Most of the the Top 25 teams have pretty soft schedules this week, but there are a few key matches that will be plenty entertaining, including the season’s first meeting between two of the most fiery rivals in the NCAA.

Wednesday, October 15

#16 Tennessee vs. Florida

It’s no secret that Florida isn’t having its best season. They recently fell out of the top-25 rankings for the first time in decades after losing to the unranked LSU in five sets. The Gators bounced back nicely last week, however, defeating #25 (now unranked) Missouri and Vanderbilt each in four sets.

Tennessee, meanwhile, is having itself a nice season—one that fans might not have expected considering the departure of standout hitter Nina Cajic from last year. Despite the match ending in a loss, the Lady Vols made a statement by pushing #2 Texas to five sets. It was their first loss in conference play and only their second on the season (the first was to Purdue).

While Florida is currently unranked, this is not a match for Tennessee to take their foot off the gas. They’ll need their top blocker, Chelsea Sutton, to shut down attacks from Florida’s Jordyn Byrd and Jaela Auguste. Florida, meanwhile, will have their eyes on Hayden Kubik, who leads the Lady Vols with just shy of four kills per set.

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

Thursday, October 16

#12 Purdue vs. #22 Indiana

This is the 116th meeting between these two teams, which has to be close to being a record for the number of matches in any given series. Indiana has only 36 wins to Purdue’s 79 in the series as well as only one win in the past ten meetings, but it’s entirely possible this match could add a tally in favor of the Hoosiers, who have only lost two matches so far on the season.

Indiana has three hitters who, depending on the match, are capable of putting on a show. Seniors Candela Alonso-Corcelles and Avry Tatum along with freshman standout Jaidyn Jager are all averaging 3.4 or more kills per set, and the lowest efficiency among them is Jager’s, who still is boasting a respectable .230. The efficiency of the team is in no small part thanks to another standout freshman, setter Teodora Kričković. Kričković is second in the conference and ninth in the country for assists per set with 10.76. 

Purdue isn’t lacking for strong hitters itself. Junior outside Kenna Wollard is third in the conference and eleventh in the country for kills per set with 4.75, while sophomore opposite Grace Heaney complements her nicely by contributing nearly three kills a set of her own. After going down in straight sets to top-ranked Nebraska, Purdue will likely be hungry for a ranked win, but Indiana is unlikely to make it easy for them since they just suffered their own straight-sets loss to Michigan State.

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

Friday, October 17

#4 Louisville vs. #8 SMU

This is the first of two top-ten match ups for Louisville this week—I’m not sure who scheduled them this way, but they may want to avoid having their Cardinals face two of the best teams in the conference within three days next season. That said, Louisville is currently sitting atop the rankings as far as ACC teams are concerned, so at least on paper, they should win these matches.

For blocks per set, Louisville is unsurprisingly leading the conference and places sixth in the country with 2.96. Middle blockers Cara Cresse and Hannah Sherman will need to keep up the pressure when they face off against SMU’s incredibly strong hitters. It will also help the Cardinals if freshman opposite Kalyssa Blackshear continues her streak of strong performances.

For SMU, Malaya Jones and Jadyn Livings have been exceptional. Both have over 3.6 kills per set and are hitting above a .270 efficiency. Favor Anyanwu, meanwhile, leads the ACC in total blocks, with 93 to her name so far. Beating Louisville would be a major win for SMU that could propel them into their highest-ever ranking, whereas beating SMU would help Louisville’s case for topping the ACC this year.

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

Sunday, October 19

#4 Louisville vs. #6 Pitt

If battling the #8 team in the country wasn’t enough for Louisville, they’ve now got the #6 team in the country to contend with—and of course, it’s their biggest rival. Any time Louisville and Pitt two teams are facing off against one another, it’s worth clearing your calendar and having plenty of popcorn ready, because this is a high-intensity rivalry that always delivers.

Last year, Pitt bested Louisville twice in the regular season before falling to the Cardinals in the national semifinals. For the Pitt players who have returned, that loss probably still stings. Not only that, but Pitt is coming off of a narrow loss against Miami, so they will be eager to right the ship with a win against a ranked team, and who better to beat than the #4 team in the country?

Louisville can also be expected to bring the fire, though the outcome of their match two days prior against SMU may impact the shape they show up in. The Cardinals are always strong on the block, which will be important if they want to shut down Olivia Babcock. But Pitt is no slouch on the block either, and Babcock, Bre Kelley, and Ryla Jones are all familiar with the typically deadly Cara Cresse slide.

Regardless of who wins, the best-case scenario is a five-set thriller with no shortage of drama.

When and where: 1:00pm EST on ESPN