Volleyball

Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Central - Oct. 28 - Nov. 3

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Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics | Big Ten Weekly Release - Oct. 28
 

  • A nation-leading nine volleyball programs are ranked in this week’s AVCA/TARAFLEX Poll: #1 Nebraska, #8 Wisconsin, #11 Purdue, #12 Oregon, #13 Penn State, #19 Indiana, #20 Washington, #21 Minnesota and #25 Michigan State. Illinois and UCLA received votes in this week’s poll as Michigan State re-entered the poll at No. 25. 
  • Eleven Big Ten teams are among the top 27 in terms of RPI this week including, #2 Nebraska, #4 Wisconsin, #7 Oregon, #10 Penn State, #14 Washington, #17 UCLA, #18 Purdue, #21 Minnesota, #22 Indiana, #26 Michigan State and #27 Illinois. 
  • The Discover Volleyball Challenge concludes this weekend. Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon and Penn State are each tied at the top of the standings sporting a 4-0 record. Nebraska can clinch the challenge with a sweep against Michigan State. If the Huskers don’t sweep, the champion will be determined by tiebreakers resolved after the final matches are played.
  • Nebraska (10-0 Big Ten) is the first team to clinch a spot in the inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament. 
  • Iowa beat UCLA in five sets on Saturday evening, marking the Hawkeyes’ first-ever win against the Bruins. 
  • Nebraska matched a program record with its 52nd consecutive regular season win, sweeping USC on Saturday night. The Huskers won their 52nd consecutive regular season match dating back to the end of the 2024 season, matching 52 straight that spanned the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Nebraska also won its 63rd straight regular-season home match, including 61 at John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. 
  • Penn State jumped three spots in this week’s AVCA poll to No. 13, the Nittany Lions’ highest ranking since the Sept.14 poll. Penn State earned a pair of 3-1 victories against then-No. 10 Oregon and then-No. 18 Indiana last week. 
  • Penn State senior Kennedy Martin was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I National Player of the Week on Tuesday. She earned the honor for the fourth time in her career for her performance in the Nittany Lions’ two nationally ranked wins last week.
  • Purdue’s Ryan McAleer joined the 1,000-dig club at Purdue, totaling 18 digs in the Boilermakers’ 3-2 win against then-No. 20 Minnesota. 
  • Washington earned its first road win over a top 10 team since 2019, beating then-No. 6 Wisconsin at the UW Fieldhouse on Friday. It was the Badgers’ first loss at home this season. 
  • The AVCA announced the addition of 16 players to the Watch List for its 2026 Division I Player of the Year Award, presented by Nike Volleyball. New additions from the Big Ten include Minnesota’s Stella Swenson and Mckenna Wucherer and Nebraska’s Manaia Ogbechie. The Big Ten accounts for 13 players on the 46-player watch list. A list of semifinalists will be announced in November, and finalists will be revealed in early December. 
  • The Big Ten Conference will usher in a new era of collegiate volleyball this fall with the launch of its inaugural tournament November 20-25, 2026, at Fishers Event Center in Fishers, Ind. The top 15 teams in the regular-season standings will qualify for the tournament, bringing the nation’s premier volleyball programs together in one venue for the first time. Three matches will be played in the opening round of the tournament, followed by four second-round matches. The competition will then progress through the quarterfinals and semifinals, culminating with the championship match slated for November 25 on FOX. One off day will be built into the tournament schedule.