At NCAA volleyball regionals, the Wisconsin-Nebraska rivalry could etch a new chapter

When Big Ten heavyweights Nebraska and Wisconsin collided with the national championship in women’s volleyball at stake in 2021, the match lived up to its considerable billing.

The Badgers won in five sets and celebrated their first title, denying the Huskers a sixth. A larger crowd (18,755) attended than had seen any NCAA volleyball match in history.

That December day in Columbus, Ohio, served as a catalyst for growth in the sport. And while Texas walked away with championships to end each of the past two seasons, the two programs involved three years ago in that championship match continue to lead the way in generating excitement and interest.

“Not only has the rise of Nebraska and Wisconsin and the rivalry fueled each other,” said Emily Ehman, a TV commentator for the Big Ten Network, ESPN and Fox, and a former Northwestern libero, “but I think it’s sparked massive interest in the sport from people who otherwise were not paying attention.”

Since 2017, Nebraska and Wisconsin have appeared three times apiece in the national championship match. A Final Four appearance this year would mark the Huskers’ 18th since 1986 and seventh since 2015. For Wisconsin, a trip to Louisville next week would be its seventh Final Four and fifth since 2019.

But they can’t both go.

On a collision course again this year as the tournament reaches its round of 16 Thursday and Friday, Nebraska and Wisconsin could meet Sunday in the inaugural regional final televised by ABC — another outcome of rising energy in arenas and gyms nationally around college volleyball.

The Badgers, seeded seventh in the NCAA Tournament, travel to Lincoln, Neb., to face Texas A&M in the regional semifinal round Friday. The winner will meet No. 2-seeded Nebraska or Dayton at 3 p.m. ET Sunday with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

The Nebraska-Wisconsin rivalry has grown into perhaps the best in volleyball.

“This is clearly not just any other game to these players and the fans,” Ehman said. “It’s a lot deeper than that.”

The Huskers (31-2) and Badgers (25-6) have met twice this season, both three-set victories for Nebraska. The results, though, are not indicative of recent history in the series.

“When I saw Nebraska and Wisconsin in the same quadrant, I was like, ‘You know, it could be interesting,’” said Holly McPeak, the former UCLA setter, Olympic beach player and ESPN commentator who will call the Lincoln regional with Courtney Lyle, Katie George and Madison Fitzpatrick. “It’s hard to beat a good team three times.

“Nebraska has been pretty dominant in their wins so far. But can Wisconsin make some adjustments and play at a better level? I think they can. But I don’t know if they can beat Nebraska. That’s a big ask.”

Wisconsin beat Nebraska in 10 consecutive meetings from 2017 through last season. The streak included that national championship win for the Badgers.

When Nebraska got over the hump in October 2023 in Lincoln, it was a match reminiscent of the 2021 classic. The rivals entered unbeaten and atop the rankings. Nebraska won in five sets to set off a court storming.

“I had never seen a match get hyped up the way that did,” Ehman said. “And it lived up to the hype. It was another one where, if people weren’t paying attention and tuned into that, you would say, ‘Hey, this sport is really exciting.’”

Ehman was on the BTN call for each of the four Nebraska-Wisconsin matches over the past two seasons. The 2023 match in Lincoln raised the bar on the rivalry, she said.

It created another boost for volleyball in drawing an average of 612,000 viewers, then the most ever to watch a regular-season match on BTN. Volleyball outdrew the Nebraska-Northwestern football game on the same day and same network.

Nebraska and Louisville shattered that BTN record this year with 684,000 viewers. The Huskers over the past two seasons have participated in matches that set viewership records for regular-season volleyball on ABC, NBC, ESPN and BTN.

“It’s amazing what Nebraska does,” McPeak said. “Wherever Nebraska goes, they sell out gyms. It’s not just in Nebraska. It’s a national thing. People talk about Nebraska volleyball.”

Why has Nebraska had the edge on Wisconsin this year?

The Huskers returned their entire starting lineup from a year ago, including three sophomores and two seniors named to the 2024 All-Big Ten first team. Wisconsin, with two first-team honorees — including Big Ten player of the year Sarah Franklin — replaced its setting duo from last season with a freshman, Charlie Fuerbringer.

The Badgers on offense feature diverse attacking options that require Fuerbringer to vary her sets.

“It took her really up until the last month to get comfortable setting in that system,” Ehman said. “I think Fuerbringer has the hardest job in college volleyball right now.”

Since Sept. 28, Wisconsin has lost just twice in 21 matches, both against Nebraska. The Badgers handled Fairfield and Georgia Tech last week in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

If Wisconsin gets past Texas A&M and Nebraska beats Dayton, keep an eye on Sunday for fireworks.

Elsewhere in the regionals:

• Play at Pittsburgh and Louisville begins Thursday. If the seeds hold and Stanford (27-4) meets Louisville (27-5) on Saturday in the final, it would mark a third meeting between the ACC foes. They split in the regular season, with Stanford winning at home on Nov. 30 in a match that some observers felt should have earned the Cardinal a No. 1 regional seed. It went to the Cardinals, who can play at home through the entire tournament if they win this weekend.

• Pittsburgh (31-1) is a heavy favorite to win at home this week and the choice of Ehman to take the big prize on Dec. 22. The Panthers feature sophomore opposite Olivia Babcock, a favorite for national player of the year.

“Pitt is, to me, leaps and bounds better than every other team,” Ehman said. “That’s not to say they can’t lose. But I think when they’re playing their best, there isn’t a team that can touch them.”

• At Penn State, the most intriguing of the regional semifinal matches features Creighton (31-2) against lower-seeded Texas (20-6) at 1 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN2. The Longhorns swept Nebraska in the championship match a year ago and loom as a threat to any foe.

Texas senior outside hitter Madisen Skinner won a national championship at Kentucky as a freshman in the 2020 season, then helped lead the Longhorns to the past two titles. She was named the most outstanding player at the Final Four in 2023.

• The Nittany Lions (31-2) face Marquette on Friday and could await the Texas-Creighton winner. Penn State coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley battled breast cancer this year while leading her team to a share of the Big Ten title with Nebraska.

“That’s the best story in college sports right now,” Ehman said. “The fact that Katie shows up every day with a smile on her face and is there for those girls, I just think, is incredible.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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