Another week of NCAA volleyball means another week of great matches, including some top-20 match ups.

Wednesday, October 8

#3 Kentucky vs. #9 Texas A&M

A mid-week top-10 match up will always be an occasion to celebrate.

The Wildcats and Aggies have played each other 26 times, with Kentucky winning 16 of those, including the last three meetings. This time around, both squads are undefeated in conference play and have only two losses apiece on the season, adding some high stakes to this match.

In terms of offense, both Kentucky and Texas A&M boast incredibly powerful hitters. Kentucky has the one-two punch of Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson on the outside, while star opposite Logan Lednicky leads the charge for the Aggies. Defensively, Kentucky has the edge in terms of floor defense, with Molly Tuozzo ranked fourth in the conference for digs per set. The blocking advantage rests firmly with Texas A&M, as Ifenna Cos-Okpalla ranks sixth nationally for blocks per set.

When and where: 7:00pm EST on SEC Network

#8 Arizona State vs. #16 Baylor

If you’re on the west coast or you’re just a night owl, check out this top-20 match up. This is only the fourth-ever meeting between these two programs, with Baylor leading the series 3-1. This year, however, Arizona State is the higher-ranked squad and Baylor the underdog.

The Sun Devils are on a hot streak, having won their past six matches. Baylor, meanwhile, has been a bit more up and down. The Bears eked out a five-set win against at-the-time #9 TCU before sweeping Houston, but fell in five sets to Kansas this past weekend. A win over a top-10 team would be a big statement for Baylor, but may be challenging given that ASU is ranked tenth in the country for opponent hitting percentage; they’ve held their opponents to a mere .151 hitting percentage against them. Part of this is due to having the top blocker in the conference in Colby Neal, whose 1.44 blocks per set has her ranked 20th nationally.

When and where: 10:00pm EST on ESPN+

Friday, October 10th

#7 Wisconsin vs. #19 Penn State

Even last year, when Penn State was one of the strongest teams in the country and went on to win the championship, the Nittany Lions couldn’t take a set during their only meeting with Wisconsin. This year, Penn State is barely holding onto a top-20 ranking and a .500 win percentage, so it’s entirely possible we’ll be seeing another sweep.

Where things get interesting is in the fact that both teams are currently relying on backup setters. While Izzy Starck’s early-season departure means that Addie Lyon is running the show all season, Charlie Fuerbringer’s recent injury means that, at least for a few matches, freshman Addy Horner will be running the show. Horner performed well when called upon against Michigan, so Wisconsin still looks to be in good hands, but the fact that they aren’t rolling with their true starting lineup may be a tiny crack for Penn State to exploit. 

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

Saturday, October 11

#22 USC vs. UCLA

This match is the first of two meetings between the Los Angeles rivals and will take place on national television. Both teams are coming off of tough weeks, having both lost to the same opponents: Indiana and Purdue. UCLA took the first two sets off of Purdue but were reverse swept, while the Boilermakers completed a neat sweep over the Women of Troy. Both teams only took one set off of the up-and-coming Indiana.

Given the rivalry between these two teams, both will be extra-incentivized to get their seasons back on track with a win. Both squads have hitters who can take over a match—for USC, London Wijay has 3 kills per set on a .251 hitting efficiency, while UCLA’s Cheridyn Leverette boasts 3.6 kills per set on a .204 hitting effiency—as well as freshmen hitters who have shown they can step up. USC’s Abigail Mullen or UCLA’s Eliana Urzua could be the difference maker for their respective teams.

When and where: 3:00pm EST on NBC

Sunday, October 12th

#1 Nebraska vs. #12 Purdue

The last two matches between these teams went to five sets, and it’s entirely possible we may see that trend continue. While Nebraska remains undefeated, Purdue is in much better shape than its off-season losses (Eva Hudson, Chloe Chicoine) would have led fans to believe. Led by Kenna Wollard, the Boilermakers are 12-2 on the season and have toppled ranked squads including SMU, Kansas, UCLA, and USC.

Still, taking down Nebraska would be quite a feat for any team, let alone a squad who has recently lost to the unranked Illinois. While Purdue is unlikely to make things easy for the Huskers (unlike, say, last week’s effort by Penn State), Nebraska hasn’t let its foot off the gas yet, and certainly won’t be keen on letting its perfect record go any time soon.

When and where: 1:00pm EST on B1G+