College Volleyball Shines Under the Lights With Debuts and Dominance

Nebraska, Florida, Penn State, and SMU participated in the inaugural Spikes Under the Lights Showcase in a high-powered, low-stakes night for a prize purse of $1 million

Aug 27, 2026; Arlington, TX, USA; Nebraska are introduced before their match. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The inaugural Spikes Under the Lights Showcase at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, brought together four high-powered programs for a historic night of collegiate volleyball.

Three of those teams – Penn State, Nebraska, and Florida – made their unofficial debuts in the 2026 season.

Even though the matches do not impact the teams’ records or any potential tournament seeding, fans were still able to learn a lot about all four squads.

No. 1 Nebraska Sneaks Past No. 17 Florida

First games, even exhibitions that don’t count toward the NCAA record, can seem disjointed as teams adjust to new opponents. This was particularly true for the No. 1 Nebraska Cornhuskers, who, despite beating No. 17 Florida 2-0 (21-19, 21-18), struggled to find consistent rhythm in their offense.

The teams traded points throughout both sets, with neither team gaining more than a three-point lead.

Nebraska’s offense struggled more than, perhaps, expected early on. The team hit a paltry .161 in the first set and ended the match at .220.

The bright spots were in the middle, with senior Andi Jackson’s five kills, .571 hitting percentage, and three blocks, and on defense, as the team racked up seven blocks and 26 digs, and held Florida to a .176 hitting percentage.

Aug 27, 2026; Arlington, TX, USA; Florida attacks the ball against Nebraska. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Florida, on the other hand, didn’t look like a team with seven transfers and one incoming freshman.

Instead, the Gators played as their coach, Ryan Theis, hoped they would – aggressive and free. Led by Long Beach State transfer Logan King’s team-high nine kills and two blocks, the Gators never seemed rattled or intimidated by their opponent or the environment.

Overall, Nebraska’s offense is still behind its defense. They started slow but closed out both sets as they settled into their game plan.

Head coach Dani Busboom-Kelly may not have been exaggerating when she talked about having the best middle room in the country, and if the Huskers can get their pin hitters going, they will continue to be the team with the target on their backs.

It’s hard to beat the No. 1 team, even when it is still getting its footing, but Florida fought hard and played both sets aggressively. The Gators have a couple of tune-up games before they face Minnesota and Wisconsin in the Big Ten-SEC Challenge. If they continue at this level, the Gators could be a dark horse in the SEC and the NCAA Tournament.

No. 11 SMU Battles No. 10 PSU

In the second semifinal set of the night, No. 10 Penn State finally got to show off its new offensive weapons from the transfer portal in middle blocker Ryla Jones (Pitt), outside hitter Whitney Launstein (Texas), and setter Alexis Stucky (Florida) against an SMU team that had previously shown its potential by beating No. 8 Texas A&M in the AVCA First Serve.  

SMU showed that their win against Texas A&M wasn’t a fluke, as they swept PSU 2-0 (24-22, 22-18) thanks, once again, to the BYU transfer Suli Davis’ 11 kills and middle blocker Favor Anyanwu’s five kills, two blocks, and two service aces.

Similar to the Huskers in the first match, the Mustangs’ first set was tight, going back and forth with the Nittany Lions to extra points.

Unlike the first match, SMU’s defense was behind its offense, hitting .286 but also allowing Penn State to hit .268. Their defense picked up in the second set, going from no blocks in the first to three team blocks in the second and holding All-American Kennedy Martin to a .161 hitting percentage.

Aug 27, 2026; Arlington, TX, USA; Penn State blocks an attack by SMU. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penn State’s new weapons showed up and played as expected. Jones hit .500 in both matches without a single error, Stucky spread the ball around even when the passes weren’t perfect, and Launstein’s 12 kills were a match high for either team.

Last year, Penn State often relied on Kennedy Martin, but in this match, her swings (25) were almost identical to Launstein’s (20). If Penn State can keep this balance, it will be significantly more difficult to defend as the season progresses.

Championship Match: Nebraska Gets Revenge on SMU From 2024 Sweep

The Nebraska team that showed up in the first set of the championship match is the Nebraska team many fans expected to see, starting the set on a 12-2 run and keeping SMU at arm’s length for the remainder of the set, winning 21-12.

The offense, as a whole, wasn’t significantly better than their first match, hitting .161, but their defense found a second gear, holding Davis to a -.273 and SMU to -.087. Nebraska’s service pressure also stepped up, as they put pressure on the Mustangs’ passers, forcing them out of system and into a predictable offense.

SMU woke up in the second set, not allowing Nebraska to go on a long run until near double digits when redshirt sophomore Skyler Pierce (OH) got two kills in a row to give the Huskers some breathing room. Nebraska went on another 12-2 run late in the match, ultimately taking down SMU 21-11 to become the first Spikes Under the Lights Champions.

The momentum SMU had at the end of their match against PSU had completely disappeared by the time they faced Nebraska. They had bright spots in their net defense – doubling up their block numbers compared to the Huskers – but ultimately could not overcome the suffocating defense of the top team in the country.

Aug 27, 2026; Arlington, TX, USA; Nebraska players celebrate at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A Final Word on Spikes Under the Lights

From a technical perspective, the event left a lot to be desired.

The lighting and sound production within AT&T Stadium were still in pre-season form. Lowering the final score from 25 to 21 (and 15 in the third set if necessary) was a valiant effort to speed up the game and fit all three matches into one night.

However, it never felt realistic to play six to nine volleyball matches within three hours (including warm-up times and a mid-game mini concert from country artist Julia Cole). Holding it on a Thursday night may also have made it difficult for more fans to attend.

Fans will always welcome opportunities to see their teams compete, and teams are likely to appreciate a lower-stakes introduction to the season to tweak their lineups and iron out any early-season wrinkles.

Attempts to grow the sport by having high-profile teams play in new and exciting venues should always be applauded, especially when all the matches involved were as exciting as these.