No. 1 Nebraska set to play No. 16 Penn State in first match since last year’s reverse sweep semifinal loss to the Nittany Lions

Nebraska travels to Penn State to compete with the Nittany Lions on Friday, the team that knocked them out of their run for the 2024 NCAA Division I title.

The No. 1 women’s college volleyball squad takes on last year’s national champions on Friday in Happy Valley.

For the fifth week in a row, Nebraska, undefeated at 12-0, are at the top of the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I list.

The Big Ten matchup against Penn State on Friday will be a tell for both teams, where they are nearing tournament season.

Senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick has been pulling down double digit stats in kills and points, earning 13 kills and 16.5 points during the Cornhuskers match against Maryland.

Allick was also named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week twice last season, as well as Big Ten Freshman of the Week in 2022. She recently was added to the ‘Player of the Year Watchlist.’  

The matchup against Penn State will be the first time the teams go head-to-head after Nebraska’s loss to Penn State in the 2024 NCAA Division I semifinals. 

Texas, ranked No. 2, earned another win this week against Georgia. The Longhorns are undefeated at 11-0.

Junior outside hitter Torrey Stafford has remained consistent in recent matches. She is owning the top spot in kills and points. Stafford was also named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, SEC Offensive Player of the Week and AVCA Player of the Week this season. 

Texas will take on Mississippi State University on October 5. 

Kentucky is 9-2 and ranked No. 3 this week. The Wildcats are currently on a six-match winning streak with their most recent victory against Georgia.

The standout Wildcat this week is middle blocker Lizzie Carr. Carr took the lead last match, earning the most points (16.5) and kills (13) out of the team. Carr comes in third on her team in points (85) and kills (62).

Coming in at No. 4 is Stanford University with a current record of 11-2 and an eight-match winning streak.

The standout Cardinal this week is senior outside hitter Elia Rubin. Rubin leads the team in kills (136) and points (163.5) and was named Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the 2024 season.

The Cardinals will go head-to-head against Notre Dame on October 3.

Finally, at No. 5 is Pittsburgh with a current record of 10-2 and a 10-match winning streak. The Panthers’ most recent victory was against SMU. 

One Panther has helped achieve the team's winning streak. This athlete is the junior right-side Olivia Babcock. Babcock led the team in points (30.5) and kills (29) during the team's last match and currently leads the team this season in points (233) and kills (200). 

The Pittsburgh Panthers will compete against Clemson on October 3, the third match of the Atlantic Coast Conference. 

25. North Carolina 9-2, 25

24. Wesleyan (Conn.) 8-4, Received Votes

23. Florida 6-5, 19

22. Miami (FL) 12-1, 24

21. Missouri 8-5, 21

20. Tennessee 11-1, 22

19. BYU 13-1, 14

18. Kansas 10-6, 18

17. Southern California 10-2, 17

16. Penn State 7-5, 15

15. Baylor 8-3, 20

14. Creighton 9-5, 16

13. Purdue 10-2, 10

12. TCU 11-3, 9

11. SMU 8-4, 11

10. Minnesota 12-1, 12

9. Texas A&M 10-2, 13

8. Arizona State 11-2, 8

7. Wisconsin 9-1, 7

6. Louisville 10-2, 6

5. Pittsburgh 10-2, 5

4. Stanford 11-2, T-3

3. Kentucky 9-2, T-3

2. Texas 10-0, 2

1. Nebraska 12-0, 1

Thank you for reading Female Athlete News. Lily Dorf is a student-intern at Penn State University.