Nebraska volleyball looks unstoppable.
They have perhaps never been as dominant as they were on Sunday, with a clean sweep of #2 (at the time) Texas, 25-19, 25-19, 25-16, proving that perhaps nobody else in the country is close to them right now.
The Cornhuskers held Texas to a .152 hitting percentage while recording 10 blocks. The back row did not allow a single ace. Andi Jackson led Nebraska with 9 kills on just 14 attempts.
Nebraska also cruised through last week’s “Spikes Under the Lights” showdown that did not officially count towards NCAA standings. They played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with massive attendance in the football stadium (I can’t find an official number). With best-of-three sets played to 21, Nebraska cruised to wins over Florida and SMU to take home the title.
Other top Big Ten teams have had some ups and downs. Especially Wisconsin. Through an incredibly difficult schedule, the Badgers have started 1-3. Three of those losses are to teams ranked in the top five.
The Badgers started the year at the AVCA First Serve in Milwaukee, then played two matches in Pittsburgh. They also in that stretch have a pretty dominant sweep of #6 Louisville. So, I guess, who really knows with them?
Penn State sits at 3-0 right now in ‘official’ matches after losing to SMU at the Spikes Under the Lights.
Another novelty match upcoming: Wrigley Field! Penn State takes on Kentucky (that should be a great match!) while Nebraska plays Mizzou. Definitely check it out if you’re in the area; tickets are going fast.
The rest of the Big Ten / SEC Challenge should feature pretty exciting matchups as well, though most of them are mid-week.
Northwestern Update
I got to watch the Northwestern Wildcats on their D.C. tour this past weekend, and caught their match at Georgetown on Monday. All in all, it was a disappointing weekend for Northwestern, dropping matches to both George Mason and American. Northwestern is adapting to a lot of roster turnover and a new first-year setter in Ellie Stiernagle, a local product.
But facing Georgetown, a team that beat the two that Northwestern lost to, the ‘Cats rallied back after a slow start. They wound up with a sweep: 25-23, 25-15, 25-17, putting the season back on track. Mara Stiglic was strong on the attack early, and Bella Bullington closed it out.
They will face Alabama and Mississippi State in the Big Ten / SEC challenge while playing in Starkville.
Soccer
I generally don’t follow college soccer that closely. Largely because I’m not a super big soccer fan in general, and also the Big Ten isn’t often super competitive. Not counting pre-Big Ten UCLA (who won the championship in 2022), a Big Ten team hasn’t made the College Cup final four since Rutgers in 2021. Though three Big Ten teams did make the quarterfinals last year.
One of those teams was Michigan State, and they are now this year’s team to watch. The Spartans are off to a 4-0-1 start, with a pair of top-10 wins over UNC and Colorado. Keep an eye on them!
Field Hockey
Hockey season is back! And there is plenty to watch in the Big Ten.
This year’s preseason #1 is the defending champions from last year, the Northwestern Wildcats. And the ‘Cats are off to a 2-0 start to the year.