Game previews as Huskers begin Big Ten play against UCLA and USC

Nebraska volleyball moved up three spots in the national rankings after a big week in which the Huskers dominated No. 2 Stanford at home and No. 4 Louisville on the road.

The Huskers (10-1), who beat both the Cardinals (singular) and Cardinals (plural) last Wednesday and Sunday, rose from No. 5 to No. 2 in the AVCA Top 25. Nebraska received one vote for No. 1 in the national ranking, but still trails the 9-0 Pitt Panthers (60 of 61 first-place votes).

John Cooks The national championship contenders are ranked ahead of 3 Stanford, 4 Penn State and 5 Louisville. Creighton (6), Wisconsin (7), Texas (8), Kansas (9) and Purdue (10) round out the top 10, while Minnesota (16) and USC (20) make up the rest of the Big Ten teams in the top 25 .

In addition to last week's back-to-back top-five wins, the Huskers also have wins over No. 12 Kentucky and No. 14 Arizona State. The Wildcats were ranked 9th at the time of Nebraska's win, and the Sun Devils were tied for the same spot (14th) when they lost to the Huskers in Lincoln.

Nebraska's only loss of the season came on the road against SMU – now ranked 23rd in the country – but the Huskers have rattled off seven straight wins since the loss in Dallas on Sept. 3. That torrid stretch includes six wins, the two top-5 wins and an absolute battle in a five-set classic against No. 6 Creighton (then ranked No. 9) on September 10th.

With the Huskers on the verge of playing their best volleyball game of the season and earning national recognition as a result, they must now prepare for the tough Big Ten season.

The conference slate begins this weekend with home games against UCLA (6-3) on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. CT and No. 20 USC (8-2) at 6:30 p.m. CT on Sunday.

Here's a look at those two matchups at the Devaney Center, highlighted by Sunday's game with the Trojans and former Husker standout Batenhorst.

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2 NEBRASKA (10-1) vs. UCLA (6-3)

Time: 7:00 p.m. Central Time

TV Channel: Big Ten Network

Commentators: Larry Punteney (Piece by Piece) and Lauren Stivrins (Color)

Streaming: N/A

Radio: Huskers Radio Network with John Baylor and Lauren (Cook) West will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations

Listen online: Huskers.com

App audio: Official Huskers app

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2 NEBRASKA (10-1) vs. 20 USC (8-2)

Time: 6:30 p.m. Central Time

TV Channel: Big Ten Network

Commentators: Larry Punteney (Piece by Piece) and Lauren Stivrins (Color)

Streaming: N/A

Radio: Huskers Radio Network with John Baylor and Lauren (Cook) West will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations

Listen online: Huskers.com

App audio: Official Huskers app

>> Nebraska is 13-5 all-time against UCLA. The last meeting was on August 31, 2019 in Lincoln, a 3-0 win against Husker. NU has won four straight in the series since a five-set loss to the Bruins in 2009.

>> USC is 7-2 all-time against Nebraska. The last meeting was on August 31, 2008, a 3-1 Husker victory in Omaha. The teams have not played a game in Lincoln since December 14, 1985.

All stats and information courtesy of Nebraska Athletics Communications

>> Nebraska has won seven straight games, including four straight wins.

>> The Huskers are 5-0 against ranked opponents this season.

>> Nebraska has won 31 straight home games since November 26, 2022.

>> The Huskers rank eighth nationally and second in the Big Ten with a team batting average of .300.

>> NU ranks 17th nationally in kills per set (14.08).

>> Nebraska has stepped up its defense of late, holding its last three opponents to a combined .110 batting average.

>> Outside hitter Harper Murray leads the Huskers with 3.22 kills per set.

>> Opposite batsman Merritt Reason is averaging 2.84 kills per set for the Big Red. In her last five games, Beason is averaging 3.29 kills per set with a .355 hitting percentage.

>> Outside hitter Lindsay Krause adds 2.47 kills per set and has served a team-high 15 aces.

>> Middle blocker And I Jackson has a 2.62 kill average and a team-best .512 hitting percentage, which ranks third nationally.

>> Middle blocker Rebecca Allick Adds 1.83 kills per set on .369 hits with 1.43 blocks per set.

>> Setter Bergen Reilly ranks ninth nationally with an average of 11.03 assists per set. She also adds 3.05 digs per set and has nine aces.

>> Three-time All-American Lexi Rodriguez leads the Husker back line with 3.54 digs per set.

>> UCLA enters its first Big Ten Conference game with an overall score of 6-3.

>> The Bruins are among the top 25 offenses in the country with a batting average of .279.

>> Cheridyn Leverette leads UCLA with 4.07 kills per set and is hitting .325. Kiki Horne averages 3.04 kills per set.

>> Middle blocker Anna Dodson earned AVCA All-America honorable mention last year and was a three-time All-Pac 12 selection. She is averaging 2.14 kills and 1.11 blocks per set this season.

>> No. 20 USC is 8-2 overall with losses to No. 1 Pittsburgh and No. 6 Creighton.

>> The Trojans rank third nationally with 3.17 blocks per set.

>> Former Husker ally Batenhorst leads the Trojans with 3.84 kills per set.

>> Setter Mia Tuaniga was a preseason All-Big Ten selection after earning All-Pac 12 honors in 2022 and 2023. Tuaniga is averaging 10.39 assists per set and has served 18 aces.