Wisconsin-Nebraska, UK-Tennessee highlight Wednesday’s NCAA volleyball schedule, Howard thumps Delaware State

Quality over quantity.

There are only 10 matches on Wednesday’s NCAA Division I women’s volleyball schedule, but two of have huge implications.

Start with the long-anticipated battle in Lincoln, when third-ranked Wisconsin (17-1, 9-1) goes to No. 6 Nebraska (16-3, 10-0). It’s a match that could not only decide who wins the Big Ten, but one that could knock the loser out of top-four-seeding status in the NCAA Tournament. The match is on the Big Ten Network.

Wisconsin and Nebraska did not play last spring because both their late-February matches in Madison were canceled. The last time they played was in the NCAA Tournament regional final on December 14, 2019, and Wisconsin swept Nebraska for the third time that season. 

This season, Wisconsin, which has won nine in a row since losing its Big Ten opener in five at Maryland, is ranked No. 3 in the NCAA RPI. Nebraska, which has won 10 in a row, all in the Big Ten, is No. 12 in the RPI.

Wisconsin has won the last five meetings between the teams. Nebraska last won on September 30, 2017, in five in Lincoln. Nebraska leads the series 19-8-1 and is 10-2 when playing at home.

Also in the Big Ten on Wednesday, No. 11 Minnesota is at Indiana and No.12 Purdue is home for Northwestern.

There is a big one in the SEC, too, when No. 5 Kentucky (15-3, 8-0), which has won nine in a row, goes to No. 21 Tennessee (16-4, 8-2). Kentucky is ranked No. 6 in the RPI, while Tennessee is No. 9. That match is on ESPNU. Also in the SEC, Mississippi State goes to Georgia and Missouri is at Arkansas.

The lone Big 12 match has Texas Tech at Kansas State.

The ACC, Pac-12, Big East, Conference USA and West Coast are off. In the American Athletic, Houston tied with idle Wichita State and Cincinnati for second place two games back of UCF, goes to Tulane. 

Want to watch a match? We have the links. Go to our VolleyballMag.com TV & Streaming listings to find any match that is being shown.

TUESDAY — Howard (10-11, 7-2) made things a lot more interesting in the MEAC when the Bison surprised Delaware State (20-2, 8-1) and snapped its 18-match winning streak. Jennifer Bolden and Cimone Woodard had eight kills each in Howard’s 25-20, 25-18, 25-23 victory. Alondra Maldonado led DSU, which hit .093, with nine kills …

Eastern Illinois won its Ohio Valley match in four at SIUE. Ireland Hieb had 10 kills with no errors in 20 attacks and had seven blocks, one solo … 

Charleston Southern swept visiting Presbyterian in the Big South as Peyton Thompson had 19 kills and Indigo Young had 16. Kaileigh Ammons had 11 kills , hit .667, and had two blocks. Ashleigh Holwegger had 28 digs, five assists, and two aces … 

In the Big Sky, Montana won in five at Montana State as four players had 10 or more kills, 17 by Catie Semadeni and 16 by Paige Clarek, who had two aces, six digs, and six blocks, two solo … 

UC Davis swept visiting UC Riverside in the Big West. Demari Webb had 11 kills with one error in 23 attacks, an ace, two blocks, and two digs … 

In a Mountain West match, San Jose State won in five at Nevada as Latahevai Lousi had 21 kills, hit .500, and had two digs and seven blocks. Haylee Nelson had 18 kills, an assist, two aces, and seven digs … 

Louisiana Tech of Conference USA swept its nearby north Louisiana neighbor Grambing of the SWAC as six players had five or more kills … Tarleton State of the WAC swept UIW of the Southland as Lauren Kersey had 13 kills, hit .480, and had an assist, a dig, and four blocks, one solo … Albany of the America East beat Sacred Heart of the Northeast in five as five players had 11 or more kills. Grace Cozad led with 20, two blocks, and 10 digs. Sacred Heart’s Sarah Ciszek had 11 kills, 48 assists, and 17 digs.