How to Watch No. 1 Nebraska Volleyball in NCAA Sweet 16, Elite Eight with Previews, Breakdowns, TV Channel

It may have been a sloppy win for the No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team, but it doesn't matter when you're competing in the NCAA Tournament. As the term was coined back in NC State's improbable run in 1983, it's all about surviving and advancing.

Despite recording one of its worst hitting percentages of the season (.253), the Huskers came away with sweep No. 27 on the season and won its 28th consecutive home NCAA Tournament match, which is a school record. Likely first team All-Americans Andi Jackson and Harper Murray each posted a match-high 10 kills while Taylor Landfair (8 kills), Virginia Adriano (7), and Rebekah Allick (6) each tallied at least half a dozen kills.

Advancing to their 14th straight NCAA Regional, the Huskers return to John Cook Arena to face an old Big 12 foe, while an emotional reunion could be awaiting NU in the regional finals. Here's all you need to know for this weekend's NCAA Tournament action in Lincoln.

Sweet 16

How to Follow Along

Matchup: No. 1 Nebraska (32-0, 20-0 B1G) vs. No. 16 Kansas (24-10, 13-5 Big 12).
When: Friday, Dec. 12.
Where: John Cook Arena at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 30 minutes after No. 9 Louisville vs. No. 6 Texas A&M, which begins at 6 p.m. CST.
Watch: ESPN2.
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates.

No. 16 Kansas Scout

Head Coach

Matt Ulmer | 1st season at Kansas; 10th as HC.
24-10 (.706) at KU; 190-87 (.686) Career Record.
8x NCAA Tournament Apps., 3x Elite Eights, 2x Sweet 16s, 2013 beach volleyball national championship.
Previous head coach at Oregon.
Previous assistant at Oregon, Long Beach State & Carthage College.

2025 Record & Awards

24-10 (13-5 Big 12, 2nd)
All-Big 12: 2x First Team, 4x Second Team, 2x All-Freshman.

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 88-0-1.
Dec. 2, 2022, NCAA Second Round last matchup, 3-1 KU.

NCAA Tournament History

Appearances: 14, fifth consecutive.
All-Time Tournament Record: 25-26.
Best Finish: NCAA National Semifinal in 2015.

Kansas sophomore Reese Ptacek (10) was one of two All-Big 12 First Team picks for her 2025 campaign. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Key Returners

Reese Ptacek | MB | Soph. | Was the 2024 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and followed up with 426 points on a .317 hitting percentage while leading the team with 136 blocks; also named to the All-Big 12 First Team.
Rhian Swanson | OH | Sr. | All-Big 12 Second Team pick after leading the Jayhawks with 3.09 kills per set and 346 kills total.
Grace Nelson | OH | Soph. | Another All-Big 12 Second Team selection with 326.5 points made up of 284 kills, 36 blocks, and 23 aces.
Katie Dalton | S/OH | Sr. | Did not see action last season, but beat out Oregon transfer Cristin Cline to the starting setter spot in the latter stages of the season and has averaged 8.84 assists per set.

Key Departures

Ayah Elnady | OH | Transfer | Egyptian who spent her first four seasons at KU before transferring to Northwestern; was an All-Big 12 First Team pick in 2024.
Caroline Bien | OH/L | Graduated | Two-time All-Big 12 performer who starred for KU with 2.56 kills and 3.11 digs per set in her final collegiate season.
Toyosi Onabanjo | MB | Graduated | First round pick of the Omaha Supernovas of MLV after an AVCA Honorable Mention campaign in 2024 by hitting .409 with 329 points.
London Davis | OPP | Graduated | Back-to-back All-Big 12 Second Team selections to end her college career in 2023 and 2024.
Camryn Turner | S | Graduated | AVCA Third Team All-American in 2024 after leading the Big 12 with 11.29 assists per set.

Former Kansas setter Camryn Turner (22) was a third team All-American in 2024 after leading the Big 12 in assists per set. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Jovana Zelenovic | OPP | Fr. | 6-foot-7 Serbian freshman that was named to the All-Big 12 First Team after recording 479.5 points and 46 aces, which both led KU and posted 123 blocks (2nd).
Selena Leban | OH | Fr. | Serbian native and reserve attacker that averaged 2.25 kills per set in 64 sets.
Aurora Papc | MB | Fr. | Croatian national that struggles offensively, but is one of three KU players with triple-digit blocks with 107.0.
Cristin Cline | S | Soph. | Heralded recruit that followed Ulmer from Oregon, and started for the first portion of 2025 before Dalton created separation as the season went on.
Ryan White | L/DS | Sr. | Oregon State transfer who was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team after averaging 3.97 digs per set as the starting libero for KU.

Outlook

Kansas was at the center of one of the biggest coaching moves in the college volleyball offseason as legendary head coach Ray Bechard announced his retirement after 27 seasons in Lawrence. It led the way for KU to grab one of the sport's rising stars in Matt Ulmer, who left Oregon after nine seasons.

Ulmer's rebuild was extensive, but certainly not compared to what was left behind in Eugene. The Jayhawks were hit hard as AVCA All-American middle blocker Toyosi Onabanjo (Honorable Mention) and setter Camryn Turner (third team) each turned pro after the season. Plus, two-time All-Big 12 performers Carolien Bien (OH/L) and London Davis (OPP) each graduated. Ulmer was also unable to hold onto leading point scorer and outside hitter Ayah Elnady, who transferred to Northwestern after playing her previous four seasons under Bechard.

Kansas senior Katie Dalton surpassed Oregon transfer Cristin Cline to be KU's starting setter in the back half of 2025. | Kansas Athletics

But just like he showed at Kansas, Ulmer showcased his skill at player development, turning returning outside hitters Rhian Swanson and Grace Nelson into All-Big 12 Second Team picks. Middle blocker Reese Ptacek was the biggest holdover from Bechard's last team as the 2024 Big 12 Freshman of the Year improved into an All-Big 12 First Team pick after ranking second on the team in points with 426 while hitting .317 and collecting a team-high 136 blocks.

Serbian national team member and freshman Jovana Zelenovic has been the most impactful addition, totaling a team-leading 479.5 points and 46 aces. Ulmer grabbed former Oregon State libero Ryan White in the portal for her last college season, and she made the All-Big 12 Second Team after producing 3.97 digs per set. A heralded recruit, Ulmer brought to Oregon, setter Cristin Cline followed him to Lawrence, but returning senior Katie Dalton — who didn't see action in 2024 — eventually surpassed Cline on the depth chart and has averaged 8.84 assists per set as the team's starter in the back half of the season.

Aside from Dani Busboom Kelly's move to Nebraska, there's an argument to be made that Kansas made the best coaching hire over the offseason, and it has already paid dividends with the school's fourth Sweet 16 appearance. The Jayhawks will want to follow the recipe shown by Kansas State against the Huskers, as KU will need to serve tough and make an impact at the net. Reese Ptacek will need to have a career night to push NU, but that might not even be enough. Give me Nebraska in this one, but Kansas will be a team to watch in future seasons as they were arguably the biggest beneficiary of Texas leaving for the SEC.

Elite Eight

How to Follow Along

Matchup: No. 1 Nebraska/No. 16 Kansas winner vs. No. 6 Louisville/No. 9 Texas A&M winner.
When: Sunday, Dec. 14
Where: John Cook Arena at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln Neb.
Time: TBA
Watch: TBA
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

No. 6 Louisville Scout

Head Coach

Dan Meske | 1st season at Louisville & as Division I HC.
26-6 (.812) at Louisville & Division I Career Record.
1x NCAA Tournament Apps.
AVCA National Assistant Coach OTY (2022).
Previous head coach at Augustana (Division II).
Previous assistant at Louisville and Nebraska.

2025 Record & Awards

26-6 (16-4 ACC, T-4th).
ACC Freshman of the Year.
All-ACC: 3x First Team, 2x Second Team, 1x All-Freshman.

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 6-1.
Sept. 22, 2024, last matchup, 3-0 NU.

NCAA Tournament History

Appearances: 34th, 9th consecutive.
All-Time Tournament Record: 40-33.
Best Finish: NCAA National Runner-Up (2024, 2022).

All-American Purdue transfer Chloe Chicoine (7) has shined in her first season at Louisville, leading the Cardinals in points. | Chris Carter-Imagn Images

Projected Lineup

Chloe Chicoine | OH | Jr. | All-American transfer from Purdue who leads the Cardinals with 419 points and 3.25 kills per set.
Payton Petersen | OH | Soph. | Part-time starter in 2024 that's now turned into a 400-point attacker for Louisville as a sophomore.
Kalyssa Blackshear | OPP | Fr. | 2025 ACC Freshman of the Year, who's racked up 388 points and is one of three players with more than 100 blocks with 120 total.
Cara Cresse | MB | R-Sr. | All-American who's one of the premier blockers in the country with 171 total and 1.45 per set while adding nearly 300 kills for 401.5 points.
Hannah Sherman | MB | R-Jr. | 6-foot-3 middle blocker that creates a fearsome duo with Cresse, and sits just three blocks behind her teammate with 168.
Nayelis Cabello | S | Soph. | 2024 ACC Freshman of the Year that's averaged 10.44 assists per set in her first college season running a 5-1 offense while adding 23 aces.
Kamden Schrand | L | Jr. | The heir to program legend Elena Scott, who's collected 3.98 digs per set (477 total) in her first season as the starting libero.

No. 9 Texas A&M Scout

Head Coach

Jamie Morrison | 3rd season at Texas A&M & as Division I HC.
62-25 (.713) at Texas A&M & Division I Career Record.
3x Olympic medals with U.S. Men's & Women's national team.
3x NCAA Tournament Apps.
Previous head coach at the Netherlands women's national team & Austrian professional team SVS Post Schwechat.
Previous assistant at Texas, UC Irvine, U.S. Women's National Team, Concordia Irvine & U.S. Men's National Team.

2025 Record & Awards

25-4 (14-1 SEC, 2nd).
All-SEC: 4x First Team.

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 32-7.
Nov. 27, 2010, last matchup, 3-0 NU.

NCAA Tournament History

Appearances: 28th, third consecutive.
All-Time Tournament Record: 35-27.
Best Finish: NCAA Elite Eight (2001, 1999).

Texas A&M's Logan Lednicky is one of college volleyball's best opposites. | Texas A&M Athletics

Projected Lineup

Logan Lednicky | OPP | Sr. | Due to make her second-straight AVCA All-American team after leading A&M with 4.06 kills per set on a .319 hitting percentage.
Kyndal Stowers | OH | Soph. | Former top-20 recruit that's second on the team in points (366.5) and made the All-SEC First Team after transferring from Baylor.
Emily Hellmuth | OH | Sr. | Former Pepperdine transfer who's one of four players to surpass 300 points on the season.
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla | MB | Sr. | One of college volleyball's best middle blockers with 2.09 kills per set while leading the SEC with a .419 clip and 170 blocks.
Morgan Perkins | MB | Sr. | Starter in the middle alongside Co-Okpalla, who's added 1.91 points per set and 80 blocks in her senior season.
Maddie Waak | S | Sr. | Two-year transfer from LSU that was one of four A&M All-SEC First Team picks after running the offense with 11.49 assists per set and 27 aces.
Ava Underwood | L | Sr. | Second-year starter at libero, but has not produced at her 2024 level when she averaged 3.24 digs per set; 2.81 digs per set this season.

More From Nebraska On SI

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.