The Nebraska Cornhuskers clinched their share of a Big Ten title after a ranked weekend sweep in the Pacific Northwest, earning their 38th overall conference championship and seventh in the Big Ten. With seeding and byes in the inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament still on the line, we had another handful of other consequential matches near the top of the conference standings over the weekend.
Four in a Row for the Queens of the Court
No. 1 Nebraska swept both No. 12 Oregon and No. 18 Washington to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten Volleyball Championship for the fourth consecutive season. The Huskers won their 26th and 27th consecutive matches away from home to improve to 14-0 in conference play, a streak that’s tied for seventh in the NCAA all time and second in program history.
In a Saturday night showdown between two of the Big Ten’s best offenses, the Huskers’ relentless defense made the difference. Diving all over the floor, they held Oregon to a .152 hitting percentage — its lowest of the season — to hand the Ducks their first home loss of the season in a 3-0 sweep. Read more here.
From there, the Huskers hit .477 — the team’s best hitting percentage in a single match against a ranked opponent in the rally scoring era — to push past the Huskies and lock in their second ranked win in 24 hours and at least a share of the Big Ten title. More on the match.
My Oh My, Martin!
Behind two massive offensive performances from senior Kennedy Martin, No. 11 Penn State extended its win streak to seven matches with wins over No. 19 Minnesota and No. 7 Wisconsin.
On Friday, Martin posted 34 kills — yes, 34 kills — and surpassed the 2,000 career mark as Penn State defeated Minnesota 3-1 on the road. Her 34 spot tied the PSU record for most in a match in the 25-point rally scoring era. (The other two other times also came from Martin). Check out the full recap.
Then on Sunday, the Nittany Lions got their first win in Madison since 2017 in a 3-2 back-and-forth affair against the Badgers. Jaela Auguste and Decelise Champion led the Badgers to victories in sets one and three, but the relentless system of Alexis Stucky (55 kills) and Martin (28 kills) helped PSU bring a top-10 win back to State College. PSU’s story here.
Illini Surprise Hoosiers in Road Sweep
For the second time this season, Illinois has surprised a ranked opponent away from home, this time over No. 21 Indiana in Bloomington. Alyssa Aguayo, Madi Miles, and Paityn Chapman led the way with 14+ kills apiece, while a strong defensive effort from Talita Goncalves (13 digs) helped hold the Hoosiers to a .167 hitting percentage. Read the story.
Tournament Tips off in Two Weeks
After this weekend, 11 teams have clinched their spots in the inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament and will have a chance to etch their names in conference lore.
Want to be there to usher in the next era of college volleyball? Single-session tickets for the tournament go on sale Tuesday, November 10 at 11 a.m. ET. All-session seats are sold out, making tomorrow your next chance to get in and witness Big Ten history. Click here to get notified.