA | Automatic | 30-3 |
| Arkansas | SEC | At-large | 29-5 |
| Arkansas-Little Rock | Sun Belt | Automatic | 16-12 |
| Clemson | ACC | Automatic | 26-7 |
| Colorado State | WAC | At-large | 26-5 |
| Florida | SEC | Automatic | 31-3 |
| Florida State | ACC | At-large | 25-8 |
| Lehigh | Patriot | Automatic | 18-12 |
| Liberty | Big South | Automatic | 26-8 |
| Notre Dame | Big East | Automatic | 23-8 |
| South Florida | Conference USA | At-large | 25-8 |
| UCF | Trans America | Automatic | 27-3 |
| Washington State | Pac-10 | At-large | 24-6 |
| Wisconsin | Big Ten | Auto (shared) | 28-2 |
Pacific Regional :
| School | Conference | Berth Type | Record |
| Butler | Midwestern Collegiate | Automatic | 27-6 |
| Cal State Sacramento | Big Sky | Automatic | 23-8 |
| Chattanooga | Southern | Automatic | 26-9 |
| Hawaii | WAC | At-large | 25-7 |
| Kansas State | Big 12 | At-large | 20-12 |
| Long Beach State | Big West | Automatic | 30-1 |
| Loyola Marymount | West Coast | At-large | 21-6 |
| Michigan State | Big Ten | At-large | 22-11 |
| Morgan State | MEAC | Automatic | 25-9 |
| Nebraska | Big 12 | At-large | 25-6 |
| Pacific | Big West | At-large | 22-8 |
| San Diego | West Coast | Automatic | 25-3 |
| USC | Pac-10 | At-large | 21-5 |
| Washington | Pac-10 | At-large | 18-9 |
Mountain Regional :
| School | Conference | Berth Type | Record |
| Arizona | Pac-10 | At-large | 20-6 |
| Colorado | Big 12 | At-large | 20-8 |
| Houston | Conference USA | Automatic | 22-9 |
| Illinois State | Missouri Valley | Automatic | 24-8 |
| Oklahoma | Big 12 | At-large | 19-12 |
| Oral Roberts | Mid-Continent | Automatic | 28-9 |
| Pepperdine | West Coast | At-large | 23-5 |
| South Carolina | SEC | At-large | 20-7 |
| Stanford | Pac-10 | Automatic | 28-2 |
| Stephen F. Austin | Southland | Automatic | 23-12 |
| Tennessee Tech | Ohio Valley | Automatic | 23-9 |
| Texas | Big 12 | Automatic | 23-6 |
| UC Santa Barbara | Big West | At-large | 29-4 |
| UCLA | Pac-10 | At-large | 16-12 |

## Brackets
### East Regional - University Park, PA

| First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Regional semifinals | Regional semifinals | Regional semifinals | | Regional final | Regional final | Regional final |
| | | 1 | Penn State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Northern Illinois | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Northern Illinois | 3 | | Northern Illinois | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Villanova | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Villanova | 2 | | | | 1 | Penn State | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Ohio State | 0 | | | | |
| Ohio State | 3 | | | | | | | | Ohio State | 0 | | | | |
| Fairfield | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Fairfield | 0 | | Ohio State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Maryland | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Maryland | 3 | | Maryland | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Princeton | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Princeton | 0 | | | | | | | | 1 | Penn State | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | 2 | BYU | 0 |
| Temple | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | BYU | 0 |
| Michigan | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Michigan | 3 | | Michigan | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Texas A&M | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Hofstra | 0 | | Texas A&M | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Texas A&M | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Texas A&M | 3 | | | | | Texas A&M | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | BYU | 3 | | | | |
| Miami (Oh.) | 0 | | | | | | | 2 | BYU | 3 | | | | |
| Minnesota | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Minnesota | 3 | | Minnesota | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | 2 | BYU | 3 | | | | | | | |

### Central Regional - Madison, WI

| First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Regional semifinals | Regional semifinals | Regional semifinals | | Regional final | Regional final | Regional final |
| | | 1 | Wisconsin | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Central Florida | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Central Florida | 3 | | Central Florida | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Clemson | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Clemson | 0 | | | | 1 | Wisconsin | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Notre Dame | 1 | | | | |
| Arkansas | 3 | | | | | | | | Notre Dame | 1 | | | | |
| Arkansas-Little Rock | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Arkansas-Little Rock | 0 | | Arkansas | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Notre Dame | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Notre Dame | 3 | | Notre Dame | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Liberty | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Liberty | 0 | | | | | | | | 1 | Wisconsin | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | 2 | Florida | 3 |
| American | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Florida | 3 |
| Colorado State | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Colorado State | 3 | | Colorado State | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Washington State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Lehigh | 0 | | Washington State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Washington State | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Washington State | 3 | | | | | Washington State | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Florida | 3 | | | | |
| Florida State | 2 | | | | | | | 2 | Florida | 3 | | | | |
| South Florida | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Florida | 3 | | South Florida | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | 2 | Florida | 3 | | | | | | | |

### Pacific Regional - Long Beach, CA

| First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Regional semifinals | Regional semifinals | Regional semifinals | | Regional final | Regional final | Regional final |
| | | 1 | Long Beach State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Loyola Marymount | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Hawaiʻi | 0 | | Loyola Marymount | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Loyola Marymount | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Loyola Marymount | 3 | | | | 1 | Long Beach State | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Washington | 0 | | | | |
| Washington | 3 | | | | | | | | Washington | 0 | | | | |
| Chattanooga | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Chattanooga | 0 | | Washington | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Pacific | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Pacific | 3 | | Pacific | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Cal St. Sacramento | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cal St. Sacramento | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 | Long Beach State | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | 2 | Nebraska | 0 |
| Kansas State | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Nebraska | 0 |
| San Diego | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Diego | 3 | | San Diego | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Southern California | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Morgan State | 0 | | Southern California | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Southern California | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Southern California | 3 | | | | | Southern California | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Nebraska | 3 | | | | |
| Butler | 0 | | | | | | | 2 | Nebraska | 3 | | | | |
| Michigan State | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Michigan State | 3 | | Michigan State | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | 2 | Nebraska | 3 | | | | | | | |

### Mountain Regional - Stanford, CA

| First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Regional semifinals | Regional semifinals | Regional semifinals | | Regional final | Regional final | Regional final |
| | | 1 | Stanford | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Oklahoma | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Oklahoma | 3 | | Oklahoma | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Houston | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Houston | 0 | | | | 1 | Stanford | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Colorado | 0 | | | | |
| Colorado | 3 | | | | | | | | Colorado | 0 | | | | |
| Tennessee Tech | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Tennessee Tech | 0 | | Colorado | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Oral Roberts | 2 | | | | | | | |
| Arizona | 2 | | Oral Roberts | 2 | | | | | | | |
| Oral Roberts | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Oral Roberts | 3 | | | | | | | | 1 | Stanford | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | 2 | UCSB | 0 |
| Illinois State | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | UCSB | 0 |
| South Carolina | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Carolina | 3 | | South Carolina | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Texas | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Stephen F. Austin | 0 | | Texas | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Texas | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Texas | 3 | | | | | Texas | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | UCSB | 3 | | | | |
| UCLA | 3 | | | | | | | 2 | UCSB | 3 | | | | |
| Pepperdine | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Pepperdine | 1 | | UCLA | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | 2 | UCSB | 3 | | | | | | | |

## Final Four - Spokane Arena, Spokane, Washington

| National Semifinals | National Semifinals | National Semifinals | National Championship | National Championship | National Championship |
| 1 | Penn State | 3 | | | |
| 2 | Florida | 0 | | | |
| 2 | Florida | 0 | 1 | Penn State | 2 |
| | | | 1 | Stanford | 3 |
| 1 | Long Beach State | 1 | 1 | Stanford | 3 |
| 1 | Stanford | 3 | | | |