Welcome to What to Watch, a series where I’ll be highlighting a handful of upcoming NCAA DI women’s volleyball matches based on what I believe is most worth tuning into.

Each week will start on Monday and end on the following Sunday, except for the first week due to the abundance of Labor Day tournaments. As a result, most What to Watch guides will come out on Mondays or Tuesdays.

What I deem as worth watching is, of course, subjective, but I’m primarily basing it on matches that I expect to be exciting for one reason or another. Factors like rankings, rivalries, and player personnel will all play into which matches make the list. To be clear, matches that don’t make the list aren’t those that I consider not worth watching (and it’s likely I’ll be watching far more matches than I list each week); I’m mainly trying to put together the kind of lineup I would give to someone who has limited time to watch volleyball each week.

With all that out of the way, here are the matches that I recommend checking out this weekend.

Friday, August 29th

#8 Wisconsin vs. #14 Kansas

In the penultimate match of the AVCA First Serve event, Kansas gave reigning champs Penn State just about everything they could handle. While the Jayhawks came up short in five sets, they have the week to prepare for what will be our first look at Wisconsin this season. Having lost star outside Sarah Franklin, we can expect Wisconsin to run most of the offense through Oregon transfer Mimi Colyer and potentially freshman Madison Quest. If Kansas’ performance versus Penn State is any indication, getting around the big block of 6’7” Jovana Zelenovic should be a big focus for whichever outside hitter matches up with her.

When and where: 7pm EST on Big Ten Network

#5 Texas vs #12 Creighton

Fittingly, Texas’ first match of the season is a rematch of their last match of last season, when the back-to-back national champions lost in four sets to Creighton. Both teams are now without their top points scorers from last year, with Texas having said goodbye to Madisen Skinner and Creighton to Norah Sis. Pitt transfer Torrey Stafford is almost certainly the go-to replacement for Skinner, while Ava Martin of Creighton barely trailed Sis in terms of overall kills and seems comfortable taking the majority of the team’s swings. Both teams are known for being tough from the service line, so success may come down to whichever team can stay in system. 

When and where: 9:30PM EST on Big Ten Network

Sunday, August 31

#1 Nebraska vs. #7 Kentucky

These two teams always make for a fun match-up, and considering the strength of both lineups, this match should be no exception. Top-ranked Nebraska has already notched two statement wins over #3 Pitt and #6 Stanford, but Kentucky has some serious firepower on its roster that could pose a challenge to the Huskers. Notably, reigning SEC Player of the Year Brooklyn DeLeye is an impressive athlete who puts up big numbers at the net and from the service line. This year, she’s joined by Purdue transfer Eva Hudson, who led the Big Ten in kills last season. No matter which outside hitter is in the front row for the Wildcats, we can expect big swings. Where Kentucky may struggle is in trying to put the ball down against Nebraska’s stifling defense, led by libero Laney Choboy. Either way, this is a must-see match, and it’s on national television to boot.

When and where: 12PM EST on ABC

Monday, September 1

#3 Pitt vs #13 Arizona State

Looking to avoid your family at Labor Day festivities or simply need something to do on your day off? Tune into the Panthers vs. the Sun Devils for a top 15 match-up. We’ve already seen what Pitt looks like this season, but Arizona State is going to be a team to watch thanks to some promising transfers. Keep your eye on senior outside hitter Tatum Parrott, who transferred from Grand Canyon after setting the team’s kill record with 1,233 and was ranked 17th in the country for points per set. Additionally, Oregon transfer Noemie Glover will likely start on the right side, and she’s got an impressive arm. For Pitt, let’s hope that their offense has figured out how to provide some relief for reigning National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock, who has already taken 126 swings in just two matches so far.

When and where: 7:30PM on FS1