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Nebraska Checks In at No. 1 in Midseason Big Ten Power Rankings

Plus, we take a look at who the contenders are for the league's individual awards
Lincoln Arneal|
Nebraska setter Bergen Reilly high fives Andi Jackson after a kill. Reilly is the leading contender to win the Big Ten Setter of the Year Award.
Nebraska setter Bergen Reilly high fives Andi Jackson after a kill. Reilly is the leading contender to win the Big Ten Setter of the Year Award. | Amarillo Mullen

In this story:

Nebraska CornhuskersNebraska CornhuskersPurdue BoilermakersPurdue BoilermakersWisconsin BadgersWisconsin BadgersIllinois Fighting IlliniIllinois Fighting IlliniIndiana HoosiersIndiana HoosiersPenn State Nittany LionsPenn State Nittany LionsMinnesota Golden GophersMinnesota Golden GophersUCLA BruinsUCLA BruinsUSC TrojansUSC TrojansMichigan State SpartansMichigan State SpartansMichigan WolverinesMichigan WolverinesOregon DucksOregon DucksWashington HuskiesWashington HuskiesIowa HawkeyesIowa HawkeyesNorthwestern WildcatsNorthwestern WildcatsMaryland TerrapinsMaryland TerrapinsRutgers Scarlet KnightsRutgers Scarlet KnightsOhio State BuckeyesOhio State Buckeyes

Halfway through the Big Ten season, several truths have become evident. 

Nebraska is really good. Kennedy Martin and Mimi Colyer can carry a team. Anyone can beat anyone (except Nebraska, thus far) on any given night. 

Since the last edition of the Power Rankings in September, teams have played 10 matches over the past five weeks. The contenders and pretenders have separated slightly — only two games separate second from ninth place — and we’ve learned a lot more about the caliber of each since they can no longer hide behind soft nonconference scheduling. 

Before we get into the ranking, let’s take a quick look at the leading contenders for each of the individual accolades. 

Player of the Year: Bergen Reilly, Nebraska; Kennedy Martin, Penn State; Mimi Coyler, Wisconsin. 

Martin and Coyler are both averaging more than 5 kills per set and are the centerpieces for their teams, but Reilly is orchestrating the league’s best offense by more than 30 points. Nebraska’s offense is so balanced that Reilly gets more recognition for keeping everyone involved and lethal. 

Coach of the Year: Dave Shondell, Purdue; Dani Busboom-Kelly, Nebraska; Steve Aird, Indiana. 

Shondell has reloaded and nearly flipped the roster, yet remains in the league’s top tier. DBK has raised the Huskers’ play on a team that didn’t have much room for improvement. Aird gets the pick for now as the Hoosiers could finish in the top five of the league, but first-year coaches Trent Kersten of Oregon and Kristen Kelsay of Michigan State could work their way into the conversation with a few big wins in the second half. Keegan Cook could also get a few looks for the work he’s done with an injury-plagued Minnesota squad. 

Bergen Reilly sets during the match against Northwestern.
Bergen Reilly sets during the match against Northwestern. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Setter of the Year: Reilly, Teodora Kričković, Indiana; Taylor Anderson, Purdue. 

This award is expected to go to Reilly for the third straight year. Even if Izzy Starck and Charlie Fuerbringer weren’t removed from consideration, it would be hard to deny the work the NU junior has done this year. Kričković, a freshman from Serbia, has been a focal point for the Hoosiers, and Anderson has been a crucial bridge for the Boilermakers after their roster turnover. 

Libero of the Year: Lola Schumacher, UCLA; Ryan McAleer, Purdue; Gillian Grimes, Penn State. 

Schumacher has found a new home in Westwood and leads the league with 4.29 digs per set, and is passing a 2.21 with a 54.6 good pass percentage. McAleer anchors the Boilermakers with 3.59 digs while passing a 2.16 and a 55.5 good pass percentage. Grimes doesn’t have the flashing digs numbers with just 3.32 per set, but she’s passing a 2.31 with a 61.2 GPP. 

Freshman of the Year: Alanah Clemente, Oregon; Teodora Kričković, Indiana; Stella Swenson, Minnesota; Resse Messer, USC; Malayah Long, Michigan State; Eliana Urzua, UCLA; Abigail Mullen, USC; Jaidyn Jager, Indiana; Virginia Adriano, Nebraska. 

This one is a crapshoot. In the nine editions of the league’s weekly awards, only Long has won more than once. Thanks to the mass exodus of talent from the conference after last season, freshmen are filling the void left behind. Clemente might be a slight frontrunner, but this one is truly a toss-up at this point. 

On to the Power Rankings: 

1. Nebraska 20-0, 10-0

Best win: at Penn State, 25-6, 25-15, 25-13, Oct. 3. 

Most important match left: at Wisconsin, Oct. 31

The Huskers have been dominant this season, and midway through league play, this is their title to lose. Nebraska hasn’t dropped a set yet and has only allowed opponents to reach 20 points five times. If Nebraska can handle the Badgers on Friday, the most pressing question is how many games it will finish clear of the field.

2. Wisconsin 15-3, 8-2

Best win: at UCLA, 25-14, 25-20, 25-21, Oct. 17

Most important match left: vs Nebraska, Oct. 31

The Badgers’ season took a turn when it lost starting setter Charlie Fuerbringer to injury on Oct. 5. It’s uncertain when, or if, she will return. Addy Horner has stepped in and done well, keeping Wisconsin at the top of the league. UW also survived Grace Egan’s injury, and they should get a little more balanced with her return, as she can take some pressure off Mimi Colyer. If the Badgers have any hopes of challenging for a title, they need to knock off Nebraska this week.  

3. Purdue 17-3, 8-2

Best win: vs Minnesota, 19-25, 17-25, 27-25, 25-21, 18-16, Oct. 26

Most important match left: at Wisconsin, Nov. 19

The Boilermakers proved they are for real on Sunday with a reverse sweep against Minnesota after facing match points in the third and fifth sets. Kenna Wollard has emerged as a go-to attacker, and Grace Heaney is a big-time threat on the right pin. Purdue hasn’t had a Top 2 finish in the league since 1987, but could do so if it beats Wisconsin in November. 

4. Indiana 16-4, 7-3

Best win: at UCLA, 20-25 25-17 25-23 25-21, Oct. 4

Most important match left: at Penn State, Nov. 2

The Hoosiers announced themselves with a pair of wins during a trip to Los Angeles in early October. They dropped both first sets, but won the next three on back-to-back nights against USC and UCLA. Indiana has three solid pin attackers, but the key to their success is freshman setter Teodora Kričković. Indiana has finished in the top half of the league one since 2008 (tied for 6th in 2023), but they have a tough November stretch with matches against Penn State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Purdue and Illinois. The Hoosiers are 1-62 all-time against the Nittany Lions (with the only win coming in 2010). This is as good a chance as ever to knock off PSU. 

5. Minnesota 16-5, 6-4

Best win: Indiana, 25-19, 25-19, 18-25, 25-19, Oct. 24

Most important match left: two matches against Wisconsin, Nov. 5 and 28. 

After losing four starters to season-long injuries, the Gophers could have packed it up, but they settled into their new roles with OH Julia Hanson and S Stella Swensen leading the charge. Freshmen Carly Gilk and Kelly Kinney have emerged as legit attackers. Minnesota is scraping the barrel in terms of depth, but they have just enough to make some noise in the league and could fight to host the first weekend of the tournament. 

6. Penn State 13-7, 7-3

Best win: Wisconsin, 25-20, 25-21, 25-16, Oct. 10

Most important match left: vs Indiana, Nov. 2

The Nittany Lions recovered from an embarrassing loss to Nebraska in the first week of October and settled into their new identity of Kennedy Martin and company. They’ve featured Maggie Mendelson more on offense — she has 5 double-digit kill performances in the past six matches after reaching that mark once in the first 13. The match against Indiana kicks off a two-week stretch where the Nittany Lions play the Hoosiers, Purdue, Illinois and Minnesota. If they want to have any hopes of hosting the first and second rounds, they need to have a positive record in that stretch. 

7. USC 15-5, 6-4

Best win: Wisconsin, 23-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-22, Oct. 19

Most important match left: vs UCLA, Oct. 29

The Trojans have loads of talent, but haven’t always played consistently, which happens when you’re a young team. Three starters are freshmen, and three others are sophomores. They should be able to pile up wins in the second half of the schedule, as it has just four matches against teams with records above .500, and three of those are home. The Trojans need to start their second half strong and avenge a sweep against the cross-town Bruins on Wednesday. 

8. Illinois 12-7, 7-3

Best win: Purdue, 25-21, 12-25, 25-23, 26-24, Sept. 28

Most important match left: vs Penn State, Nov. 9

The Illini took advantage of a soft schedule to start the conference season and added a win against Purdue. After four weeks, Illinois was in second place by itself, but then Purdue got its revenge on Friday and Michigan knocked off the Illini on Saturday. Illinois has a couple of nice offensive players, led by Taylor de Boer, but it is a bottom-four team in efficiency. To boost their postseason resume, the Illini need to defend their home court against Penn State, Wisconsin and Indiana. 

9. UCLA

Best win: at Penn State, 22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-23, Sept. 28

Most important match left: vs Illinois, Nov. 20

The Bruins own road wins against Penn State and Minnesota, but lost to Oregon at home. Consistency has been an issue for UCLA: on some nights, their pieces click, but at other times, they struggle to string together points. The Bruins are hitting .231 this season, which is 16th in the Big Ten. 

10. Oregon 13-7, 4-6

Best win: Minnesota, 25-20, 23-25, 25-14, 25-19, Oct. 17

Most important match left: vs USC, Nov. 19

After dropping matches to Illinois and Northwestern in the first week of Big Ten play, the Ducks have figured out their identity. They are a hard-serving, hard-swinging team not afraid to let it rip. It works great in some matches, where they can use it to put opponents on their heels, but it backfired against Wisconsin: Oregon couldn’t close in the red zone, despite reaching 20 points first in each set, and missed 18 total serves. 

11. Michigan State 15-5, 5-5

Best win: Indiana, 25-21, 25-19, 25-18, Oct. 12

Most important match left: vs Purdue, Oct. 31

The Spartans have also surprised a few teams in Kristen Kelsay’s first year. They went through the nonconference undefeated but got a rude welcome to the Big Ten with a sweep at Minnesota, where Kelsey was an associate head coach last year. They’ve done well so far, but suffered a surprising setback against Iowa last Friday night before running into the Huskers’ buzzsaw. MSU can get back on track when it hosts Purdue on Friday night. 

12. Michigan 14-7, 4-6

Best win: Minnesota, 18-25, 25-12, 25-14, 25-12, Oct. 1

Most important match left: vs Michigan State, Nov. 16

The good news for the Wolverines is they are done playing Nebraska. Michigan averaged 15.6 points per set against the Huskers in two matches. Michigan has mixed its offense, running both a 6-2 and a 5-1 system at times. The middle blockers terminate at a high rate, but don’t get enough opportunities. They start the second half with a challenging task of hosting Penn State and Purdue, but if the Wolverines want to make a bid for the postseason, they need to beat their in-state rival. 

13. Washington 9-11, 4-6

Best win: Penn State, 25-11, 25-17, 23-25, 20-25, 15-13, Oct. 17

Most important match left: vs Oregon, Oct. 31

The Huskies took a set off Minnesota, Wisconsin and USC in their last three times out, but couldn’t finish the job. Washington is ahead of UCLA and Michigan in the RPI, but needs to stack up more wins to have any hopes at the postseason. That starts on Friday when the Huskies host the Ducks. Senior opposite Alexa Markley was a player possessed against her former team, Penn State, and if she can replicate that more often, it would do wonders for UW’s offense. 

14. Iowa 12-10, 3-7

Best win: Michigan State, 22-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-22, Oct. 24

Most important match left: vs Northwestern 

The Hawkeyes got their best win of the season on Friday by taking down a Michigan State team that might have been looking ahead to a match against Nebraska the following night. Iowa has a chance to win more than four league games for the first time since 2018 with a pair of matches against Northwestern and Ohio State left on the schedule. Baby steps! 

15. Northwestern 13-9, 3-7

Best win: Oregon, 25-22, 25-21, 24-26, 27-29, 15-10, Sept. 28

Most important match left: vs Iowa, Oct. 31

Two of the Wildcats’ three league wins came in five sets as they also outlasted Michigan in Welsh-Ryan Arena. Northwestern uses a lot of players as it runs a 6-2 offense and uses two liberos. Perhaps the most noteworthy event of the first half was when the Wildcats almost got away with playing seven players against Nebraska, but still lost the point. 

16. Maryland 8-12, 1-9

Best win: Rutgers, 24-26, 25-23, 27-25, 25-14, Oct. 15

Most important match left: vs Ohio State, Nov. 8

Just about once per year, the Terrapins knock off a rated Big Ten team despite being a lower-tier league team. This year, Maryland nearly pulled off a reverse sweep against Penn State, forcing a fifth set. However, PSU dominated the final frame 15-5 in front of 5,093 fans, its second largest in program history. With its series against Rutgers done, the Terps’ best hope of another win comes at Northwestern and Rutgers. 

17. Rutgers 10-12, 1-9

Best win: Maryland, 27-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-16, Oct. 3

Most important match left: at Ohio State, Oct. 31

The Scarlet Knights have won just six sets in the Big Ten, and four have come against Maryland. They claimed the first two sets against Iowa, but then got reverse-swept. The highlight of the season so far was a sellout crowd of 8,000 at Jersey Mike’s Arena when Rutgers hosted Nebraska. The Scarlet Knights’ best hope for another win comes Friday against Ohio State. 

18. Ohio State 3-15, 0-10

Best win: None

Most important match left: All of them. 

It’s been a rough year for the Buckeyes. After getting decimated by the transfer portal for the second time in three years, their only wins are against Miami (Ohio), Ohio and Troy. The league schedule hasn’t been kind, as seven of OSU’s 10 matches have been against teams that were ranked or receiving votes in the poll. However, Ohio State has only forced a fifth set once, the league opener against UCLA. The chances for a win exist with matches against Rutgers (twice), Maryland, Northwestern and Iowa awaiting in the second half. However, the Buckeyes get to end the season at Nebraska. 

Published | Modified
Lincoln Arneal
LINCOLN ARNEAL

Lincoln Arneal covers Nebraska volleyball for HuskerMax and posts on social media about the Big Ten and national volleyball stories. He previously covered the program for Huskers Illustrated and the Omaha World-Herald and is a frequent guest on local and national sports talk shows and podcasts. Lincoln hosts the Volleyball State Podcast with Jeff Sheldon.

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