The latest AVCA/TARAFLEX Top 25 poll showcases the strength of the Big Ten in women’s volleyball. For the third consecutive week, eight conference programs are ranked: No. 1 Nebraska, No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 9 Penn State, No. 11 Purdue, No. 14 Minnesota, No. 19 USC, No. 21 Indiana and No. 23 Oregon. Michigan State and UCLA also received votes.
Undefeated Big Ten teams lead the nation
Nebraska (7‑0), Michigan State (9‑0) and Washington (7‑0) remain unbeaten, giving the Big Ten the most undefeated Division I programs—nine in total—across the country. Michigan State’s 9‑0 start marks the first back‑to‑back unbeaten seasons since 1975‑76, and the Spartans are back in the AVCA Coaches Poll after a long absence.
Upcoming events and milestones
The Sanford Pentagon will host the inaugural South Dakota Lottery College Volleyball Classic, featuring two Summit League and two Big Ten teams (South Dakota State, South Dakota, Minnesota and Washington) on September 18‑19.
Nebraska is set to break its indoor home‑attendance record when more than 15,000 fans are expected for the Wednesday night clash with No. 20 Creighton at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The current record stands at 13,870 from a 2009 match against UCLA.
Indiana will finish its non‑conference slate against Coastal Carolina and NC State this weekend. Two wins would give the Hoosiers a 7‑2 record, the fifth straight season they head into Big Ten play with at least seven victories.
Other conference highlights
Maryland (7‑1) posted its best start since 2021, riding a six‑game winning streak—the longest since an eight‑match run in September 2024. The Terrapins will conclude their non‑conference schedule at the ECU Tournament with games against East Carolina, Campbell and Old Dominion.
Oregon’s Sjakkie Donkers and Valentina Vaulet earned All‑Tournament honors at the Snyder‑Park Classic hosted by Arizona State.
Purdue captured the Paradise Invitational title, defeating No. 8 SMU in straight sets and topping Houston the day before, also in straight sets. The win over SMU marked the 12th straight season Purdue has beaten a top‑10 opponent, bringing its total to 22 top‑10 victories since 2015.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
