Five volleyball teams started Big Ten play with a perfect 2-0 weekend. Illinois, Oregon, and Wisconsin all notched early ranked wins, and there’s more to come this week.
Here Come the Illini
For the first time since 2019, Illinois has secured back-to-back ranked victories, extending its winning streak to six matches. After upsetting No. 15 Minnesota on Thursday, the Orange and Blue gave the Champaign crowd a Saturday night encore with a sweep of No. 23 USC. The teams traded runs in the first set before the Illini took three of the final four points to go up 1-0. The Trojans fought off two set points in the second and took their first lead of the match in the third, but Alyssa Aguayo (career-best 18 kills), Taylor de Boer (500+ career kills), and the Illini came through down the stretch to secure the sweep. Get more from Illinois.
Ducks’ Defense Flies High in Minneapolis
Alanah Clemente smashed her 500th career kill while No. 20 Oregon leveraged a season-high 11 blocks to earn a 3-1 road win over No. 15 Minnesota. Clemente’s milestone spike broke the tie and grabbed momentum that the Ducks rode to a first-set victory before a five-point stretch in the second spurred them to a 2-0 lead. The Gophers forced a fourth set, where Oregon’s net presence made the difference. Minnesota was down 24-21 before fighting off four match points, but an extended final rally capped off with an Oregon block locked in the upset. Read the recap here.
Fuerbringer Feeds Five Different Badgers in Top-10 Win
No. 6 Wisconsin brought out the brooms against No. 10 Purdue, handling the Boilers at Mackey Arena in decisive straight sets (25-18, 25-15, 25-21). Setter Charlie Fuerbringer steered the Badgers to a .267 hitting percentage against one of the toughest blocks in the conference and has now recorded 33+ assists in all but one match in 2026. This marks Wisconsin’s third consecutive victory over Purdue — all of which have been top-12 matchups. Read Sunday's full recap here. Up next for the Badgers? See below.
Spartans’ B1G Upset: “Every Match We Play, We Can Win”
For the first time in three seasons, Michigan State defeated a top-15 opponent, surprising No. 14 Penn State 3-1 in East Lansing. (The last time it happened? October 28, 2023, also against the Nittany Lions).
Head coach Kristen Kelsay praised the team’s “boldness” and “courage” in bouncing back from a tough loss to Washington on Friday. The Spartans held PSU to a .158 hitting percentage, and their resilience — coupled with 13-kill performances from Madi Andrews and Hayley Ogden, plus seven service aces — secured the upset. Get the story from MSU.
Thrillers Set for Thursday Night
Powerhouses Clash in State College
The teams that shared the 2024 Big Ten Championship will square off when No. 1 Nebraska and No. 14 Penn State meet at Rec Hall. The Huskers enter the match at a perfect 13-0, while 9-3 PSU hopes to put the nation on notice.
Kennedy Martin (160 kills) and the Nittany Lions will need to penetrate a Nebraska defense that has held its opponents to 17 points or less in nine of its last 13 sets and leads the league in opponent hitting percentage (.078). We’ll see what happens when four AVCA Player of the Year Watch List members (Martin, Bergen Reilly, Andi Jackson, Harper Murray) take the court on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
Playmakers’ Matchup
No. 6 Wisconsin will look to complete a top-20 state sweep against a No. 18-ranked Indiana squad riding a seven-match winning streak. We’ll see two top-15 playmakers in the country go to work in Badger Charlie Fuerbringer (11.29 assists per set) and Hoosier Teodora Krickovic (10.79 assists per set). Both setters have powerful finishers in Audrey Flanagan (WIS, 3.15 kills per set) and Jaidyn Jager (IND, 3.92 kills per set), so expect this one to come down to the defense. Tune in on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
Check out the entire weekend scoreboard and all the upcoming action on the volleyball schedule.
Photo credit: @BadgerVB via X.