The 2002 NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament began on December 5, 2002 with 64 teams and concluded on December 21 when Southern California defeated Stanford 3 games to 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana for the program's second NCAA title and fifth overall national title.

As of 2017, this is the most conferences represented by seeded teams in a single tournament in the 64-team era (since 1998).

Stanford got a chance to defend their 2001 NCAA title after dismantling Hawaiʻi, 3-0.

The lead soon disappeared, with Stanford tying it up at 19, before USC pulled away again to win the fourth set 30-26 and take home the national title.

It was USC's first national championship since 1981, the first year that NCAA started to sponsor women's volleyball.