Big Venues, Bigger Wins: Ranked Programs Rolling

Iconic venues and marquee matchups took center stage in Big Ten volleyball country. Highlighting a big weekend, No. 12 Penn State conquered the Palestra while No. 1 Nebraska defended home court in its new-look venue. 

Penn State Sweeps No. 4 Stanford in Philly 

In its first match at The Palestra in 41 years, No. 12 Penn State delivered one of its biggest wins of the season, sweeping No. 4 Stanford (27-25, 25-20, 25-21) on Friday night. 

Freshman star Haley Burgdorf fueled the win, hitting .450 with 10 kills, nine digs, and two aces. Double-doubles from Kennedy Martin and Alexis Stucky, plus 11 kills from Whitney Lauenstein, capped off a dominant team performance. The Nittany Lions held Stanford to just a .206 hitting percentage in the win.  Read Penn State’s full recap here.  

Wisconsin Downs Defending Champs in Texas 

Coming off a flawless 2026 Allstate Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week, No. 6 Wisconsin outlasted defending champion No. 19 Texas A&M in a five-set clash on Friday in College Station. Charlie Fuerbringer notched her 21st career double-double with 43 assists, 19 digs, and a career-high eight kills, anchoring a Wisconsin defense that recorded a season-high 17 blocks. 

When the Aggies jumped to an early lead in the fifth set, the Badgers didn't flinch. Senior Eva Travis sparked the comeback with consecutive kills, and freshman Anna Bardaro dropped in a clutch ace to snatch the lead before Wisconsin rattled off three straight points to seal the win.  Read more about the Badgers here.  

In the finale of their Lone Star State tour, the Badgers fell to No. 9 Texas on Sunday, 3-1. 

New Look, Same Dominance: No. 1 Nebraska Sweeps Renovated Home Openers 

No. 1 Nebraska kicked off a new era in Lincoln, opening the newly renovated John Cook Arena with wins over New Mexico, No. 20 Baylor and Georgia Tech. 

After  sweeping New Mexico  Thursday, the top-ranked Huskers swept Baylor on Friday (25-20, 25-22, 26-24), driven by 12 kills from Harper Murray, 41 assists from Bergen Reilly, and 13 digs apiece from Laney Choboy and Olivia Mauch (season highs for each). On Saturday, Georgia Tech stole the opening frame — Nebraska’s first set loss of the season — before the Husker defense took complete control. Nebraska stormed back for a 3-1 victory while holding the Yellow Jackets to a staggering .027 hitting percentage. Read about the Huskers’ wins against  Baylor  and  Georgia Tech.  

Up next is an in-state rivalry clash with No. 15 Creighton on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Though the Bluejays lost 2025 Big East Player of the Year Ava Martin, Brian Rosen’s squad still packs plenty of punch with Trinity Shadd-Ceres, Ayden Ames, and Saige Damrow. The Huskers will look to extend their winning streak to eight and secure state bragging rights in front of a sold-out crowd. 

Purdue Sweeps SMU in Bahamas 

After making history as the  first team to win an NCAA volleyball match played outside the United States  with a win over Houston on Saturday, No. 14 Purdue defeated No. 8 SMU in straight sets (30-28, 25-23, 25-22) to be crowned the Paradise Invitational Champions. 

In the first ever NCAA volleyball tournament played internationally, three Boilermakers reached double-digit kills in the championship; Grace Heaney led with 12, along with seven digs and three assisted blocks. The victory extends Purdue’s streak to 12 consecutive seasons with a top-10 win.  More from the Boilers.  

The action does not slow down this week. Check out the  complete schedule here.  

Photo via  gopsusports.com