We’re several weeks away from the inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament, yet two teams have us talking regular season title hopes already. The last squads undefeated in conference play square off this weekend — take a look.
Another Day, Another Big Red Sweep
No. 1 Nebraska swept its sixth straight opponent, defeating No. 15 Indiana and extending its regular season win streak to 47 consecutive matches in decisive fashion (25-15, 25-19, 25-19). Harper Murray led the Huskers with 11 kills (including the one that capped off the insane rally below), while Andi Jackson and Manaia Ogbechie each posted 8+ kill performances on .471+ clips. Read the Huskers’ story.
Wisconsin Attacks, Stifles Illini
Freshman phenom Audrey Flanagan struck again for the Badgers as No. 7 Wisconsin swept No. 24 Illinois in Champaign (25-18, 25-19, 25-22). Flanagan posted 12 kills on a .417 hitting percentage, while Jaela Auguste and Eva Travis chipped in 9 kills each. Head coach Kelly Sheffield praised Kristen Simon’s defensive effort as the Badgers held the Illini to a .176 clip. Read more.
Huskers Host Badgers in Pivotal Matchup
Heavyweights collide in Lincoln on Saturday night when No. 7 Wisconsin comes in to face No. 1 Nebraska. With both teams entering the matchup at 5-0 in Big Ten play, the winner will walk away with first place in the conference and establish itself as the team to beat for the Big Ten Championship and the Discover In-Season Volleyball Challenge title.
The Huskers return home after a three-match road trip that saw them sweep Penn State, Maryland, and No. 15 Indiana. Nebraska’s senior trio of Andi Jackson (the two-time reigning Big Ten Player of the Week), Bergen Reilly and Harper Murray will try to stay dominant early against an outstanding Wisconsin attack.
The Badgers are wrapping up a grueling road trip of their own: after topping No. 20 Minnesota and No. 24 Illinois, they head into Lincoln searching for their signature win of the season. Crucial to that effort will be outside hitters Audrey Flanagan and Decelise Champion, who lead Wisconsin with 3.72 and 3.59 points per set, respectively. They will need to anchor the attack against a Husker defense that leads the country by holding opponents to a stifling .101 hitting percentage.
Big Ten Volleyball has provided plenty of big moments so far, and this one has all the makings of an instant classic. Tune in to the match on FOX at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday night.
More on the Docket
Huskers-Badgers isn’t the only ranked matchup on the docket this weekend, starting with a top-20 “Battle of the Green” tonight:
- No. 13 Oregon is winners of three straight, defeating three teams now ranked in the top-25. Next up: another ranked matchup in East Lansing against No. 22 Michigan State (7:30 p.m. ET on B1G+).
- No. 24 Illinois heads to No. 16 Purdue for its fifth consecutive ranked match to open conference play. The Fighting Illini’s defense is holding opponents to a .203 hitting percentage; it now must deal with Purdue’s Addy Tiddall who ranks fourth in the conference with 3.91 kills per set (Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network).
- No. 18 Penn State hosts two games in Happy Valley, first against Northwestern on Friday then No. 20 Washington on Sunday. The Huskies stand at 3-1 in the Big Ten, beating Purdue last time out (Sunday at noon ET, Big Ten Network).
There’s plenty more volleyball to watch as conference action heats up, including No. 15 Indiana hosting USC in Bloomington. Check out the full schedule here.
Photo via @BadgerVB on X.