Huskers Star on the National Stage, High-Profile Matchups On Deck

Leading into a weekend full of ranked matchups, Nebraska looked every bit like the top-ranked team in the country.

Nebraska Sweeps Spikes Under the Lights 

No. 1 Nebraska captured the inaugural showcase title at AT&T Stadium with back-to-back sweeps. In their semifinal match, the Huskers gritted out a tight 2-0 (21–19, 21–18) victory against No. 17 Florida behind a strong block. Teraya Sigler had six kills, along with five each from Andi Jackson and Virginia Adriano. Nebraska’s suffocating defense dominated, holding the Mustangs to an .068 hitting percentage en route to a 2-0 sweep and advancing to the final against No. 11 SMU. Surging out to early leads in both sets against the Mustangs, Sigler again led the team with seven kills while Harper Murray added six to fuel a dominant 2-0 (21–12, 21–11) championship sweep. Read the full recap  here . 

No. 10 Penn State fell to the Mustangs in the semifinals, dropping a hard-fought 2-0 (24–22, 21–18) matchup. Texas transfer Whitney Lauenstein starred in her debut, leading all players with 12 kills while hitting .450, while Florida transfer setter Alexis Stucky dished out 19 assists in her debut.  

Weekend Previews 

Nebraska and Penn State kicked off the week with the marquee event in Texas, but they are far from the only Big Ten powerhouses diving into high-stakes non-conference action to start the season.  

State Farm Women's College Volleyball Showcase

Taking place at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., this premier early-season event serves as a major national stage for elite non-conference showdowns. Minnesota, Purdue, and USC — who are all rank in the top 20 — will represent the Big Ten in matches against national contenders, No. 12 Arizona State and No. 13 Creighton. 

Let’s look at what to expect from the Boilermakers, Gophers and Trojans: 

No. 9 Purdue (vs. Creighton Friday) 

The Boilermakers return to the court after a 2025 campaign where they went 27-7 and made it all the way to the Elite Eight, before losing to Pittsburgh. To get the season started on a good note, Purdue will lean on its lethal offense with All-American pin hitter Grace Heaney (3.05 kills per set), and setter Taylor Anderson (10.84 assists per set). Defensively, middle blocker Dior Charles (1.15 blocks per set) and defensive specialist Ryan McAleer (3.63 digs per set) need to disrupt Creighton’s tempo. 

No. 14 Minnesota (vs. Arizona State Friday & Creighton Saturday) 

Just like the Boilermakers, the Golden Gophers saw their 2025 season end at the hands of Pittsburgh, losing in the Sweet 16. But, in 2026, Minnesota has high expectations; preseason All-Big Ten selection Carly Gilk leads a star-studded roster that also has Stella Swenson (9.77 assists per set), McKenna Garr (3.35 digs per set), Jordan Taylor (1.32 kills per set, 1.23 blocks per set) and Lucie Blažková (2.80 kills per set) Also huge for the Gophers is the return of 2025 Preseason All-Big Ten selection McKenna Wucherer, who is back after missing all of last season with a back injury. 

No. 20 USC (vs. Creighton & Arizona State) 

Coming off a 25-7 campaign that reached the NCAA Tournament second round, the Trojans enter 2026 ranked 20th in the AVCA poll and picked to finish seventh in the Big Ten. To build on that foundation, USC needs its elite net defense — anchored by Leah Ford (1.35 blocks per set) and Mia Tvrdy (1.13 blocks per set) — to establish the physical tone after averaging 2.76 blocks per set in 2025. Preseason All-Big Ten picks Adonia Faumuina and Abigail Mullen must balance top pin-scorer London Wijay (3.48 kills per set) on the attack. 

The Opponents

Now for a look at the opponents, starting with the Bluejays, who enter the 2026 volleyball season as the bona fide favorites to win the Big East. Creighton returns powerful RS/MB Jaya Johnson and added Texas transfer MB Ayden Ames to maintain a lethal block. Despite losing Ava Martin, Creighton's fast-tempo offense and server efficiency (2.13 aces/set in 2025) remain top-tier threats. In only his second season, Brian Rosen has his team looking like the one that can bring its first ever national championship to Omaha. 

Then, there’s Arizona State, which was announced as the  favorite in the Big 12’s Preseason Poll.  The Sun Devils — who have won back-to-back Big 12 titles — are led by senior opposite hitter Noemie Glover, the reigning Big 12 Volleyball Player of the Year. In 2025, Glover swept ASU's offensive leaderboards, leading the team in total points, total kills, points per set, and kills per set. Her 4.23 kills per set (eighth), 4.82 points per set (eighth), and 423 total kills (ninth) all ranked inside the top 10 of all Big 12 players, making her one of the most formidable individual scoring threats Minnesota and USC will clash with in Sioux Falls. 

Check out the full State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase schedule here .  

Opening Spike Classic

At the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., No. 5 Wisconsin joins an elite four-team field with two top-tier non-conference battles on the ESPN networks. After a 1-1 split against top 10 teams at the AVCA First Serve, including a statement 3-0 sweep of No. 7 Louisville, the Badgers will now face two more top 10 opponents in No. 5 Stanford and No. 4 Pitt. Against Stanford, the Badgers will look to install a disciplined double block against outside hitter Julia Blyashov and setter Logan Parks. Then, when facing the Panthers, passing clean against Olivia Babcock's lethal jump-serves and containing setter Izzy Starck is vital; this will allow Fuerbringer to keep middle options open and avoid forced out-of-system plays. Emerging stars like Audrey Flanagan and Jaela Auguste, who both came up big in Wisconsin’s openers, will look to continue to step up on the big stage as the Badgers look to solidify themselves as national championship contenders. 

Clash of Titans: No. 1 Nebraska Meets No. 2 Texas 

Top-ranked Nebraska faces off against No. 2 Texas in an incredible early-season showdown. Coming off Thursday’s Spikes Under the Lights title, the Huskers meet a Longhorns squad returning exceptional firepower and a national championship pedigree.  

Led by First-Team All-American senior outside hitter Torrey Stafford and 2025 All-SEC First Team member Cari Spears, Texas boasts one of the country's most lethal pin-attacking duos. Guided by veteran setter Ella Swindle and backed by a deep, physical block at the net, the Longhorns can score in bursts. 

Nebraska’s key to victory hinges on unanimous Preseason All-Big Ten stars Bergen Reilly, Harper Murray, and Andi Jackson maintaining high offensive efficiency. Passing clean, containing Texas' outer pins, and controlling the net will be essential for the Huskers to dictate tempo and pull out a statement of victory. 

After a title sweep in Texas on Thursday, the Huskers look to make an even bigger statement in Sin City. 

The matchups don’t stop here. Plenty of other teams in the conference are gearing up for big games, like No. 16 Indiana facing No. 7 Louisville. Check out the full schedule  here .