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The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team finally looked human.
Entering an emotional weekend that saw the return of outside hitter Harper Murray to her home state, the Cornhuskers were pushed in their back-to-back matches against Michigan and Michigan State. Both the Wolverines and Spartans took the opening set, but NU responded in each circumstance with three-straight set victories to stay unbeaten and hold firm at the top of the Big Ten standings.
Setter Bergen Reilly earned her 16th career Big Ten weekly honor after setting the Husker offense to a .380 hitting percentage. The South Dakota native averaged 12.88 assists per set in the two victories while thumping five service aces. She recorded a season-high 58 assists with nine digs and two aces against Michigan. She followed up with 45 assists, five digs, two kills and a career-best six blocks versus Michigan State to cap off the weekend.
Nebraska will keep its show on the road this weekend, but their next two opponents appear to be a bigger challenge. Here's all you need to know as NU takes on No. 12 Oregon and No. 18 Washington.
Caught by surprise with the departure of former head coach Matt Ulmer to Kansas, the Ducks pivoted to a standout from the West Coast Conference (WCC) in Loyola Marymount head coach Trent Kersten. Coming off a WCC title and coach of the year honors in 2024, Kersten timed his breakout season perfectly to align with the Oregon administration. The Ducks were lackluster in 2025 with a 17-13 record and in a tie for 10th in the Big Ten, but expectations were cooled knowing that Kersten built his first roster in short order.
He's quickly put the Ducks back on the map with a 19-3 record so far in 2026 and a 10-2 mark in Big Ten play. In fact, Oregon would move just one game back if they can upset the Huskers on Saturday night.
Leading the way is opposite Alanah Clemente. The sophomore has earned the reputation as one of the most lethal attackers in the country after compiling over 500 points during her freshman season in 2025. She was named the Big Ten and AVCA Northwest Region Freshman of the Year while racking up All-Big Ten First Team and AVCA All-America Third Team honors. She's averaging over four points per set again this year, but her overall production isn't on pace to surpass her 2025 numbers. That's because she has more support around her.
That starts with another key returner in former Michigan transfer Valentina Vaulet. The Argentinian continues to be one of the most dangerous servers in the country, with 30 so far this year. Plus, her 3.49 points and 2.89 kills per set both rank third on the team. Another standout international player is outside hitter Sjakkie Donkers from the Netherlands. The 6-foot-2 junior entered 2026 after earning All-WCC First Team honors with Gonzaga and being named the Best OH at the CEV U22 European Championships. Her 4.09 points and 3.67 kills per set are both top-10 in the conference.
Romanian middle blocker Dalia Virlan appeared in just 23 matches across two seasons at Pittsburgh before joining the Ducks. She's proven to be highly productive with a team-high 82 blocks and 1.71 kills per set on a 0.331 hitting percentage. Joining her in the middle is Serbian and returner Iva Šucurovic, with over two points per set.
After relying on a graduate student transfer to run the offense at setter for 2025, Kersten and the Ducks are running with the same strategy in 2026. Missouri transfer Marina Crownover tallied over 10 assists per set across two career seasons with the Tigers before coming to Eugene, where she's eighth in the Big Ten with 10.46 assists per set. Plus, she's adding over one point per set and is second on the team with 2.59 digs per set. Reese Sheppard ranks No. 10 among conference liberos with 3.37 digs per set after earning the starting role in the final stretch of 2025.
This is a talented roster that Kersten has built in just his second season and the Ducks are much more balanced offensively, but they have a hard time avoiding the block. Oregon is second-to-last in opponent blocks per set (2.47), which is something that Nebraska will look to exploit. Give me the Cornhuskers to take out the Ducks in four sets.
Respected around the country for her impact and contributions to the Washington volleyball program, the UW Athletic Department decided to name her a first-time head coach after Keagan Cook departed to take over Minnesota after the 2022 season. An assistant of over 20 years for the Huskies, Gabriel was part of four Final Four runs and seven Pac-12 championships before taking the top job.
Washington has bounced around in Gabriel's first four seasons. The team finished 16-15 in 2023 to miss the NCAA Tournament, but rebounded in 2024 with a 19-12 record and a first-round exit. The Huskies fell flat again in 2025 with a dismal 13-17 record, but Gabriel has led a resurgence in her fourth season.
Sitting at 17-4 entering the weekend, Washington is on pace for its most wins since 2021, when they reached the Round of 16. Gabriel changed things up entering 2026 by saying goodbye to starters Kierstyn Barton (OH, San Diego), Alexa Markley (OH, Pepperdine) and Alexis Haury (S, Cal Poly).
Instead, the Huskies have relied upon the growth of their underclassmen, especially on the pin. Sophomore outside hitter Simona Mateska leads Washington with 323 points (4.31 P/S) and 277 kills (3.69 K/S), which are both top seven in the Big Ten. Fellow sophomore Maija Howse dealt with injuries to limit her freshman campaign in 2025, but a return to health has seen her add over three points per set and 67 blocks (3rd on team). Freshman Kylie Kleckner has performed well in her first college season with 3.05 points per set and 17 aces.
Washington are led by a pair of veterans in the middle with Julia Hunt and Katy Wessels. Hunt's 0.353 hitting percentage leads all starters and ranks second with 74 blocks. Wessels was one of the best defensive middle blockers in the conference last year, but she hasn't been able to replicate those numbers. However, her team-leading 81 blocks and 1.14 per set are still impressive and sit just outside the top ten.
Gabriel brought in young setter Andrea Fabikovicová from San Francisco to run the Huskies' offense. Originally from the Czech Republic, Fabikovicová averages 9.95 assists and 2.63 digs per set while also adding 23 aces in her sophomore campaign. Kaitlyn Nguyen was born and raised in Seattle before deciding to attend Washington for her college career. She's exceeded expectations with 3.97 digs per set as a freshman, which is the top mark in the Big Ten among all liberos.
A roster built differently from Oregon, Gabriel is once again showing why she's an expert in developing talent. Five of the team's seven starters are underclassmen and they're learning quickly how they need to perform in the Big Ten gauntlet. UW's losses (Illinois, Penn State, Indiana, Minnesota) are outweighed by its wins over Wisconsin, Purdue and Michigan State.
This group of players is only going to get better over the years, but they don't have a chance against Nebraska this season. Give me the Cornhuskers in a sweep.
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