College volleyball has people talking in Nebraska and Pennsylvania five weeks into the season, each home to two programs ranked among the top six teams in the sport.
In Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh continues its rise in the sport in recent years and remained ranked No. 1 this week in the AVCA poll. It has a 12-0 record and hasn’t even lost a set. This is the first season Pittsburgh has reached No. 1 in the poll.
And in State College, seven-time NCAA champion Penn State moved up to No. 3 with a 12-1 record aided by Nebraska transfers Maggie Mendelson and Caroline Jurevicius.
In Nebraska, the 12-1 Huskers are No. 2 and 11-2 Creighton is No. 6. When the Bluejays moved up to sixth last week it was the highest ranking in program history. The Bluejays have three wins against Top-20 teams: Purdue, Kansas and USC.
Louisville (10-2) and coach Dani Busboom Kelly moved up one spot to No. 4 after a sweep against Stanford to open ACC play.
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Washington has moved into the rankings at 25th for an eighth ranked team from the Big Ten: No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Penn State, No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 10 Purdue, No. 11 Oregon, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 21 Southern California and No. 25 Washington. That’s one more than the seven teams from the Big Ten ranked in the Top 25 in the football poll.
SMU, the only team to beat Nebraska, has gone from never ranked prior to this season to 17th.
Nebraska’s next match is Thursday at Illinois (8-4, 0-2 Big Ten).
Also on Monday, Nebraska libero Lexi Rodriguez was chosen as the Big Ten defensive player of the week. She had 13 digs in a sweep of USC on Sunday.
Photos: Nebraska volleyball vs. USC — Sept. 29
Nebraska’s Bergen Reilly (right) smiles as she hugs USC Associate Coach Tyler Hildebrand after the match on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska’s Andi Jackson (15) goes up to hit against USC’s Ally Batenhorst (14) during the second set of the match on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska’s Olivia Mauch (10) serves during the second set of the match against USC on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska’s Merritt Beason (13) and Rebekah Allick (5) go up to block against USC’s Adonia Faumuina (1) during the second set of the match on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska’s Rebekah Allick (right) goes up to spike the ball while defended by USC’s Ally Batenhorst during the second set of the match against USC on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska’s Andi Jackson (top) spikes the ball while blocked by USC’s Ally Batenhorst (left), Favor Anyanwu (12) and Mia Tuaniga (91) during the first set of the match on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska’s Lindsay Krause (left) spikes the ball while blocked by USC’s Favor Anyanwu and Mia Tuaniga (right) during the first set of the match against USC on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska celebrates a kill by Andi Jackson (right) during the first set of the match against USC on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
USC’s Ally Batenhorst (right) spikes the ball as Nebraska’s Andi Jackson (15) and Bergen Reilly (2) go up to block during the first set of the match on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska’s Kennedi Orr (9) and Lexi Rodriguez (8) hug USC’s Ally Batenhorst (14) after giving her a signed ball before Sunday’s match.
USC’s Ally Batenhorst (14) looks on as Nebraska fans cheer for her before Sunday’s match at the Devaney Sports Center.
USC’s Ally Batenhorst reacts to the crowd cheering for her during team lineups before the match against Nebraska on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
USC’s Ally Batenhorst reacts to the crowd cheering for her during team lineups before the match against Nebraska on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska Head Coach John Cook (left) and USC Associate Coach Tyler Hildebrand speak before the match on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska fans stand for the first set point of the match against USC on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
USC’s Ally Batenhorst (14) reacts to the crowd cheering for her during team lineups before the match against Nebraska on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska celebrates set point to win the second set of the match against USC on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska celebrates set point to win the second set of the match against USC on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska’s Merritt Beason (13) and Rebekah Allick (5) go up to block against USC’s Ally Batenhorst (14) during the second set of the match on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska’s Merritt Beason (13) and Rebekah Allick (5) go up to block against USC’s Ally Batenhorst (14) on Sunday at the Devaney Sports Center.
USC celebrates a kill by Ally Batenhorst (center) during the second set of the match against Nebraska on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
Nebraska celebrates a kill by Andi Jackson during the first set of the match against USC on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
USC’s Ally Batenhorst (left) reacts to the crowd cheering for her during team lineups before the match against Nebraska on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Center.
USC’s Ally Batenhorst (left) reacts as Nebraska fans cheer for her before Sunday’s match at the Devaney Sports Center.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSSportsWagner.
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