Part 1 of our Big Ten volleyball preview too a look at the teams that fell in the bottom half of the Big Ten standings in 2025. You can read that preview here.
Part 2 of our Big Ten volleyball preview looks at the top half of the conference – and what a top half it is! All of these teams saw postseason play in the NCAA tournament, and a few of them are perennially the best in the nation. Without further ado, let’s dive into it!
Michigan 22-11 (11-9 Big-10/9th)
Head coach Erin Virtue has been steadily
improving the Wolverines in her three seasons leading the program. Last season’s highlights included wins over UCLA, Penn State, and Minnesota. While they lost against Purdue, they did take the Boilermakers to five sets. The Wolverines saw postseason action, upsetting #8 seed Xavier in the first round of the NCAA tournament before losing to Final Four participant Pitt.
Seniors Allison Jacobs and Serena Nyambio were responsible for much of Michigan’s offense last season. They move on, and it will be up to others to make up for the kills that those two produced.
Fortunately, there are promising younger players stepping up, such as Ella Demetrician and Jenna Hanes, that were important contributors to last season’s team. Hanes was also the #2 blocker behind Nyambio.
Gr. libero Maddi Cuchran moves on. She was far and away the defensive leader of the team, with no one coming close to her 408 digs and 3.37 digs/set. It is not clear at this time who will be the starting libero this season, and will be a position to keep and eye on.
Offensive continuity will be helped by the return of Sr. setter Morgan Burke. Michigan has added some height to their MB and OPP ranks, and we should be keeping an eye on 6-4 Fr. OPP Kapri Garnett, 6-3 R-Fr. MB Ece Senyapici, and 6-2 Fr. MB Jaden Jones.
If the Wolverines can steer clear of defensive stumbles and lock into rotations early in the season, there is no reason why they can’t return to the NCAA tournament in 2026.
UCLA 19-13 (12-8 Big-10/T6th)
In 2025, head coach Alfee Reft was in his third season with the Bruins. He led the team to the best season under his tenure, and they reached the NCAA tournament, falling in the second round to national runner-up Kentucky. At the conclusion of the season, Reft stepped down to pursue professional opportunities outside of collegiate volleyball.
UCLA announced Matt Werle as their next head coach. Werle was an Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator at Kansas under Matt Ulmer. Before coaching at Kansas, Werle spent 13 seasons coaching Grand Canyon’s men’s volleyball team.
UCLA’s big kills leader in 2025 was Sr. 6-0 OH Cheridyn Leverette. The Bruins spread the ball around to four other primary hitters that knocked down 165 or more kills on the season. The top three – 6-5 Gr. MB Marianna Singletary, 6-2 So. OH Eliana Urzua, and 6-3 Sr. OH Maggie Li – all return in 2026 to play for their new coach.
UCLA returns their veteran setter, 6-0 Jr. Kate Duffey. They also return libero Lola Schumacher, who led the team with 4.38 digs/set.
In spite of having a new coach, all the veteran pieces are still in place for the 2026 season. Barring unforeseen circumstances, UCLA should not be experiencing a dropoff this year.
Penn State 19-13 (12-8 Big-10/T6th)
After winning the national championship in 2024, Penn State’s plunge in Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s fourth season was nothing short of stunning. There were two main factors that contributed to last season’s decline. First, the 2024 team was heavy on the upperclassmen side, and there was going to be a rebuilding of sorts. The wheels fell off, however, when star setter Izzy Starck stepped away from the program after four matches for mental health reasons, and transferred in the offseason to Pitt.
With the Lions facing a challenging schedule coupled with an inexperienced lineup and the loss of their offensive leader, it was probably inevitable that PSU struggled to win matches and only reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.
PSU returns most of their offensive firepower, including their outstanding RS hitter, 6-6 Sr. Kennedy Martin. Martin hit a blistering 5.42 kills/set in ‘25 and was selected as an AVCA Division I Player of the Year Semifinalist.
Libero Gillian Grimes was a senior last season, and it will fall upon Jr. Ava Falduto to be the defensive lynchpin this year. Gr. Addie Lyon was the setter last year and also moves on.
While the loss of veteran players might be cause for alarm, PSU did recruit the #2 class in the nation for 2026, included freshmen OH Haley Burgdorf and setter Danielle Whitmire, and both should see plenty of playing time.
From the transfer portal, coach Schumacher-Cawley picked up Gr. 6-2 OH Whitney Lauenstein from Texas, and star Florida setter R-Sr. Alexis Stucky. The Nittany Lions appear poised for a rise back to the top of the Big Ten and national stage.
#15 Minnesota 24-10 (12-8 Big-10/T6th)
Head coach Keegan Cook has been steadily improving his Gophers teams, and his third season in 2025 was no exception. Minnesota lost their first match to eventual champion Texas A&M, but cleaned up on the rest of the non-conference slate. Conference play was good enough to get his third consecutive NCAA bid, where the Gophers reached the semifinals before losing to Final Four participant Pittsburgh.
Star OH Julia Hanson dominated at the net, leading the team with 470 kills and 4.09 kills/set. Four other players scored 132 or more kills on the season, such as 6-2 Fr. OH Kelly Kinney. 6-5 Fr. MB Jordan Taylor was diabolical on defense, leading the team with 1.23 blocks/set. Fr. libero McKenna Garr led the team in digs with 3.35/set. R-Fr. setter Stella Swanson was outstanding with 9.77 assists/set.
I’m certain that you have noticed an obvious pattern in what I just relayed: championship leadership and performance by a group of freshmen. There are four seniors that are not back in ‘26, but in reality Hanson is the only significant departure.
All this continuity means that Minnesota only felt the need to add one player from the portal: 6-3 Sr. MB Lucie Blažková from Washington State. Blažková had an outstanding junior season at WSU, and was an All-WCC First Team honoree.
The Gophers have a well-rounded class of freshmen coming in, with 6-3 OH Makenna Crosson, 5-6 Libero/DS Madi Kraft, and 6-3 MB Elena Hoecke. This is an interesting group, and Minnesota has shown that they’ll use youngsters that can play at a B1G level.
#13 Indiana 25-8 (14-6 Big-10 5th)
Head coach Steve Aird has been leading the Hoosiers since 2018, and has never led them to postseason play – until last season. 2025 featured the best Big Ten record under Aird, with big wins over ranked opponents such as USC, UCLA, and Penn State. They had a deep run in the tournament, with wins over Toledo and Colorado before falling in the semifinals to Texas.
Indiana’s firepower in part came from a pair of seniors in Candela Alonso-Corcelles and Avry Tatum, but 6-1 Fr. OH Jaidyn Jager was #2 in kills as well as kills/set and total digs. Freshman setter Teodora Krickovic also was outstanding as the starter all season.
To help at the net, Indiana picked up 6-3 5th year MB Kiki Granberry from Tennessee. Granberry suffered a very early season-ending injury in her senior season, but was outstanding in her junior year, earning an AVCA South All-Region Team selection. Hopefully she is fully healed and ready to go, as the Hoosiers can use what she has to offer.
Also coming in from the transfer portal is 6-0 Jr. OH Izzy Clark. Clark has an excellent upside in a position of need for Indiana.
Otherwise, the Hoosiers are set in other positions. Their defensive specialists were spread out such that no one was really a clear leader in digs, but most are coming back. Three freshmen were the service aces leaders, so the serve game should be in good shape. Indiana has finally had a taste of the postseason, and they may be primed for a return trip this season.
#17 USC 25-7 (15-5 Big-10/T-3rd)
Brad Keller’s sixth season leading the Trojans resulted in their best overall total wins since 2017. USC made their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. They hosted the first round, where they won their first match against Princeton. The next night, USC dropped the first two sets of their match against Cal Poly; and while they evened it up in set four, they could not get the reverse sweep and their season ended.
The Trojans had six players that scored 147 or more kills on the season, with only one – MB Rylie McGinest – being a senior. The other five return in ‘26, led by 5-10 R-Jr. OH London Wijay, who put down 400 kills at 3.48 kills/set.
USC loses their freshman setter, Reese Messer, who was a first-team All-Big Ten selection. In fact, they lose both their setters, and have a pair of freshmen on board. The Trojans also brought in a veteran setter from Boise St., Lili Etter.
So. libero Taylor Deckert had a very good season leading the defense, with 361 digs and 3.25 digs/set. Their blocks leader was 6-4 R-Jr. MB Leah Ford. Both return this season.
USC returns nearly all of their key players with the exception of Messer. With the wholesale replacement of all the setters from last season, 2026’s success will likely come down to who can come in and replace some very large shoes left by Reese Messer.
#8 Purdue 27-7 (15-5 Big-10/T-3rd)
Dave Shondell has only failed to lead the Boilermakers to the NCAA tournament three times in his 23 seasons at Purdue. Last season, they reached the NCAA tournament for the 11th time in a row. Purdue was a three seed in the ‘25 tournament, and reached the Elite Eight before being knocked out by Pitt.
Purdue had six players that hit 107+ kills. Four of them come back, led by 6-1 Sr. OH Kenna Wollard, who led ‘25 with 577 kills and 4.41 kills/set. Setter Taylor Anderson was excellent with 10.84 assists/set, and returns for her senior season. So. libero Ryan McAleer was also very good, with 3.63 digs/set.
As is to be expected of a Boilermakers team, the 2026 squad does not have any glaring weaknesses. Regardless, they weren’t about to pass on the addition of 6-3 Gr. MB Kate Hansen, a portal entrant from Clemson. She started all games in ‘25, and her .335% kill average led the team.
Shondell teams always see postseason play, and the 2026 Boilermakers appear to be primed and ready for another deep NCAA run.
#5 Wisconsin 28-5 (17-3 Big10/2nd)
2026 will be head coach Kelly Sheffield’s 14th season leading the Badgers. Sheffield teams routinely make deep runs in the NCAA tournament, and last year was no exception, as Wisconsin was the only Big Ten team to reach the Final Four. They were edged out in five sets against runner-up Kentucky.
The Badgers’ attack was largely the product of a handful of veterans, led by Sr. Mimi Colyer. Five players hit 164+ kills, and only 6-1 R-Jr. OH Grace Egan returns. So. setter Charlie Fuerbringer split sets fairly evenly with Fr. Addy Horner, but racked up assists at over a 2:1 ratio over Horner. Fr. libero Kristen Simon was the digs leader with 3.47 digs/set.
Wisconsin had the double whammy of losing key veterans while at the same time losing freshmen that were sparingly played, or perhaps not played as much as they might have wished. Of the five true freshmen from ‘25, only Simon and 6-4 MB Natalie Wadlow return.
2026 has no seniors or graduates on the team. Shondell has nine oncoming freshmen. There are intriguing pieces coming in, starting with the #2 recruiting class in the nation:
- Audrey Flanagan: 6’3″ outside hitter from Redondo Beach, California (Mira Costa HS), ranked among the elite national prospects.
- Halle Thompson: 6’0″ outside hitter from Spring, Texas (Spring HS), highly touted as a top-five national recruit [0.15].
- Decelise Champion: 6’6” outside hitter; Champion is a Puerto Rican national team standout and high-profile international recruit who reclassified to join the active roster.
- Lynney Tarnow: 6’5″ middle blocker from Downers Grove, Illinois (Benet Academy).
- Kymora Scott: 6’2″ middle blocker/right-side hitter from Flossmoor, Illinois.
- Isabelle Hoppe: Setter from Gibsonia, Pennsylvania (Pine-Richland HS), rated as a premier playmaker in the class.
- Jane Manecke: Middle blocker from La Grange, Illinois (Nazareth Academy), who committed in the spring.
Wisconsin brought in 6-2 R-Jr. MB Jaela Auguste from Florida. Auguste started in all matches in ‘25, had a team-best .344 hitting percentage and was second in blocks with 106. The 2025 All-SEC First Team honoree brings much-needed veteran leadership and performance to this young team.
Also transferring in from UC Santa Barbara is 5-11 R-Jr OH Eva Travis. Travis is skilled and also brings veteran leadership needed for this young team.
2026 is very much a rebuilding year for the Wisconsin Badgers. This will be an interesting team to follow this year – in no small part because a Sheffield rebuilding year is just a question of if they can punch their way in the top three of the conference, and how deep their NCAA tournament run is.
#3 Nebraska 33-1 (22-0 Big-10/1st)
First-year head coach Dani Busboom Kelly had as good a first season as one could hope for, and certainly put the kind of Huskers team on the court that Nebraska expects. They returned the vast majority of their 2024 team and were #1 and undefeated going into the NCAA tournament. They didn’t just win, they dominated – Nebraska swept an incredible 28 of their 34 matches.
The Huskers finally suffered their only loss of the season against champion Texas A&M; a match where Nebraska was down the first two sets and had to battle back. They took set three and survived a marathon set four by the score of 37-35 (!). The Huskers played close in the final set, but lost a heartbreaker 13-15.
Nebraska has a very even attack, rather than one or two players dominating in kills numbers. What that means is your setter is distributing based on the opponent’s defensive weakness, and the opponent is often not certain where the attack is coming from. The Huskers had five players with kills of 194+ on the season, but more impressively they all had a kills/set average of 2.04 and up. Juniors Harper Murray and Andi Jackson were the kills leaders in ‘25.
Junior setter Bergen Reiley was the offensive quarterback, and averaged 10.47 assists/set. She was also an important defensive piece with the second-highest number of digs and digs/set on the team. Junior libers Laney Choboy led the team in digs. It’s worth noting that as with kills, defensive big numbers are distributed more evenly among five players than you will find on virtually any other team. This means that Nebraska does not have glaring defensive weaknesses. They are a complete team.
Andi Jackson and senior Rebekah Allick were the blocks leaders last year. 6-3 Fr. Manaia Ogbechie was played sparingly last season, but when she was in the game she was effective with the third-highest blocks/set average on the team.
Incredible as it sounds, last year’s team was heavy on the youngsters. Half the team was true freshmen. A few had valuable contributions, and three of them used a redshirt last season. The 2026 team has five upperclassmen, and all of those freshmen come back as either sophomores or redshirt freshmen.
Nebraska signed the #3 recruiting class in 2026 with a trio of highly-touted national prospects:
6-1 OH Gabby DiVita is a No. 19 overall prospect by PrepDig and No. 20 by PrepVolleyball.
6-3 OH Jayden Robinson is a No. 10 overall prospect by PrepVolleyball and No. 12 by PrepDig.
Nebraska’s talent and outstanding roster management means that they are probably the preseason #1 and will again be very difficult to beat. This is arguably the most well-rounded team in collegiate women’s volleyball.
Nebraska will continue to be the top team in the conference until proven otherwise, and I don’t think there’s a team in the conference that can knock them off the #1 spot. Beneath them, we probably see some movement. Wisconsin is likely as not strong as they have been the past few seasons, but will that matter? Purdue will again be battling at the top. These are still the top three teams to beat.
The teams that are battling after the B1G Three are where we will see some interesting shifts. Can Penn State push back against a disappointing 2025? Will there be dropoff at Southern California? Minnesota also looks solid and should stay in this second tier group.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, I don’t think there’s any seismic shifts in the conference. It’s after that where things get interesting. Teams that I’m watching closely to see if they can improve and see postseason play are Michigan State and Oregon. The fact of the matter is, however, that in as good a conference as the Big Ten is, it’s a tough slog for everyone and there’s sure to be a few surprise teams – one way or the other – in 2026.
An added wrinkle this season is that the Big Ten launches their inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament. While I don’t think it affects the top four teams in the conference all that much, it does allow for teams that are mucking about in three-and-four-way ties to distinguish themselves ahead of the NCAA tournament. I think the Big Ten Tournament is going to be a must-see event for any volleyball fan.
