How to Watch No. 1 Nebraska Volleyball vs. Washington, No. 12 Purdue: Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team was always going to be good in 2025, but the form and fashion of their dominance have reached new levels as the season reaches its midpoint.

Filled with plenty of motivation after dropping both of their matches to eventual National Champion Penn State last season, the Huskers were looking to enact some revenge on the Nittany Lions last Friday in Rec Hall. NU did that and then some, pounding PSU in a historic sweep that saw Nebraska outscore Penn State 75-34 in total rallies. It was so bad that the Nittany Lions' -.114 match hitting percentage was the second-lowest opponent clip ever recorded in Nebraska program history. Reeling after the shocking loss of their setter and reigning National Freshman of the Year Izzy Starck, Penn State looked lost and a far cry from their championship-winning ways just months earlier.

The Huskers took care of business the following night with a sweep of Rutgers as true freshman middle Manaia Ogbechie made another start, where she hit .500 with five kills and five blocks. Bergen Reilly split time with Campbell Flynn, but that didn't stop the two-time Big Ten Setter of the Year from earning Big Ten Setter of the Week honors after totaling 41 assists, 10 digs, five blocks, three kills, and an ace over the weekend.

As Nebraska continues its stranglehold of the sport — with Texas not too far behind — the Huskers face two more conference challenges with a late Friday night showdown at Devaney before hitting the road to face a top-15 Purdue team Sunday afternoon. Here's all you need to know as Nebraska looks to extend its 16-set winning streak this weekend.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: No. 1 Nebraska (14-0, 4-0 B1G) vs. Washington (7-7, 2-2 B1G)
When: Friday, October 10
Where: John Cook Arena at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 8 p.m. CDT
Watch: B1G Network
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Leslie Gabriel enters her third season in charge of Washington after the Huskies reached the NCAA Tournament in 2024. | Washington Athletics

Washington Scout

Head Coach

2024 Finish

L, 3-2 vs. LMU in NCAA Tournament First Round.

2024 Record & Awards

19-12 (9-11 B1G, 9th) | Northwest All-Region Freshman OTY | All-Region: 1x First Team, 1x Honorable Mention| All-B1G: 2x Second Team, 1x All-Freshman.

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 7-2 (Nov. 9, 2024 last matchup; 3-0 NU)

Returning Production

Washington has relied on the breakout year of Katy Wessels (12) and the addition of Alexa Markley (22) from Penn State. | Chad Krockover / For The Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Key Returners

Kierstyn Barton | OH | Jr. | All-conference selection the last two seasons, who leads Washington in points (209.5) and kills (195) so far in 2025.
Julia Hunt | MB | Soph. | All-Pacific North Freshman of the Year in 2024; hitting .301 in 2024 with 1.64 kills per set while adding a team-high 17 aces and 47 blocks.
Katy Wessels | MB | Jr. | Has developed into one of the best middle blockers in the conference; ranks second with 69 blocks while adding 1.21 kills per set.
Alexis Haury | S | Soph. | Huskies starting setter after playing in a 6-2 in 2024; averaging 9.96 assists per set with 101 digs, 23 blocks, nine aces, and five kills.
Zoria Heard | L | Sr. | Averaging 3.66 digs per set as the team's starting libero, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten.

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Alexa Markley | OH | Sr. | Depth piece for Penn State in 2024 as the Nittany Lions marched to a national championship; second on the Huskies in points with 201.
Simona Mateska | OH | Fr. | Serbian native who's worked her way into the rotation as an attacker with 149.5 points in all 14 matches.

Serbian Simona Mateska has made her way into the starting lineup as a true freshman for the Huskies. | Chad Krockover / For The Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Key Departures

Emoni Bush | OH | Transfer | Playing her senior season at Oklahoma after leading the Huskies in points (348) and earning All-Big Ten Second Team honors in 2024.
Madi Endsley | OH | Graduated | Ended her college career second on Washington in points (330) and aces (29).
Molly Wilson | S | Transfer | Took her talents to Louisville after amassing a team-high 706 assists (6.03 A/S) and 32 aces while being second in digs with 257.
Lauren Bays | L | Graduated | Started every match last season as the Huskies' libero, where she racked up 383 digs (13th in B1G).
Kiune Fletcher | OH | Graduated | One-year rental that contributed 204 kills and 1.98 per set, which ranked fourth on the team.

Outlook

A 20-year assistant coach for Washington, Leslie Gabriel helped coach the Huskies to five Final Fours and seven Pac-12 Championships before taking over as the program's head coach prior to the 2023 season.

A season of adjustment was needed (16-15), but Gabriel led Washington back to the NCAA Tournament in the school's first season in the Big Ten with a 19-12 record. The Huskies were left disappointed with a first-round loss, but UW brought back nearly half of its entire production into 2025.

The Huskies lost plenty of firepower from the pins in the transfer of Emoni Bush (Oklahoma) and the graduation of Madi Endsley, as the two outsides combined for 678 of the school's 1,960 points in 2024. Plus, Kiune Fletcher and her 236 points exhausted their eligibility from the program. The leading setter of UW's 6-2 system (Molly Wilson) transferred to Louisville, while starting libero Lauren Bays graduated after being 13th in the Big Ten with 383 digs.

Senior Zoria Heard (23) takes over at libero for UW and ranks inside the top five in digs per set in the Big Ten. | Washington Athletics

Kierstyn Barton has done a wonderful job on the outside to fill those shoes from Bush and Endsley, leading the team in points and kills so far in 2025. She's been aided by Penn State transfers and national champion Alex Markley, with 201 points and 174 kills in 14 matches. Serbian freshman Simona Mateska has also cracked the lineup with 3.11 points per set.

Named the All-Pacific Region Freshman of the Year in 2024, Julia Hunt leads the team in hitting percentage (.301) and aces (17) as a threat from the middle. Returning junior Katy Wessels joins Hunt to create one of the better blocker duos in the conference. Wessels has been fantastic defensively with 69 blocks — second-most in the Big Ten.

Alexis Haury found playing time in the 6-2 setter system last year as a freshman, but is now averaging 9.96 assists per set as the primary distributor. Senior and Texas native Zoria Heard is now the starting libero for Washington and ranks fourth in the conference with 3.66 for good measure.

The Huskies did a decent job over the offseason to fill holes, but there's a good reason to doubt if this year's roster is better than 2024. Washington didn't threaten the three ranked teams they've faced so far this year, and their only two conference wins are against basement dwellers, Ohio State and Iowa.

We'll see if the 8 p.m. Central start throws off either team, but if Nebraska can continue its play from last weekend, then this should be the Huskers' fifth conference win of the season.

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Dave Shondell is in the midst of his 23rd season in West Lafayette. | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How to Follow Along

Matchup: No. 1 Nebraska (14-0, 4-0 B1G) at No. 12 Purdue (12-2, 3-1 B1G)
When: Sunday, October 12
Where: Holloway Gymnasium, West Lafayette, Ind.
Time: 12 p.m. CDT
Watch: B1G+
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Purdue Scout

Head Coach

2024 Finish

L, 0-3 to No. 1 Louisville in NCAA Regional Final.

2024 Record & Awards

27-7 (16-4 B1G, 4th) | All-Americans: 2x Second Team | Midwest Region Player OTY | All-Region: 4x First Team, 1x Honorable Mention | All-B1G: 2x First Team, 2x Second Team.

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 25-8 (Oct. 11, 2024 last matchup, 3-2 NU)

Returning Production

Junior Taylor Anderson (5) is one of the Big Ten's best setters as shown by her conference lead in assists. | Chad Krockover / For The Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Key Returners

Kenna Wollard | OH | Jr. | The third or fourth offensive option for Purdue in 2024, the 6-foot-1 Illinois native currently leads the B1G in kills (261) as part of a breakout junior campaign.
Grace Heaney | OPP | R-Soph. | The Omaha native redshirted as a sophomore in 2024 and is now second on the Boilermakers with 198.5 points while hitting .320 with 112 kills and 49 blocks (2nd on team).
Taylor Anderson | S | Jr. | After getting All-Big Ten Second Team honors last season, the Purdue setter is averaging a conference-leading 10.62 assists per set (584 total).
Julia Kane | DS | Jr. | Returning defensive specialist for Purdue who excels at the service line and leads the team with 21 aces through the first half of the 2025 season.
Ryan McAleer | L/DS | Soph. | Racked up 285 digs (2.4 D/S) as a true freshman, but is set to eclipse that mark with 198 digs (3.6 D/S) as the team's libero in 2025.

Purdue's Kenna Wollard (4) has turned into one of the Big Ten's most fearsome attackers after a somewhat quiet 2024 campaign. | Chad Krockover / For The Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Akasha Anderson | OH | Sr. | Two-time transfer (Michigan State & Auburn) who led the Spartans on offense last season with 356 kills and 410.5 points while totaling 70 blocks and 17 aces.
Dior Charles | MB | Jr. | A defensive force at Wake Forest the past two seasons before transferring to Purdue, where she leads the Boilermakers in blocks and is in the top 10 in the conference with 62.
Lindsey Miller | MB | Gr. | USC transfer that sees time in the middle rotation; third on the team with 42 blocks while averaging 1.58 kills per set in 11 matches.

Key Departures

Chloe Chicoine | OH | Transfer (Louisville) | Was the most decorated freshman in Purdue history and earned AVCA All-American Third Team honors in 2023.
Eva Hudson | OH | Transfer (Kentucky | Three-time All-American that led the Big Ten in kills in 2024 while becoming the fastest Boilermaker to reach 1,000 career kills.
Raven Colvin | MB | Graduated | AVCA Second Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten after leading the conference with 184 blocks while adding 2.58 kills per set on a .346 hitting percentage as well as a team-high 37 aces.
Ali Hornung | L | Graduated | Tallied the most digs of any Boilermaker in 2024 with 491 for 4.16 digs per set, which ranked second in the Big Ten.

Outside hitters Chloe Chicoine (2) and Eva Hudson (17) blindsided Purdue with their transfers over the offseason. | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Outlook

A pillar of consistency under head coach Dave Shondell, Purdue has amassed nearly 500 wins in over 20 seasons, but the Boilermakers have yet to advance to their first Final Four. That didn't change with a regional semifinal loss to Louisville to end 2024, but there was plenty of change in the offseason quickly after.

Built around the offensive play of its outside hitters, Shondell and his program were shell-shocked with the departures of All-Americans Eva Hudson (Kentucky) and Chloe Chicoine (Louisville). Add in the graduation of one of the country's best middle blockers (Raven Colvin) and the team's starting libero (Ali Hornung), and the Boilermakers were in for a flurry of change.

A silver lining for the Boilermakers was the return of a pair of core playmakers in setter Taylor Anderson and outside hitter Kenna Wollard. Anderson averaged over 11 assists per set last season and currently leads the conference in that category. Wollard was behind Hudson and Chicoine last season, but has taken up the mantle to become the Big Ten's kill leader, just like Hudson did 12 months ago.

Akasha Anderson transferred to Purdue after leading Michigan State in points and kills in 2024. | Chad Krockover / For The Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Returning backrow defender Ryan McAleer has stepped up to become the team's libero with 3.60 digs per set, while opposite and Elkhorn native Grace Heaney is second on the team in points after redshirting last season.

Shondell had to dip into the transfer portal for reinforcements, which resulted in the addition of Michigan State transfer Akasha Anderson. She led the Spartans in points and kills last season and is third on the Boilermakers in 2025. Middle blocker Dior Charles was a monster defender at Wake Forest and has brought that mentality to Purdue with a team-leading 62 blocks. A transfer from USC, Lindsey Miller provides a boost as the third middle on the roster.

This is not the same roster that's finished inside the top five in the Big Ten for three of the past four seasons, but they're certainly playing like it. With only two losses (Georgia Tech, Illinois) and ranked wins over No. 10 SMU, No. 15 Kansas, No. 17 USC, and No. 24 UCLA, the Boilermakers are dangerous again. Being on the road makes this a tough matchup for the Huskers, but their depth is unmatched compared to past seasons. I wouldn't be surprised if the Boilermakers push NU to five sets, but give me Nebraska in four.

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