It’s hard to believe, but we’ve arrived at the final week of non-conference play for the 2025 NCAA volleyball season. For the non-conference grand finale, we’ve got a great slate of matches coming up, featuring several in-state showdowns.

Tuesday, September 16th

#1 Nebraska vs. #18 Creighton

This will be the 22nd installment in the series between the two best teams in the state of Nebraska. While Creighton has never won any of its 21 matches against the Huskers, three of the last six matches have gone to five sets. Creighton is now operating with a new coach and without some of its key players from recent years (setter Kendra Wait and outside hitter Norah Sis chief among them), but they still have the pieces to make this a competitive match. Most important for the Bluejays will be to apply serious service pressure to the Huskers to get them out of system. Meanwhile, Nebraska will likely have their best ball control player, Olivia Mauch, in the libero jersey in place of Laney Choboy to help shore up the passing unit.

When and where: 7:30pm EST on FS1

Wednesday, September 17th

#5 Pitt vs. #13 Penn State

At long last, we get to see Olivia Babcock and Kennedy Martin take the court at the same time. That alone is enough reason to prioritize this match over any other mid-week plans you may have.

While Penn State leads the series between these two Pennsylvania schools, it’s Pitt who has won the last two matchups. Last year, Pitt stunned the eventual national champions in a sweep where they never let the Nittany Lions get to 20 points in a set. Based on Pitt’s recent victory sweep of third-ranked Kentucky, I could see this year going the same way, especially given Penn State’s shaky start to the season. While we can expect most balls to go to Kennedy Martin, both of Penn State’s starting outside hitters have struggled immensely when it comes to big blocks—and Pitt’s blocking combo of Olivia Babcock and Bre Kelley is one of the toughest in the country to get around.

When and where: 7:00pm EST on Big Ten Network

#2 Texas vs. #9 TCU

In his fourth year as the Horned Frogs’ head coach, Jason Williams has TCU on a tear. Since taking down Penn State, TCU has proven that their performance against the reigning national champions wasn’t a one-off. The Frogs have since toppled UCLA twice followed by a five-set victory over Texas A&M and a four-set win over Missouri. With five top-25 wins and the highest AVCA ranking in program history, the Horned Frogs are not to be underestimated.

Texas, meanwhile, comes into this match still undefeated, and they will not be keen on dropping their first match of the season to anyone, especially not an in-state and former conference rival. A dominant showing in this match would be another statement win for the Longhorns, but even if TCU manages to push Texas to five sets, we’ve seen that Texas knows how to respond and win.

When and where: 9:00pm EST on SEC Network

Thursday, September 18th

#3 Louisville vs. #6 Kentucky

It’s a top-10 Bluegrass showdown. Both Louisville and Kentucky have demonstrated that they have what it takes to be dominant, but it remains to be seen what version of each team will show up for this match. Kentucky pushed Nebraska to five sets and toppled SMU in four, but fell in a mostly uncompetitive sweep to Pittsburgh. Louisville, meanwhile, pushed Texas to five sets and took down Creighton, but the Cardinals have shown they’re susceptible to losing sets to teams that, as a top five team, they really should be sweeping. I’ve said this before and been wrong, but this is a match that could easily go to five sets.

When and where: 6:00pm EST on ESPNU

Sunday, September 21st

#7 Wisconsin vs. #15 Florida

Finally, let’s cap things off with the only interstate battle on this week’s list of recommended matches. Each time these two teams have faced off, the match has gone to five sets, so let’s see if this fifth meeting continues the trend.

Wisconsin is likely feeling good after taking down Georgia Tech in a clean sweep, and their hitters are getting better and better. While it was always expected that Mimi Colyer would be a top scorer for the Badgers, Grace Egan has been a revelation for this team as well. She was arguably the team’s only bright spot in their 0-3 loss to Texas, where she had 16 kills, and most recently she hit .364 with 14 kills against Georgia Tech. She also possesses the ability to be a menace from the service line, as demonstrated by the career-high five aces she scored against Milwaukee. Being able to spread the offense around between Colyer, Egan, and Una Vajagic is key to Wisconsin’s success.

Florida, meanwhile, will definitely be hungry for another top-25 win before they move into conference play. The Gators suffered a surprising 0-3 loss to North Carolina last week and then narrowly eked out a win against #20 Baylor. Florida has the pieces to be extremely competitive, but the lack of production on the right side as well as the inconsistency at the starting setter position is holding them back. What Florida does have going for them is the ability to apply serious service pressure, which will be important to help slow down Wisconsin’s offense.

When and where: 1:00pm EST on Big Ten Network